In a distinct way, Shiren the
Wanderer is a blessing in disguise. Normally, the Mystery Dungeon series doesn’t
see much limelight outside of Japan. They are often labeled as “hardcore” and
too niche for the U.S. audiences, but if Shiren the Wanderer proves anything,
it’s that the genre has room for growth in terms of popularity.
If you’ve never played a title from
the Mystery Dungeon lineup, then be prepared for a sense of traditionalism.
Players are tasked to explore a dungeon that is randomly generated. Upon
exploring, players encounter enemies that they’ll fight within a turn-based
system and are only allowed to escape the dungeons if they find the exit, or
through use of a particular item.
These ruffians ain’t got nothing on Koppa!
Usually, the Mystery Dungeon series
employs a feature that if players or any of their comrades die in battle,
they’ll either A: lose all of their money plus half their items or B: lose
everything. What Shiren the Wanderer puts forth for its Easy Mode is a friendly
concept that the player loses nothing and is sent back to the top menu. On
Normal Mode, the player loses all items but remains that the same level when
they return to the dungeon. This may turn off a few fans of the series, but for
the most part, it wasn’t anything worthy to gripe about as the title is flat out
delightful.
Wanderers follow a strict code and
we’ll be judging the game on this code:
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One – A Wanderer should roam free.
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Two – A Wanderer should have pride.
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Three – Wanderers should be able to stand on their own.
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Four – A Wanderer should follow their dreams.
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Five – A Wanderer should always help the weak.
First off, how much free roaming
does Shiren the Wanderer permit? The answer: quite a bit. Players are able to
talk to every citizen found within villages and towns to extract as much
information as they can on the whereabouts of Karakuri Mansion, among other
things. Shiren and his band of merry followers are looking for the mansion and
the treasures it beholds. Along the way, players are able to freely change out
and buy new weapons. When in combat, players are allowed to change control of
their characters. Open to developing tactics on the field and within the
dungeons, Shiren the Wanderer passes its first mark with flying colors.
Don’t let the innocent eyes of Koppa fool you; he’s a wise-cracking
ferret that holds nothing back.
Secondly, ChunSoft, the developer
behind Shiren the Wanderer, should have a lot of pride with the amount of humor
they were able to implement into the story and dialogue. Koppa, Shiren’s ferret
pal, is an absolute gem as the joker character. Delivering lines such as:
“Didn’t your mother raise you with any compassion?” and “What? You want trouble?
We take out punks like you with the trash!” Koppa is one of the highlights of
Shiren the Wanderer.
To stand on its own, Shiren the
Wanderer must be able to differentiate itself from similar titles on the
Nintendo Wii. Luckily for Atlus, Shiren the Wanderer only has to contend with
Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo’s Dungeon and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon on the
WiiWare. When compared to other Mystery Dungeon titles on the Wii, Shiren the
Wanderer is a godsend – the boss fights are entertaining, the dungeons are full
of surprises, and the characters are downright fascinating.
It’s not quantity that matters, it’s the
quality.
If we were to judge Shiren the
Wanderer on if it was able to follow “its dreams” it would have to revolve
around the graphical output and unique enemy variants. From the first boss, the
Sword Tiger, which is a combination of a lion, tiger and a bear, to any one of
the Four Guardians of Hourai Mountain, Shiren the Wanderer has diversity in
droves. Fighting a giant catfish, a stoic eagle, a cocky centipede and mixing it
up with the legendary Tengu, Shiren continued to deliver memorable moments from
the narrative perspective.
Lastly, Shiren the Wanderer gives
novice players the chance to grasp a hold of the concepts of the series with
simple 1 Action = 1 Turn combat system. If players are overwhelmed, they are
able to regain their HP by walking away from the action, although it increases
the hunger of the team. Players must eat riceballs, meat or herbs to keep their
hunger low so they can continue forth through the dungeons. On top of that,
players constantly receive new items to equip their characters with and are able
to fuse them by using a Melding Jar, which provides stronger items to use. In
the end, newcomers should have an easy time picking up and understanding the
general basics of Shiren the Wanderer.
Passing its own code to live by,
Shiren the Wanderer is a joy to play.
Gameplay: 7.5
There replay value of Shiren the Wanderer is sky high. Having spent more
than 30+ hours already, there’s so much left to be done to satisfy my tastes.
Graphics: 6.0
While the artwork is stunningly beautiful, the graphics leave a lot to be
desired.
Sound: 7.0
The soundtrack and effects do their job at accurately portraying the
setting.
Difficulty: Medium
Concept: 8.0
For a genre that doesn’t see many releases, Shiren the Wanderer certainly
fills a void.
Overall: 7.5
With its wit and charm, there’s nothing else like Shiren the Wanderer. It’s
one-of-a-kind and praiseworthy.
