Dandara

 Switch
User Score
7.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 61 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 39 out of 61
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 61
  3. Negative: 11 out of 61

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  1. AllySky
    Sep 3, 2018
    5
    The game seems decent, and I am sure it's good but it could never stick with me, for some reason the pace or the presentation or maybe the game play itself just isn't for me, I could never get into it and kept finding myself putting down the game after ten minutes. Be warned that this game is a very unique and different metroidvania experience.
  2. Blaine
    Apr 24, 2019
    7
    Art style and gameplay are unique, huge props to the developers for trying something new!
    There are certainly some flaws here and there and I found myself dropping the game for a couple of months before getting back to it to finish it.

    If you like Metroidvanias it's definitely worth a shot.
  3. thryce3
    Jul 21, 2022
    6
    The main thing that makes this game stand out among the MANY other metroidvanias on the Switch is the control scheme. Instead of walking you aim and launch yourself to different surfaces. It takes some getting used to, but it leads to some interesting platforming and combat. Fortunately, much more of the former than the latter. Unfortunately, there are a couple of sections where youThe main thing that makes this game stand out among the MANY other metroidvanias on the Switch is the control scheme. Instead of walking you aim and launch yourself to different surfaces. It takes some getting used to, but it leads to some interesting platforming and combat. Fortunately, much more of the former than the latter. Unfortunately, there are a couple of sections where you are bombarded with waves of enemies and the controls aren't conducive to the quick reactions required. For most of the game this isn't a problem, but the last boss is brutally unforgiving. Difficulty spikes like this are always annoying, but the game doesn't prepare you at all. You're just expected to have mastered a skill you had little reason to use up to that point. It was so bad I very nearly gave up. Instead I gave in and used the in game "cheat" option that allows you infinite energy. It still took a few tries.
    Other than that, it's a well designed metroidvania with decent art design and a cool gimmick.
    Honestly it's hard to rate because it is probably a solid 8 out of 10 up until the end all but spoils everything. For that alone I can only give it a very cautious recommendation.    … Expand
  4. pmasterfunk
    Dec 9, 2020
    7
    So I just finished Dandara, and I feel a bit conflicted. There's a lot of stuff I like, but at the same time I found the game occasionally infuriating.

    The pixel-art graphics are great, the levels are varied and have personality. The enemy and boss designs are OK, not great. I did find it a bit strange that the first boss in the game is the humongous head of M. Bison. ¯_(ツ)_/¯ I    So I just finished Dandara, and I feel a bit conflicted. There's a lot of stuff I like, but at the same time I found the game occasionally infuriating.

    The pixel-art graphics are great, the levels are varied and have personality. The enemy and boss designs are OK, not great. I did find it a bit strange that the first boss in the game is the humongous head of M. Bison. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

    I really like the way the story is presented, there are no large exposition dumps stalling the game. All the characters presented (they are fairly few and far between, however) all have a certain individuality that makes them unique. If there are weak points as far as characters go, the two final bosses are kinda bland. The story is intentionally made vague, and the way the story is told through small artifacts found on the ground in random places is intriguing, but I can't say I had any strong feelings about the big bad. The final boss was added in the "Trials of Fear" update, so story-wise it feels thrown in haphazardly.

    Though I usually don't care much about music in video games, I gotta say the soundtrack is amazing. I kept being surprised by the music, and every time it changed it was appropriate and fit the settings. Honestly one of the best OSTs I've heard in recent years.

    The gameplay is where things start getting a bit annoying for me. I'm probably kinda old by Metacritic standards, and Metroidvanias are nothing new to me. But I've never played a game with a movement mechanic like this. Technically, there's nothing wrong with this, in fact it's a really novel idea that works quite well for level design, which is for the most part very good.

