Late this afternoon, Atlus was kind enough to demonstrate the upcoming RPG, 3D Dot Game Heroes exclusively on the PlayStation 3. The screenshots and videos might make it look odd, but believe me it is an awesome experience.
3D Dot Game Heroes is your typical action RPG that is set of course in the 3D world. Fans who love classic games are the sole demographic that will mostly enjoy this game. Judging by the look and feel of the game, a lot of things from our favorite classic games have been borrowed. The 3D block-type graphics might look stupid at first but trust me, when the game starts, you will fall in love with them. There are no voice-overs whatsoever, everything is told through text boxes.
It’s been said that the game will take around 12 hours to complete, not including the sidequests. There are a total of 7 big dungeons to explore in your quest to save the world. The story is a very common one that we are use to seeing in RPGs. There are various references and Easter eggs from other games like Demon’s Souls and Armored Core just to name a few.
One of the things that I found very interesting in the game is the load screens which all reference classic RPGs. Depending on whether you want to install the game’s data or not, you will have an option to view or look at the cameos of the characters from past games. Characters such as the ones that appeared in Contra, Vagrant Story, Dragon Quest, Chrono Cross, Chrono Trigger and a lot more will make a cameo appearance oon the load screens. Atlus said that it is not required to install the game’s data but if you don’t want to see those awesome looking load screens, then installing it is the only way to go.
A feature that will somehow get the attention to the gamers that wants to create is the ability to create a character. There is an option in the game where you can create your character using an editor tool. Keeping with the style of the game, your character will be pixilated, but that doesn’t stop it from being awesome. Another feature that I find very intriguing is the ability to share the characters you create. If I remember correctly, Atlus will have a site that allows users to exchange data.
Just in the North American version of 3D Dot Heroes, you will have some nice features that the Japanese version doesn’t have. One of the things that will be included in the NA version is the loading screen gallery, optional HDD install, Tower Defense DLC, and a lot more. For the price $39.99, you are getting a deal with this game.
Every time I watch Atlus’ Aram Jabbari play the game, it gives me goosebumps because I see a lot of similarities to Zelda. For some reason, the dungeons, and the way the game plays is very similar to Zelda. It is not a bad thing for me because I love the classic Zelda games. Aram mentioned that 3D Dot Game Heroes wasn’t created to copy but it was designed to recreate the classic era that every veteran gamer loves.
So far, 3D Dot Game Heroes is shaping up to another masterpiece from Atlus. Check back with us next month for our hands-on impression of the game.