9th Dawn III (REVIEW)

Dubbed a "Collect-A-Thon" this sequel that is "9th Dawn III" harbors content from various RPG genres. Coming at you as an action rpg or dungeon crawler with mmo missions, monster collecting, crafting, and it's own card game it aims to impress on many different fronts. Though simplistic in design with it's top-down pixel constructed elements the town of Ashwick, the surrounding world, and it's would be hero come to the forefront offering up a grand adventure the likes of which is rarely seen, especially from an indie game. 

As a hero of your own making, you will be tasked with fulfilling your soldier duties for the kingdom you reside in. To begin with you will design your character part by part including hair style, skin color, and name. Once created you'll be thrown into the fray with only the occasional tutorial hint made available at book pedestals placed before the entrance to your home town. Once in town the mystery of what it is you need to do deepens further, but by talking to NPCs the laundry list of things you can do piles up. You'll learn of crafting, NPC directed missions, shop vendors, how to trap and use monsters as pets, and even details about a card game named Fyeud. 

When it comes to discovering things you are fairly much on your own from the start. Learning how to navigate menus, assign quick access items, apply equipment, and even upgrade your characters skills and attributes are up to you to figure out. For the most part. What you need to know above all else is that pressing the CIRCLE button brings up all menus, collectively. From your inventory, character management, and quick access assignments all things can be found in that panel and grid based menu system. Using the DPad to swap between panels, and L1/R1 to go deeper into each menu you'll be able to use, move, equip, and assign items to tasks and your character. 

Getting the items you'll need for doing anything in the game simply requires breaking objects on the map as well as completing missions objectives that the NPCs offer. That and buying items from vendors for gold as well as looting stuff dropped from downed enemies or treasure chests. When it comes to character management your created character actually runs off of three meters. You have a health bar, a water bar, and an SP or mana bar. Maintaining these things is a must, and can be done with food items or potions. Things that are found or that can be crafted at Foddy's cookery. The character you create also has a multiple piece equipment setup that can be filled with weapons of varying sorts including two handed, and single handed weapons. Weapons that can have buffs or elemental attributes. The equipment menu also houses the standard armor setup along with some accessory, and relic slots. Relics add buffs to the character. Things like elemental resistance, or even stat boosts. 

Outside of the equipment menu, and into the character management menu you'll find sub-menus for attributes, skills, and rewards. Attributes work in tandem with the game's experience system. As you level up by killing enemies, crafting (spell crafting, food crafting, weapon crafting), or completing missions you'll earn attribute points that can be applied to your base RPG stats. Improving upon things like strength, endurance, and intelligence. The skills which also tie into character management require their own points that can only be found through dungeon exploration. These skill points will allow for stronger buffs to things like health regen, or attack and endurance levels. Each skill set has multiple tiers that cost increasingly more points. Some more effective crafting based, or creature capture based skills will cost higher amounts of skill points at the base tier as they alter gameplay significantly. Lastly, rewards are the point scrolls you get for completing missions. With each mission completed you will be able to choose from one of three rewards which adds a stat point to your base RPG stats. 

Two of the game's additional features that are creature capturing, and Fyeud card battles come with their own unique set of rules, and benefits. To capture creatures you'll basically need bait for charming, and a trap for catching. These items can be bought for a price at the town creature vendor. Once a monster is captured by first setting the bait, and then luring the creature to the trap you'll be able to tame it, and have it tag along as a damage or support. You can have multiple pet creatures at a time (up to 10), and can morph them as well. Morphing requires you to level them up to a certain point through assisted battle, and then drop them back to level 1 gifting them better starting stats. Oddly creatures aren't the only sidekicks you can have there's also companions, and mounts to be found. Companions can be created to assist you like NPCs with similar character setups as your own. The mounts, which are obviously for riding, are also a creature option found in the game.

Alongside that battle extra you'll find that you can also battle it out card style with the game's unique in-game card game. Certain NPCs will offer up the choice for a Fyeud card duel, and suppose you win you will be rewarded in cards. Each player has up to nine creature cards to begin with. Each with three numbers on the face. One number to the right and left, and one number in the center. Placing these cards on any of the five playing field tiles will start the game. After the first card is place the next player will have to play a a higher value card to either side opposing card's numerical value. That will effectively capture that card, and turn it your color. The main point is to fill the most or all tiles on the playing field with your color of cards. Each player is either red or blue, respectively. Of course the center number adds in a staking possibility once three or more cards are in play, and supposing the in between number on the center played card is less than your card's center value you will turn all three cards to your color for stacking it on the lesser center card.

Progression in the game is done as you see fit. While there are main mission objectives that take you further, and further out into the world of 9th Dawn III you can stop and grind for gold, items, weapons, creature capturing, and crafting. As you do so though you'll want to save your progress, and this can be done in one of two ways. At blood shrines found at various places on the map or through the options menu. Either way you do it you need to make sure you save your progress or you'll lose it.

Notable extras come in the form of the impressive soundtrack, and fishing. The soundtrack is symphonic as most RPG soundtracks are, and includes many different tracks for varying locations, and situations. In regards to the fishing it is a side activity that can be taken up with a limited number of fish types to catch as you go about leveling up your character, and progressing through the game's many activities. It should also be noted that the game offers up a 2 player local co-op. Something that can be enjoyed with each players' companions included.

The Verdict ...

For a $15.99 indie of this nature "9th Dawn III" does good to provide the player more content for their money. This is the kind of game that borders on being a Minecraft level grind, and an MMORPG level undertaking. It's involved mechanically, but not so much so you can't figure things out. The only thing I didn't really care for was the lack of tutorial explanations, and the pacing of the start of the game. It feels like you are being thrown into something you should have prior knowledge about, and I'm not sure the previous entries of this series even made it to the PS4. If so then it'll be alright for those who are faithful fans of it. Gameplay-wise I still enjoyed the game. It's fun, and is an easy going time consumer for the most part. Something you could sink many hours into. If you fancy such an action RPG adventure, and have the money to spare I'd suggest you give it a go. I think it's cool enough, and definitely so for the price asked.