Step into a world of Dungeons & Dames with Vanillaware’s Dragon’s Crown. With a very unique and visually compelling artistic style, this 2D beat-’em-up stays faithful to their depiction of well-endowed female characters, but through the guise of fan service this game shines as a wonderful co-op campaign meant to be enjoyed with friends and strangers alike.
Even with a concept so simple as a 2D side-scroller, Dragon’s Crown does not cease to be hours of amusement. Players are given a choice six characters – Wizard, Sorceress, Amazon, Dwarf, Warrior, Elf – to traverse through dungeons at an attempt to find the…wait for it…Dragon’s Crown. Fear not, the adventure does not have to be made alone. The game allows up to four players to play locally and online, increasing the mayhem if the fights.
Each class has a set of skills players can choose to put points into upon leveling up, allowing for a certain degree of customization. Add that to the unique items found in treasure chests and it is safe to say that the chance of two characters being exactly alike is highly improbable.
Players crawl through several different areas, often given choices that change how the instance will play out at that time. This allows for a certain degree of personal preference in play style, but the game at it’s core remains a festival of wonderful destruction. With all four players active, the screen can feel overcrowded at times and may leave players confused as to exactly what is going on in that moment, but in the confusion of mashing buttons there is much joy to be found.
It is difficult to sit down and play Dragon’s Crown for too long since dungeon crawling over and over again gets a bit stale, but playing with friends makes the experience much more enjoyable. Especially when you yourself can send your best friend flying across the screen with the swing of your hammer.
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