I hate to admit it, but when I think of smaller indie releases, my expectations are tempered accordingly. This is not to say smaller studios can’t produce games that go above and beyond; rather, independent games tend to fill the gap between AAA releases. Dungeons of Hinterberg, instead, completely took me by surprise in its scope and unique take on familiar RPG trappings.
Dungeons of Hinterberg sees you in the shoes of Luisa, a somewhat jaded and tired lawyer-in-training, getting away from it all on vacation in the titular Hinterberg locale, a very European-inspired tourist destination, one that also happens to be a hotbed for magical happenings. With the sudden arrival of otherwordly portals leading to the arrival of monsters, dungeons and general mayhem, instead of fleeing in panic, the people of Hinterberg have embraced the arrival of the fantastical, going as far as to make it an integral part of their tourism industry.
As Luisa, players unwind on a month-long escape from the humdrum routine of a 9-5 career, putting down the gavel for a sword, or many swords, as Dungeons of Hinterberg, like any good RPG worth its salt, features a healthy variety of weapons, armour, and other equipment, such as socketable gems, and charms that all ultimately better augment the player as they make their way across the 20+ dungeons present in the game.
“Dungeons of Hinterberg completely took me by surprise in its scope and unique take on familiar RPG trappings.”
Aside from the impressive number of dungeons, what surprised me the most during my time with Dungeons of Hinterberg was its social-sim elements, which were reminiscent of games like the Persona series.
Each in-game day of Luisa’s vacation opens with selecting from one of five biomes, which gradually unlock, granting access to more and more dungeons. Completing a dungeon or activity in said biome sends the player back to town, where they can spend the remainder of the evening partaking in social activities with the various NPCs, which include both residents of Hinterberg and fellow quest-seeking tourists alike.
Building relationships and completing side quests gradually unlock new abilities for the player to take advantage of when dungeon crawling, such as the ability to purify marred or tainted gear, which grants significant stat boosts to equipment, or even unlock new slots for abilities, further strengthing Luisa as she explores all that Hinterberg has to offer.
In terms of gameplay when inside a dungeon or biome, Dungeons of Hinterberg feels like a modern take on the N64-era of 3D The Legend of Zelda titles, particularly in its approach to puzzles and its auto-jump mechanic. Thankfully, unlike the endless variety of Zelda clones that have come out over the years, Dungeons of Hinterberg features some truly unique puzzles that take familiar concepts but utilize them in fresh and exciting ways, making them feel original and engaging.
“Each of the five distinct areas or biomes in Dungeons of Hinterberg comes with its own unique set of magic abilities or skills that the player can use exclusively in those respected dungeons.”
For example, each of the five distinct areas or biomes in Dungeons of Hinterberg comes with its own unique set of magic abilities or skills that the player can use exclusively in those respected dungeons. Abilities include everything from a mini-tornado that can be used to whisk Luisa over environmental hazards to a cool snowboard that transforms the game into a fast-paced, semi-open world adventure.
In addition to projectile-based powers such as a ball of gust reminiscent of Naruto’s Rasengan, there is even the ability to create slimy-gel-based platforms out of thin air. Although these magic abilities are primarily given to the player to tackle puzzles inside of dungeons, most, if not all, can also be used during combat, such as the slime platforms, which can entrap enemies, or the tornado, which can do AoE damage while allowing the player to get away from hordes of enemies quickly.
Special attack and buffing skills can also be found and equipped, which, unlike the magic abilities, which use up MP, instead are tied to a cooldown and grant Luisa powerful attacks such as a spinning blade and a perfect-dodge window, which augment the otherwise typical light and heavy attacks tied to the sword.
An exciting setting, full of grounded yet still fantastically over-the-top characters and environments, combined with solid gameplay and a striking comic-book-inspired aesthetic, coalesce into a wonderful and unexpectedly charming action RPG that fans of the genre should not miss out on.
