Crown Trick | PS4 Review

Roguelikes have grown in popularity over the past several years. There's been all kinds of different takes on them ranging from action roguelikes to bullet hell driven ones. Most are indies, and most get their fair share of time in the streamer spotlight. In that regard Team17's "Crown Trick" is not all that different. The gated room based dungeon structure holds true to games like "The Binding of Isaac" while the more involved mechanics take on a slightly new form. 

Centered around a girl known as Elle, and her adventures to save her world we find a certain crown shaped being has summoned her for a cause not unlike her own. Venturing onward with the omniscient and outspoken one eyed crown resting firmly on her brow as a partner with benefits Elle tries to right the wrongs of an Evil Duke named Vlad whose sacrificial shenanigans has bled the Nightmare Realm's problems over into the real world, and vice versa. The synchronous turn-based battle that ensues between the unlikely pair, and their newly sworn enemy is one that's all about randomized runs, looting, and turn based strategy ...

Opening up at the throne room of the Nightmare Realm Elle finds herself joining leagues with a crown who is the realm's guardian. It's no ordinary crown though, and with it's assistance Elle gains the skills, and abilities needed to confront and conquer all that stands between her, and Duke Vlad. At her disposal is an array of equipment and magical add-ons. When it comes to the magical side of things there are Familiar Skills obtained from killed Familiars that can be swapped between on the fly. Each harboring two unique skills with a certain elemental attribute that work on a cooldown, and depend upon MP meter. These elementally aligned skills drain Elle's limited MP supply to cast, and are only really useful against enemies that are weak to that element, outside of the skill's base damage. It is these skill sets that can ultimately be used to attack enemies, help with defensive options, or buff Elle in various ways. 

This collective of skills paired with the bonus attributes of relics, weapons, and spells will increasingly change or improve upon various stats with their passive and active attributes. Changing things like the type of damage done, stat increases such as that of damage and defense output as well as unique bonus perks for usage of said things against destructive elemental objects/tiles. Weapons, in particular come in different rarities that are color coded accordingly. These different rarities offer better, and better passives the more rare the weapon is. The same goes for relics, spells, and even familiar skills. When it comes to securing any of these things it's a random ordeal that involves interacting with special crystals/objects, opening chests, or collecting them as enemy/familiar drops. Just as these things are random in nature so too is each chapter playthrough.

A playthrough in Crown Trick begins at the Nightmare Realm's Hall of Reincarnation where falling asleep on the throne gets you where you need to be. A place for selecting the next chapter's dungeon, or for taking advantage of rescued vendors that will accept your dual currencies for wares, and upgrades. Some taking gold coins for such things as weapon crafting/enhancement, or blue cubes to fill in skill trees for upgrading features like the Elixir bottle you have by default. Each vendor has their own unique service to provide Elle, and are beneficial for success in future playthroughs. 

Speaking of playthroughs, in any given playthrough Elle will begin with a certain amount of HP, and MP. Something that can be refilled through the use of an upgradeable, and limited use Elixir. You also begin, in each room, with a limited use of Blinks tied to a Blink Boots relic which allows you to blink past obstacles at a certain square by square distance or to avoid projected enemy attacks. Blinks can additionally be refilled by utilizing the game's guard break gauge. This works alongside the guard break mechanic which allows successive attacks to guard break and dizzy a shielded enemy. Guard breaking enemies in sequence before your taken actions reset the gauge will increase the gauge, and amplify any damage dealt next. It's a means to guard break enemies easier, and deal the damage that needs to be done to end things more quickly. As you initially move forward into your playthrough you'll be able to select from one of two starter weapons, each with their own range and damage output. You'll even be able to freely obtain your first Familiar Skill. Things that will come in handy as you face off against lesser enemies, familiars, elite enemies, and boss enemy types. 

With all that at your beckon call you'll traverse the undiscovered labyrinth of a dungeon in order to loot other useful items like additional relics, and blueprints in order to better prepare for the final boss battle of that chapter/dungeon. Blueprints, in particular, are how you craft weapons and relics back at the Hall of Reincarnation for a potentially advantageous start. When it comes to the challenge movement in the game is where the real strategy comes in though, and it is a turn by turn affair. As Elle every action or movement you take simultaneously triggers the current room's enemies to also move and take actions against her. Using the blink to dodge wider covering attacks, and your own skills and weapon attacks at their respective range is the key to clearing the room, and looting it for all it's worth.

In tandem with the synchronized movement situation you are rewarded via a special meter for flawlessly clearing each room of enemies. The more you kill without taking damage the better your chances at securing a rarer treasure chests full of goodies. This helps with the item, and relic collecting as well as with the opportunity to nab better weapons. It goes without saying that the better prepared you are the better the chance that you'll actually clear a chapter. Regardless of success or failure though you are given a tallied rating based on various elements of performance within a playthrough. Things like not taking damage, or killing certain enemy types adds to your total score for that run. In addition to that the currency you collected goes back to the Hall of Reincarnation with you regardless of whether or not you came out victorious. It allows you to spend those currencies on rescued vendors, and in turn better improve your chances next time around.

Within Crown Trick's menu system lies everything from Elle's detailed RPG stats to an Encyclopedia inclusive bestiary, and even a trophy listing. You'll even find a collection of weapons, relics, and items you've found as you've played. It's a perfectionist's checklist that can be cleared without ruining the replay value to be had. As I've said Crown Trick is a roguelike meaning that each time you play it's a random deal. Not to mention the massive variety of items, and weapons you can find which makes making multiple playthroughs even more worth your time, especially if you are into streaming this kind of experience.

The Verdict ...

Crown Trick is a game of cartoony, and fun loving strategic design. It is a deeply involved roguelike that borders on difficult while rewarding those who get what's going on with a more doable and enjoyable experience. It's not the type of action roguelike most will be used to in that it is a synchronized turn based dungeon looting experience with a heavy emphasis on applied tactics. You can't just mash your way through it. You've got to mind the elemental damage, your bonuses, and most importantly of all your movements/actions. Everything you do matters, and how you approach enemies, even more so. The fact that health, magic, and blink are a limited commodity only serves to heighten the importance of your next move, and what it is you are carrying, equipment-wise. It's kind of like chess, but on a much grander and more intricate scale. The ultimate chess-like roguelike. When it comes to recommendation I realize I'm late to the show, but this game gets my full approval anyways. If you've missed it like I have I think there are some sales going on where you can buy it at a discount. I'd say even at full retail it's still worth a buy, if not a try.