Nintendo Switch – Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk #222

Another dungeon crawler but with the humor of Disgaea

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Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk – Nintendo Switch – Released: 9/18/18 – $49.99

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Short Review (Review copy provided by NIS America)

This one took a long time since I kept going back and forth to it, not because it is a bad game by any means but it suffers the same problem as “The Lost Child” which I also reviewed. The only issue is CRIM, the company that developed “The Lost Child”, I cannot find much information on while Labyrinth of Refrain was developed by Nippon Ichi Software… It is kind of sad though since this is a game that I was really looking forward to but it is mediocre at best. The main issue I find with these Dungeon Crawler games is that they overstay their welcome. Labyrinth doesn’t have it as often as The Lost Child but there were still times that I wish it would just end already.

Labyrinth’s story is very deep and on par with other NIS titles so if you are looking for a game with a ton of story then this is a great game for you to pick up. To sum it up the main characters are a Witch and an apprentice that journey to another city after being sent by the mayor. Once there they go looking into a well for items that need to brought back to the surface just to find out some hidden secrets about the city. The journey is about uncovering these secrets while uncovering more about the main characters.

Now the game is basic as they come for Dungeon Crawlers, you venture into an area, explore it, defeat enemies, finish all of them or find an item then leave. Repeat until you beat the game but the fighting is slightly different with attacks chaining together much like Disgaea. Actually now that I think about it, the battling is a lot like Disgaea because it even has a relationship sort of thing going on with characters and your covens which are the additional characters that join your party. This is the main thing that made me like it because the fighting was different than Lost Child and felt more in sync and quicker….

So maybe I have an issue with Dungeon Crawlers and not the game itself. I think that is the only aspect I dislike about the game but I have played Dungeon Crawlers that I’ve enjoyed like the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games. That actually might be the leading factor as to why I didn’t enjoy the game since the story is great, characters are great, gameplay is a bit rough but good, but the overall game itself is a Dungeon Crawling that overstays its welcome and does what every other one does.

Final Thoughts

I think the last paragraph really hit the right spot. Labyrinth of Refrain is a game that is a Dungeon Crawler that I do not care for but enjoy everything else about it. Sadly I can’t fix that aspect and I’m sure plenty of people will love it but I think this might be the last Dungeon Crawler I pick up for a while. Along with The Lost Child, I’ve dedicated around 200 hours in completing these games. They are not short by any means and that is likely one of the biggest issues for me as even taking it on the go takes up a ton of time.

My Gameplay Footage:

Uploading this weekend!

Trailer: