Dungeons of Dreadrock 2 – The Dead King’s Secret

Genre: Puzzle

Players: 1

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Review:

Two years after the release of the original Dungeons of Dreadrock, now in 2024 we have received its sequel on PC and Nintendo Switch, and this is a faithful sequel that has much in common with the original. This is still a Puzzle game in the guise of a Dungeon Crawler, with players using keen skills of observation and logic to get past numerous floors of enemies and traps within the titular dungeons. However, this time the player takes the role of a sorceress searching the dungeons for a crown coveted by her order, while throughout her journey having occasional encounters with a pair of siblings (seemingly the first game’s protagonists) who are traveling through the dungeons for their own reasons.

The level of detail in the visuals has been improved upon since the first game, but otherwise much of what I said in my review of that game still applies here. This game has some nice, detailed pixel art visuals with some decent animation, with a catchy but brief chiptune theme in between levels, with the only other noises being those of the enemies and contraptions within those levels, each being distinct and recognizable. On the other hand, throughout the game you’ll have the story read to you via narration, and while this narration is fine, the quality of the recording sounds odd, like there’s some sort of artificial echo.

The control issues the first game had are improved upon here, with this one not having many of the same problems (for example, you’re not inexplicably prevented from using a Pro controller this time). However, character movement in the game is still tile-based but takes place in real-time, a combination which still feels stiff and unnatural. Players once again attack enemies by attempting to move into them, and you’ll find the usual assortment of wall switches, floor switches, locked doors and keys.

I will note that it is frustrating that your character seems incapable of setting something down without throwing it, nor turning without moving in that direction. A necessary conceit for the puzzle design, perhaps, but one that makes for frustrating moments where a puzzle could be easily solved if your character could just do something that any one of us could easily do in real life.

Despite these complaints, one thing that I’m glad hasn’t changed here – the puzzle design is still fiendishly clever, really making players consider how to use everything in each room to their advantage. And once again, this sequel brings back the first game’s excellent hint system, which lets players decide how much help, if any, they’ll be getting in solving the game’s puzzles.

In the end, I do feel like Dungeons of Dreadrock 2 could have improved more on its predecessor, but this is still an improvement over the first game in multiple ways, without losing what made the original game so special. If you’re a fan of challenging Puzzle games, this is definitely one you’ll want to pick up.

tl;dr – Dungeons of Dreadrock 2 makes small improvements to the original game while retaining what made the first game so special, resulting in yet another superb Puzzle game that is a must-have for fans of the genre, and an absolute must-have for anyone who enjoyed the first game.

Grade: B+

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This game has been nominated for one or more of eShopperReviews 2024 Game Awards:

Runner-Up: Best Puzzle Game

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