- Publisher: Atlus
- Release Date: Feb 9, 2010
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But whether you love, hate, or are indifferent about "roguelikes" of the past, this charming and addictive adventure may just hold your mind and body captive for a few days.
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Shiren does a great job of straddling the divide between accessibility and challenge, presenting a roguelike experience that may well appeal to any RPG fan. Or at least, any RPG fan willing to give it a chance.
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At high levels, playing Shiren is a bit like Demon's Souls -- impossible tasks slowly become manageable and then trivial as your skill increases. Shiren the Wanderer is a hard game to put down once you've gotten into its one-more-turn rhythm, which is exactly as it should be.
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Shiren the Wanderer for the Wii is a great game for beginners. Its difficulty may be a bit low for some of the most extreme fans of the genre, but for newcomers, there is a lot here to make the experience more pleasant.
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Roguelike fans will also like the depth they will find beyond the basics that will keep them busy throughout the campaign. Its $40 price point is well worth it for the amount of content you’ll find here. Basically, if you’re interested in roguelikes, this is one that you need to check out.
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Much like last year's Demon's Souls, this title will mostly appeal to the hardcore sect. However, I think the development team has done a great job opening up the format.
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With its wit and charm, there’s nothing else like Shiren the Wanderer. It’s one-of-a-kind and praiseworthy.
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While the addition of JRPG ideas and mechanics diversifies player experience slightly, Shiren the Wanderer is still a roguelike at heart, which it honors exceedingly well, perhaps at the expense of other gameplay elements.
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It's a mixture of old school mechanics and modern presentation--a combination that makes it the perfect starting point for the roguelike genre and a very enjoyable dungeon-crawling RPG in its own right.
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What all this adds up to is a standout dungeon crawler, loaded with options and accessible despite its difficulty.
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This Wanderer may have strayed a bit from its roots, but for some players, that's reason enough to welcome it home.
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Nintendo GamerIf you're not keen on challenging dungeon crawls, you can give this a pass. For fans of console roguelikes, however, this is a must-have. [Apr 2010, p.56]
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Shiren is improved, though not by much. The better visual flair and actual story make the game more interesting. The less sadistic difficulty also makes it easier for newcomers to get into, though the lack of a higher difficulty may make it too easy for the longtime fans.
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Die-hard, devout rougelikes may feel the urge to gripe about the fact that you can reload from last save when you die (on Easy mode), but I think most gamers will be glad that this game is more player-friendly overall.
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Regardless of the things that I found unsatisfactory, I'm quite glad that Atlus took a big risk in bringing Shiren the Wanderer to our shores.
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Mystery Dungeon games aren't for everyone; in fact, I'd go so far as to say they're not for most people. They're frustrating, time consuming, and not particularly straightforward. However, if it is a genre that you have come to love, Shiren will deliver it for you with a bit of style, and a lot of substance.
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games(TM)An accessible glimpse at an obscure yet captivating sub-genre. [Issue#95, p.128]
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Even with the addition of the Easy difficulty, Shiren the Wanderer is made for selective tastes. Fans of traditional RPGs will have a hard time reconciling the Spartan storytelling and visuals, while fans of turn-based strategies will likely take issue with the simplicity of combat.
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Nintendo PowerUltimately, your take on this game will depend on whether you see constant setbacks due to horrible flaming death as an irresistible challenge or as a frustrating waste of time. [Mar 2010, p.91]
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This competent example of the well-worn dungeon-crawling formula lacks the spark of innovation that might have made it something more.
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Shiren the Wanderer tears the heart and soul out of everything that makes games in this subgenre fun or even bearable, leaving a very basic, uninspired randomized crawler with no personality or bells and whistles, then wraps it into an interface that's awkward at its best, and slow and frustrating at its worst.
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