HPP: Dungeon crawlers certainly aren't a rare breed on the PlayStation Vita.The relatively niche genre has found something of a sanctuary in Sony's handheld, and no developer is more well aware of this than Experience Inc. Having already released a pair of exceptional DRPGs in the form of Demon Gaze and Operation Abyss: New Tokyo Legacy over the past few years on the Vita, along with Stranger of Sword City as recently as this week, the developer has done a great job of refining their craft with each successive release.
The PlayStation Vita has become a haven for RPGs, but there is one particular type that has really made itself at home on the system. People who love first-person dungeon-crawlers with turn-based battles and often customizable parties can find tons on the system. Developers like Experience and Compile Heart have taken to the system. This means people who enjoy level grinding and customizing characters have plenty of options to choose from when looking for a new game to play.
VGChartz's Adam Cartwright: "On 28th October 2015 an interesting shift happened in the market for physical collectors on Vita. A small spin-off from the development studio Mighty Rabbit Games released its first physical game - Breach & Clear - which managed to sell out of all 1,500 copies that had been printed within a few seconds, sparking the birth of a company that would release an unprecedented 34 further titles within two years.
I recently had the chance to interview one of the founders - Douglas Bogart - to find out how the business had grown, how the Vita factors into their plans going forward, and what he thinks about the ever-growing market for indie physical releases as a whole."
I still own a shrink wrapped copy of their original run of Breach and Clear. :) Since then I've bought several of their releases.
Developer Experience’s Ray Gigant is one of the best dungeon crawlers to make its way to the Vita in recent years. Sadly, the game never saw a physical release when it made its way to Sony’s handheld last year. Thankfully, that’s about to change.
This game not only got me into dungeon crawlers, but now Experience Inc. is a dev I keep an eye out for. It was a fun platinum.
It's definitely one of the better ones to release in recent years. I can't wait until Experience releases Operation Babel: New Tokyo Legacy next month.
Hell yeah man! Aside from the translation errors(which I found endearing) Ray Gigant is a really good time. I enjoyed the story, along with the gameplay.
I actually went back and played Operation Abyss, Mind Zero, and Dungeon Travelers 2.
Hey, have you played Demon Gaze? If so, what are your thoughts on it?
I'm looking to maybe get it after I'm done with Persona 5.
Demon Gaze is fantastic. If you enjoyed Operation Abyss and Dungeon Travelers 2 you'll definitely feel right at home with it.
It would be a great shame if you skipped Persona 3 Portable and Persona 4 before getting in to P5. The two games made the series what it is today.
I played Persona 3 on PS4, and Persona 4 on Vita, don't worry!
I got the bad ending in Persona 4...
I think pretty good. The story wasn't predictable, which I appreciate. It is a fun genre that this is a great entryway into.
Make sure to get the good ending, also if not done already, unlock Maries (Hollow Forest) dungeon.
Looks like another solid RPG for the Vita.