Dandara: Trials of Fear Edition

This game is way better than I expected, The mechanics are unique in the best way possible, I really like how snappy the movement is especially with the "aim assist" for the movement conrrols, every move is a puzzle when it come to the most frantic parts (like the boss fights), the artstyle is nice, with avried zones and enemies. And on top of that the music is top notch This game deserves my best rating 4.5/5, I loved every minute of it

I'll start by admitting I received Dandara on 2 separate PC gaming clients as a giveaway. This is not a sponsored review. I expected not to like this game simply because of the movement mechanics, and it sat in my backlog for quite a while before I decided to play it. Now that I have started it and am several hours in over the course of a few days, I find myself really enjoying it! To the point that it calls me back nightly to progress further into the game. The movement mechanics are a bit odd, but the devs refined them to be very fluid. I would highly suggest using a controller to play, since I don't see how kb+mouse controls can work quite as well as with dual joysticks. It sort of has an 'auto-aim' thing going on. To where you can point in a general direction, mash the X button (or A button for Xinput) and point in a different direction as it becomes apparent where you want to move as it comes into view. After you get the hang of it and get to know the maps, you can traverse rather quickly. As long as you know which way you need to go. The maps are intentionally set up in a way that you may get confused as more areas are revealed. Which I enjoy and think is a touch of genius development. Upgrades leave a bit to be desired, but works nicely in unison with currency gathering and roguelite mechanics (Die? Lose all or most of your currency. Return to where you died to get it back.). Checkpoints also work well. You have main checkpoints to restore health, 'potions', and character upgrades; along with mini-checkpoints to save your position if you die. The map in it's entirety, art, and story are all abstract, which is something I also enjoy in games - and I imagine will take some contemplation and reflection to figure out eventually. All in all, I am pleasantly surprised with this game and am itching to play it when I get home! Really love Kingdom Classic/New Lands/Two Crowns and now Dandara from Raw Fury. Looking forward to see what else they release!

I beat Dandara recently (though not the final-final boss... yet...) and found it to be a really enjoyable game. Your character moves very quickly, so you can sometimes skip past danger - or you might find that an enemy just follows you and you need to be more careful and tactical. I'd also definitely read a setting bible for this game. There's a lot of cool lore hidden away here, and I'd love to know how it all started. My major complaint is that there are a few brutal difficulty spikes, and I found myself wondering whether I was in the right area or whether I had skipped forward too far too early. (The final boss on the "good ending" is one of those spikes. One day, Giant Weird Eyeball.... one day...) Still, I had fun and would definitely recommend this to fans of metroidvania games.

Dandara is a fairly short, but beautiful little Metroidvania with an unconventional control scheme, great music and a wonderful story about resilience, growth, and beauty. The Trial of Fear-Edition adds another slightly more difficult map with several sub-worlds, as well as some absolutely gruesome challenges. Sadly, this is where the game falls a bit apart, because towards the end, you don't feel equipped quite well enough the deal with the game's most difficult problems and brutal encounters. This is mostly due to a overzealous auto-aiming when jumping, which makes your choice of a landing spot more often than not a mere suggestion instead of a precise decision. Nevertheless, there is a lot to love here: the upgraded story boasts with some amazingly designed characters to make you wonder and gaze in awe. The writing is sparse, but well written, and the overall message is beautiful. Dandara's progression as a hero is tangible and interesting. There is a constant drip of progress. The environments are varied and interesting. The movment always feels fresh and not gimmicky, and it's possibilities are explored sufficiently without the game overstaying its welcome. If you like Metroidvanias, you will undoubtly like Dandara. It is a polished, pleasant experience with only small blemishes and worth the asking price.