The rogue-like genre of games, is a category that rarely sees innovation or originality. The rogue-like genre is a sub-genre of the RPG or role playing games and the majority of rogue-like games I have played all had a severe lack of a style. This is the fact that made them so hard to differentiate from each other, but this is where Delver comes in.
Name: Delver | Developer: Priority Interrupt | Genre: Action & Arcade | Players: 1 | Version: 0.59 | Size: 4.2 MB | Price: $2.99 |
Delver is a rogue-like dungeon crawler-style game, currently in development by Priority Interrupt and was created in 2012. The dungeons are randomly generated, so each time you start a new game and descend a floor you will have a fresh experience.
In Delver, you play the role of a “Delver.” The Delvers are a group of adventurers that test their fate in dungeons but that’s where the story pretty much stops, as you are thrown into a dungeon at the beginning of the game. While in the game, not much story is found other than the text “Cannot leave without the orb, Isn’t that what the elders said?” as you look back at the door that you entered from.
Something that is immediately clear, even from the beginning of the game, is Delver’s very strong sense of atmosphere. From the mysterious music to the immediately visible passageway, illuminated by a flickering 3D 8-bit-style torch, the game sucks you in with it’s 8-bit retro charm.
As you proceed through the randomly-generated dungeons in the game, Delver’s style truly becomes apparent, as the entire games graphics are done in an 3D 8-bit style game, almost similar to Minecraft with it’s visuals and almost like a first-person version of the game Legends of Yore. I could spend all day talking about the presentation in Delver, but that would take all day.
Moving on to the sound design. To keep it short. It is pretty amazing and honestly, it is some of the best music I’ve heard in a mobile game in recent memory. Even the music when you start the game is very ominous and inviting, it makes you want to move forward and explore the dungeons ahead of you. Even with smaller details, that you take for granted are taken care of here, and with great care. From the sound of the enemies, shooting at you with their staffs, and even your own footsteps. It’s the attention to small details here, that really adds to the overall feel of this game.
On the subject of enemies in this game, there are many types you will encounter during your adventures through the dungeons. You will come across enemies like trolls, mages, slimes and many more, as you delve deeper into the dungeons. With Delver being a rogue-like, naturally, the loot collection plays a large part in the genre an it is a a big part of the game, and in this aspect Delver delivers.
In your travels throughout the dungeons, as you kill enemies and crawl deeper through the dungeons, you will receive and find both weapons and armor. If loot is your thing, you’ll be playing this for a while. the semi-endless nature of roguelike games really lends itself well to endless replay value of Delver.
More on the topic of controls. (arguably the most important part of a game) Due to the openness of the Android platform, a lot of games don’t work well on multiple screen sizes, But I’m happy to say, that with Delver, it’s worked wonderfully on both my phone and tablet. Thankfully there are many different options (in the settings) To change the UI size, the X and Y axis and an inverted look. You’ll be sure to find an option that works for your device.
In conclusion, Delver is an imaginative take, on a increasingly stagnating genre of games. With it’s mysterious atmosphere and sound design, to it’s stellar presentation and gameplay. Delver is a great game and it is definitely worth it’s asking price of 2.99. Buy it.
Editor’s Note: Please give our newest reviewer James Mapley a warm welcome. He is joining the DG team for at least the Summer.
