The Keep

 3DS
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 24 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 24
  3. Negative: 5 out of 24

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  1. Twiffler
    Sep 12, 2014
    9
    If you ever played shadow gate on the gameboy then you should be prepared for this title. I have only played about a hour and a half and enjoyed it. First off, the difficulty is well paced, plus it does have different settings even the ones to satisfy those hardcore player. The exploration feels genuine with not much guidelines for where to go, this can be a frustrating if done wrong, butIf you ever played shadow gate on the gameboy then you should be prepared for this title. I have only played about a hour and a half and enjoyed it. First off, the difficulty is well paced, plus it does have different settings even the ones to satisfy those hardcore player. The exploration feels genuine with not much guidelines for where to go, this can be a frustrating if done wrong, but so far its been a pleasure to look around. Now about the combat system, at first it is unusual with the real time fighting, but with the movement of a turn based rpg. Though it takes no time to get used to and finding out all the combat has to offer even with the real time action limitations for complex setups. I can see the potential from early on with all the different combo that can be put together. A few side notes I thought was interesting is that there is voice acting, not the best but the tone that they set works great. The option to save any wheres kinda makes it less "risky" to go places of the unknown, without that extra risk to be taken there is less consequence to be had, but there is option to remove that so no problem there. In conclusion this game is perfect for those looking for a dungeon crawlers with some challenge.… Expand
  2. Rtheom
    Jan 25, 2015
    6
    I wanted to like this game, I really did, but I kinda lost all faith when every enemy in the game mysteriously gained a self-heal ability that it could use infinitely to counteract all of my attacks.

    The graphics aren't the greatest, but that's hardly necessary for fun. What is necessary and fails horribly are the touch screen controls. Spellcasting is fine, you just trace some runes on    I wanted to like this game, I really did, but I kinda lost all faith when every enemy in the game mysteriously gained a self-heal ability that it could use infinitely to counteract all of my attacks.

    The graphics aren't the greatest, but that's hardly necessary for fun. What is necessary and fails horribly are the touch screen controls. Spellcasting is fine, you just trace some runes on the screen, but I found the melee combat touchy at best. Far too often I'd swing and miss my enemy 5 or 6 times in a row, and I just couldn't grasp why it would only let me use the on-screen combos at random times. Maybe I missed something in the tutorial, but whatever it was, I couldn't figure it out.

    The story is a pretty standard "evil-guy-is-evil" plot, and the voice acting was a nice touch, but it feels like they spent more time on that than actually putting the game together, like they were trying to make up for what they knew the game lacked. Some of the level designs are kind of inventive and fun, but there's an equal measure of dull to most of them.

    I'd recommend passing up this sub-par effort and just finding an old copy of Orcs and Elves. It was pretty much the same game minus the fiddly touch-screen mess and plus a lot more fun overall.    … Expand
  3. zhurah
    Sep 21, 2014
    9
    Nice game, reviews above pretty much describe what I think myself ) Also a warm nostalgy like you are playing an old pc dungeon crawler, but enjoyable if you even never play any of it. And not expensive!
  4. benneh
    Sep 13, 2014
    10
    Good game, well made, clever design, good use of 3D, nice combat. feels like a cross between carmack's orcs and elves and legend of grimrock with some unique elements. love it so far.
  5. kosterix
    Apr 5, 2021
    1
    The Keep. Play the demo to get an idea.
    You expected Dungeon Master for Atari.
    You instead get an unplayable game where you get stuck b/c of the controls, the menu system is unwieldy, which is a tough feat to achieve on a 3ds.
    It utterly sucks. Playing it is depressing, and for the wrong reasons.
    AVOID!
  6. fakt00r
    Apr 15, 2015
    9
    The Keep is a well made dungeon crawler on the 3DS. It's very atmospheric and I loved to search for all secrets within the chapters. The combat system is good and works well.

Awards & Rankings

19
#19 Best 3DS Game of 2014
34
#34 Most Discussed 3DS Game of 2014
17
#17 Most Shared 3DS Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. Brash Games
    Apr 6, 2016
    80
    The Keep is an engrossing, pocket-sized dungeon-crawler that, despite being somewhat overly familiar, is a genuine pleasure to play. If you’re on the look-out for a healthy dose of nostalgia, or hankering for a slow, methodical crawl through the cruel, dark depths of arachnid-infested dungeons, then The Keep may well be just what the witch doctor ordered.
    Read full review
  2. Cubed3
    Nov 23, 2014
    70
    The Keep is one of those games that is more than the sum of its parts. It does not sport the fanciest graphics out there and does not impress in any particular area, but all of its ingredients put together work in a sort of alchemy more powerful than the spells it presents in-game.
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  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Nov 12, 2014
    80
    Well thought dungeons and elegantly utilized interface makes for a fun old-school romp. [Issue#246]
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