u/SeibaSeiba

Very unlucky timing considering Sony’s dumb decision to kill physical, but I started the series with the digital entry of the first game a few days ago, and decided to get them all and continue my journey with the physical versions. They weren’t easy to find, especially the second game, so I’m really glad I got all of them new at a normal price, even with the different localized covers. Anyway, I’m really glad for getting into this series and hope the rest are as good as the first game!

At least for the Vita version, as I assume most of us played one of the later versions.

I wasn't the biggest fan of dungeon crawlers when I first stumbled upon it and I was skeptical about whether I'd actually enjoy it. What sold me initially though was the presentation and its aesthetics. It has a classic fairy tale vibe and the world is way more sinister than it might seem. It's a very playful game and yet it's bound to shock you more than once. The cast is colourful but everyone has their secrets you slowly unveil. The protagonist, Dronya, is a very flawed but intriguing character.

I really don't want to say a lot about it because it's best to experience it for yourself, but it embraces all that and it pays a lot of attention to detail. I'm not sure if it resonated as much with others, but for me, while it's not perfect, it has everything I want from this kind of story, with a fantastic pay-off at its climax.

I'd also like to add that the other aspect of the game that shocked me was how much depth the gameplay had. As I said, I wasn't a fan of dungeon crawlers before Refrain, but I also had no experience with NIS's other series, like Disgaea. You start small, controlling only a few units, but you end up with an army by the end of the game, and yet each unit feels personally selected. The class system is also interesting as it adds a lot of unique twists to familiar roles like warriors or mages.

It isn't a walk in the park, and it can be a bit brutal at times, but it's such a rewarding experience when you get the gist of everything. The dungeons are full of gimmicks and the enemies have a lot of tricks which makes everything very fun to discover and surpass. I also vividly remember some interesting mechanics like permanent injuries in a run that scarred me.

Anyway, I can't recommend this game (and its sequel!) enough, and I hope people will give it a try. It is often on sale for dirt cheap. While it might seem like an overwhelming game, it's around 100 hours long after all, I can't overstate how rewarding of an experience it is, imo. Happy anniversary to Labyrinth of Refrain!