The sixth mainline entry strikes the correct balance.
Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island
Platform: Switch
Developer: Spike Chunsoft
Publisher: Spike Chunsoft US
Release date: February 27th, 2024
Price: $59.99
Digital availability: eShop
The last core installment in the Shiren the Wanderer series was released fourteen years ago. Many games have tried to recreate the franchise’s atmosphere during that agonizing time by using the same kind of randomly generated settings and the unnerving sting of permadeath.
These were, at most, also created by Spike Chunsoft, the developer of Shiren. Surprisingly effective stand-ins were games like Etrian Mystery Dungeon and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity. However, a lot of knockoff Mystery Dungeon games fell short, with titles like FURYU’s Yuuna and Kiwami’s Haunted Hot Springs: The Thrilling Steamy Maze failing to maintain an engaging exploring experience.
Careful Modifications to the Formula
Spike Chunsoft appears to have taken stock of the nearly three-decade history of the series with the release of Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island. Thus, you’ll encounter recognizable features like the capacity to run through hallways and restore health. However, each of these activities has been carefully adjusted. You can now heal at a never-before-seen speed or use the new Handy Dash to quickly turn corners. Even while these might only appear like small adjustments, taken as a whole, they distinguish Serpentcoil Island.
Of course, it’s not always easy to see why a new addition or modification is appealing. Taking down the monsters that occupy 3×3 grid areas can seem like a tedious task when you first come across them. However, when you sneak around these adversaries in one of the post-game dungeons, Serpentcoil Island eventually reveals its true goals.
Yes, adding a little stealth gameplay is almost a gaming cliche these days. However, the creators make sure that it doesn’t feel entirely repetitive in Shiren’s side dungeons. To keep play interesting, new features are progressively added to both the main campaign and its significant side quests.
Embracing Death and Other Life Teachings
Using stuff to teleport back to town or spending money to tag goods, which ensured you wouldn’t lose your equip when defeated, were two popular strategies in earlier Shiren entries. Whether you like it or not, Serpentcoil Island makes it much harder to trick and grind your way through the game. These mechanisms have been abandoned, and shields and weaponry are no longer evolving. Sacred Items endowed with a favorable modification take their place. Finding one of them on a regular basis seems to be a generous gesture from the random number generator. Until the tool you’ve been depending on breaks, that is, at least. It can be like Spike Chunsoft teaching you valuable life lessons. Sure, I’ll get used to not depending on everything.
However, adding additional plot to The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island is the biggest change. Following the return of the sandogasa-clad hero and his companion ferret, Koppa, the explorers come across a group of starving people. You will discover the group’s connection to two rival gods and a kidnapped princess inside the belly of a villain called Jakaku after generously offering them some onigiri.
The Resources to Help You Survive
Thankfully, Serpentcoil rewards players with further explanation little by little. Additional storytelling, which usually takes place in towns that you encounter every few stages of the journey, introduces side characters in addition to elucidating the cause of the drought. These offer some delightful stories as well as a welcome diversion from the tense, turn-based interactions. Naturally, these towns also provide services for hire, so you may stock up on supplies to restock your health and quell your hunger or upgrade your arsenal at the neighborhood blacksmith.
Many of the game’s materials are modifiable, adhering to the series’ tradition. Of course, Shiren gets some nourishment from Onigiri. However, if you hold onto the rice ball for too long, it will begin to decay. You can now use it as a weapon to make a monster’s stomach sour. If Shiren burns, the food turns fried, which intensifies its hunger-soothing properties. In keeping with history, Serpentcoil Island’s quick fatalities can be annoying. However, no death should be in vain. Rather, you will probably pick up another little survival lesson, which usually revolves around inventive inventory management.
In summary
By the time most series reach their sixth version, titles might feel like a money grab due to pointless alterations and insignificant additions. Thankfully, Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island is not like that. Almost all of the changes feel like advances, whether narrative is added or cheesy ways to get through the game’s dungeons are removed. Even if a follow-up takes a further fourteen years, Serpentcoil should be sufficient to see us through another Shiren drought.
Shiren the Nomad: Serpentcoil Island’s Mysterious Dungeon
was played on the Switch using a review code that the publisher sent.
Review Overview
Gameplay – 90%
Controls – 80%
Aesthetics – 80%
Content – 85%
Accessibility – 75%
Value – 80%
82%
VERY GOOD
Summary : At least one Shiren the Wanderer game should be owned by any enthusiast of turn-based roguelikes. Although there are many attractive clones available, Spike Chunsoft is particularly good at creating scenarios that rely on inventories. If you’ve somehow avoided Shiren, one of the greatest places to start is The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island, which offers insights from earlier episodes.