Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon: Every Buddy!

Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon: Every BUDDY! Is a bit of an interesting spectacle. It’s a remaster that nobody asked for, in a series that’s largely been forgotten, in a genre that doesn’t really get much attention. In a way, it’s almost worth playing for that spectacle alone. But spectacle aside, there’s a lot to love, and the game is filled with charm and adorable, fictional bird moments. Sure, it gets a little repetitive, and the difficulty curve is steep, but it’s got a solid foundation, and if you can push through the grindier elements, there’s a lot of fun to be had.

Absolutely filled to the brim with content, Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon: Every Buddy! is a charming take on the Mystery Dungeon format. While it might not offer too much in the way of innovation, there is a refined quality to just about every aspect. From the Buddy System, to the wonderful integration of Final Fantasy's Job System, there's very little on display that doesn't ultimately come together. The difficulty's pacing might pose a problem to some, but Square Enix's latest interpretation of the Mystery Dungeon franchise is bound to be remembered as one of the series' highest points.

Hardcore roguelike fans may find it too forgiving, but for anyone unfamiliar with the genre, you won't find a better jumping off point than this.

If you’re a fan of mystery dungeon games, I can’t recommend Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon: Every Buddy! enough. It’s got a few issues with dated visuals and the way you gain job experience, but it’s still a gem of a game. Final Fantasy fans and newcomers alike should treat themselves to this adorable experience.

Despite its heavy use of aleatory mechanics, Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon: Every Buddy offers a strategic and challenging adventure that’s paired with a delightful dose of Final Fantasy nostalgia.

Has an undeniable charm.

Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon EVERY BUDDY! is misleading: it looks cute and charming but it can also be brutal and punishing.

A good taste of nostalgia that still smells a bit old, despite its improvements over the original game.

A fun game that offers a lot of variety between classes and partners, but difficulty spikes later on require you to miss out on it in favor of specific choices to have a chance at success.

Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon EVERY BUDDY! is an excellent proposal for the fans of the Final Fantasy saga that, although it does not revolutionize at all, fulfills sufficiency in the purpose of entertaining.

Overall, Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon EVERY BUDDY! is a fun game to play, though the story and some of the characters could have been done better.

If you’re the type of player who doesn’t mind very much grind in their games, or you’re looking for something rewarding, but relatively mindless that you can dump a lot of hours into, Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon: Every Buddy! is a solid purchase that’s sure to entertain. If you’re not in either of those camps, we’d caution you to think about it a little more before taking the plunge, as this could easily prove to be a disappointing experience if you come into it with the wrong mindset.

This feels a bit retro, but still holds up as a solid dungeon crawler.

Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon has an incredibly cute look to it. But don't be fooled, the game is unforgiving and challenging. The roguelike elements can feel a little off balance at times, but the fighting system and dungeons keep you going.

With its numerous propositions, Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon Every Buddy! is a pretty rich experience, which can seduce both the fans and the dungeon-RPG lovers. Too bad the controls and the graphics haven’t seen much improvement.

In spite of liberal use of random generation, there's something confoundingly enjoyable about Chocobo's Myster Dungeon Every Buddy. It's not a port I expected to come out in this lifetime, but I'm glad it did, wrinkles and all.

Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon EVERY BUDDY! offers a long story for the whole family with a very charismatic design but with a very repetitive gameplay and soundtrack.

It’s satisfying to gain levels (love that classic Final Fantasy musical flourish!), open up new classes and class abilities, and overcome extremely challenging bosses and dungeons. These hooks are the staples of solid role-playing games, but the overuse of random elements means this game is likely to appeal only to fans of the Mystery Dungeon series or Final Fantasy fanatics—those who enjoy both will probably love this game— but even then, there is just so much trial and error, on top of largely ineffective grinding, that it leaves behind a very bitter taste, and this coming from someone who appreciates a good grind session.