    However, after almost 10 hours of playing this game, I still haven't gotten comfortable with the controls, and often end up jumping in the wrong direction. I didn't grow up with analog sticks, so this may be a good part of it, but it was a source of frustration for me. I've often jumped onto off-screen enemies when aiming for different areas. In areas with lots of flying projectiles and enemies, the difficulty spikes and I often found myself unable to aim properly to where I wanted to go, and the unforgivingly short invincibility time when hit often leads to successive hits, and things turn bad really fast. The very short range of the main attack can worsen things, and the shield never seemed to work for me, and especially special skill meter management can a pain.

    The last battle is also much more challenging than anything else in the game, and I can see people kinda giving up at this point. The second to last boss is not particularly hard, so the transition is pretty harsh. On the other hand, the final boss did stress me out more than any other game I can remember. If you're looking for intense gameplay, I guess this game has it.

    All in all, Dandara is a well-made, original, mostly enjoyable game. The story and themes are interesting and worth checking out, though some frustrating difficulty spikes may be enough to turn some people off.    … Expand
  5. Daisuk
    Jun 20, 2020
    6
    I really wanted to rate this game higher, as it looks utterly beautiful, the music is fantastic and the gameplay concept very original - but unfortunately, it only stays fun for a few hours - it gets repetitive, and feels very limiting a lot of times - most upgrades don't really feel like upgrades at all, and there's just very little sense of progression. I think the main teleport mechanicI really wanted to rate this game higher, as it looks utterly beautiful, the music is fantastic and the gameplay concept very original - but unfortunately, it only stays fun for a few hours - it gets repetitive, and feels very limiting a lot of times - most upgrades don't really feel like upgrades at all, and there's just very little sense of progression. I think the main teleport mechanic would've been cool as a sort of weapon or mechanic added to a normal way of moving about, but being the sole method for moving around in the game does not do this game any favors, in my opinion. Picking it up to play in the end just felt more like a chore than actual fun, so I had to quit like halfway through.… Expand
  6. ophone
    Jan 22, 2023
    7
    At first glance a classic Metroidvania with nice pixel art and a well composed soundtrack.
    If there wasn't its innovative move-set for such a game, because you can't simply run like in other games of the genre, you have to hop from one salt covered platform to another, resulting in your character standing upside down sometimes.
    Unfortunately its move-set is also its biggest flaw, because    At first glance a classic Metroidvania with nice pixel art and a well composed soundtrack.
    If there wasn't its innovative move-set for such a game, because you can't simply run like in other games of the genre, you have to hop from one salt covered platform to another, resulting in your character standing upside down sometimes.
    Unfortunately its move-set is also its biggest flaw, because it's a good chunk less precise than in traditional 2D platformers.
    I managed to go through the game without activating cheats, except for the last boss, there the imprecise controls were the most blatant. Coming closer to the end of the battle, you need to move quickly, unfortunately the game registers badly the inputs from the controller.
    If controls were more precise, I'd have given the game a 9/10.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

67
#67 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2018

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 22
  3. Negative: 0 out of 22
  1. Switch Player
    May 18, 2020
    60
    Although it boasts a gorgeous world, a surreal story, and some unique character designs, Dandara: Trials of Fear Edition ultimately fails to capture the freedom, urgency, and sense of exploration offered by other Metroidvania titles.
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  2. COGconnected
    Mar 31, 2020
    83
    There’s not much to dislike about Dandara. It certainly could be more accessible for newbies but any gamer that’s played a Metroidvania before should have an idea of what to expect. What’s unexpected is the totally cool and trippy traversal system. It might take some time to get used to, but it’s very intuitive. Dandara’s sharp level design and enemy encounters are memorable in a genre that is starting to get overcrowded. The story isn’t anything to write home about, but Dandara makes up for it with fun and challenging gameplay. Regardless of your platform of choice, Dandara: Trials of Fear Edition needs to be your next game.
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  3. GamingTrend
    Mar 13, 2020
    95
    Dandara is an excellent game and I can’t believe I haven’t heard people talking about it. Its unique movement is accompanied by an equally unique world, soundtrack, and symbolic story that will fascinate lore nerds. While it’s controls may not support the precision combat asks of you, the Salt is definitely a world worth saving.
    Read full review
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