Developed by Polish indie developer MrCaistku and published by Ultimate Games S.A., Pangeon is a new roguelike dungeon-crawling RPG. Pangeon is heavily inspired by classic RPGs of similar kind and everything ranging from the gameplay to visuals is a classic throwback to those early RPGs. This is our review of Pangeon in which we jump in some of the most classic-looking dungeons and try to kill as many monsters as we can.
Pangeon features retro-pixelated graphics which are really pleasant to look at. The special effects and animations are all there but they are presented really well in the pixelated visuals. The game really has the atmosphere of the classical dungeon-crawling RPGs of the early days with the empty halls with bare minimal items in them and torches lighting your path. Everything from the barrels to different furniture present in the room to hidden chests, everything is on-spot and really makes you feel that you’ve traveled back in time and are playing a classic dungeon crawling RPG.
To jump into the game, you are offered a total of four classes. Depending on your playstyle, you can pick any one of these four traditional classes. They are generic classes and you do not have a lot to customize when it comes to these characters. These classes include Warrior, Archer, Thief, and Wizard. Their strengths and weaknesses are similar to that of any other typical RPG in which these classes are found normally. Warrior is a tank and boasts strength, Archer excels at ranged combat, Wizard deals plenty of damage while the Thief is agile and has high luck.
After picking a generic class, you can spend five attributes into their stats for some final tuning of their stats and then you are let loose in the world of Pangeon. There is no guidance in the game and you are completely free to explore the dungeons. The dungeons are not only filled with loot but also enemies and traps which are pretty deadly. Traps also include death rooms where you must try to escape before a deadly gas suffocates you to death. There are also spikes, spears and all these types of traps which were a trademark in classic RPG titles.
Your main goal is to survive but also head towards the exit. The game is full of traps and enemy ambushes so you must be always ready for combat. You will not be very strong at the start of the game however as you kill enemies and progress in the game, you level up which allows you to increase your hero’s stats and also find and equip better armor and weapons which make your hero more effective. You can also use a lot of items such as potions and consumables to keep yourself alive in the deadly dungeons of Pangeon.
The dungeons in Pangeon are not procedurally generated which is normally the case in most roguelike dungeon crawlers. The dungeons are pre-built so you can easily remember them after a few runs and make your future runs better than the previous ones. This also helps you save time if you die and then have to replay the whole dungeon again. Death is pretty brutal since the game is a roguelike and it takes you back to the very start of the dungeon.
Another weak element in the mix is the combat of Pangeon. Although not too weak, it is something that could have been better. Since the game is played in the first-person view, the weapons attack at very awkward angles which made me miss quite a few of the attacks. I don’t know if the hitboxes are designed this way or maybe I was just too far or too close according to the game’s combat system. In short, I was missing quite a few hits and the block only works for a single attack at a single time which made tackling multiple enemies quite hard for me at the same time.
Overall I will say that Pangeon is a very raw roguelike RPG dungeon crawler. It has all the mechanics but is presented in a very simple yet effective manner which makes it a great title to play if you are a fan of the classic dungeon-crawling RPGs. It being a roguelike also adds a bit of a challenge in the game. However, the weak combat and the short length of the game are serious letdowns. The hitboxes need instant fixing as sometimes you will manage to hit an enemy which is quite far but another time the enemy will just waltz right through and you won’t be able to damage them.
Final Verdict:
Pangeon is a great throwback to classic dungeon crawling RPGs however it lacks in depth. It is also extremely short and only good for a few runs. You can play with each class however with pre-set maps, exploration gets boring after 3 or 4 runs and there is not much left for you in the game once you’ve completed the whole game. There is no endgame content apart from the Arena mode which can be played without any progress in the main story anyway. The levels short but the enemies are tough. They certainly pose a challenge which makes Pangeon a decent enough RPG. The dungeons are certainly not a walk in the park. If you miss the raw formula of classic RPGs which focused heavily on combat and character development, you can give Pangeon a shot however it is extremely short and might not keep you entertained you for a very long time like modern dungeon crawlers.
Final Score: 7.0/10
