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Delve Deeper
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Graphics & Sound:
Delve Deeper is not a game that will test the graphics capability of your machine. The pixel-style graphics are simple, and are a cute retro throwback. But considering the simple style, a lot more detail could have been thrown in to encourage zooming in on the map and taking it all in. The little details that are included, however, are quite charming and funny enough. There are fairies hanging around, sparkly treasure, and lots of different goblins, slimes, and even slime-riding gnomes just for fun.
I'd just like to comment quickly that I take issue with the fact that these graphics are being described as HD in the game's description. I guess in a time when paint companies claim to have "HD" paint and doctors are claiming to be able to give you "HD" vision, it's not that big of a deal. Still, this word: I do not think it means what you think it means.
The music matches the simplicity of the graphics. There are no grand orchestral scores for this game, but then, that would be out of place here. No, the music here is appropriately dark for a game that makes you go into deep, dark caves, but light enough to match the not-so-serious dwarves and slimes that populate said caves. Likewise, the dwarves let out what could be called "cute" cries when attacked, and an occasional, easy to miss, "Hi-ho!" It's all very cute, a very retro style.
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Gameplay:
Delve Deeper is a turn-based strategy game in which you direct a group of stout dwarves to explore and plunder a network of caves. The point of the game is to amass more treasure than your opponents by digging networks of caves and connecting into parts of the cave that contain treasure. Of course this exploring comes with risks. Connect to that vein of treasure and gems and you may also connect yourself to a horde of dangerous monsters.
You'll have to bring your lovely treasures and relics back to your home base in order to sell them and increase your wealth (the "score" that will determine if you win at the end of the game). This means wasting precious turns going all the way back up the tunnels and waiting for a turn to end before you can get credit. But the deeper you go, the more secrets you'll find, and scattered in the depths are also gnomes that you can sell your goods to, and a beholder-looking guy that will buy your relics (the "Cash for Relics" sign is a funny touch).
It's not just a mad dash for treasure. You can also sabotage your opponent's plans by connecting their tunnels to a wing full of monsters. Then you can watch as the monsters unleash a debilitating attack on your opponent. You also have to weigh the benefits of lighting torches. If you leave a dwarf in an otherwise useless section of tunnel, he will still light a beneficial torch. This will keep monsters from respawning from that part of the tunnels, keeping you safer, and free to grab more loot. Of course, when you're not leaving your guy in a section full of treasure, he's effectively wasting a turn by not mining, so it's definitely a strategic decision you'll have to make.
Unfortunately, multiplayer play is limited to hot-seat play on the same machine only. It's really a shame, as this game would be very well suited to online play. That, and my computer desk doesn't really accommodate 2 people, let alone 4. It could get awkward.
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Difficulty:
The difficulty in Delve Deeper is tweakable on several levels. If it's the monsters giving you grief, you can tone down their A.I. If it's the opponents, you can do that too. And if you find yourself just taking too long to find treasures, you can up the amount and frequency with which these things appear.
That being said, the main thing that will make things more difficult is having more opponent teams to worry about. You can't wipe out other dwarves, but you can knock them out for a turn. And since a fight, even against a weakened opponent, will effectively block your path until you're done, it can get quite tedious to move around when you're fighting something every few steps. |
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Game Mechanics:
Delve Deeper is your basic point-and-click strategy game. You play on a 2D field and highlight either your chosen dwarf's icon, or the little guy himself to start an action. Then you click on the area of the map you'd like to go to, and that's it. Your dwarves will either start a fight or mine for goodies at the end of the round, depending on where you placed them. After each turn, monsters also have a turn to move, so the fights may not be over when you've ended your turn.
Everything's pretty intuitive, and the "undo" button is big if you've made a mistake. The only trouble I ran into was in windowed mode. It seemed the cursor would not be aligned in the game window, and would actually click on items outside of the window.
Delve Deeper is a fun, light little strategy game. There aren't any exotic monsters to discover, or big secrets. You'll pretty much experience everything there rather quickly. The lack of any kind of online or LAN play really does kill any long-term fun you could have with this game, but it's still worth the paltry price it's being offered for.
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-Fights with Fire, GameVortex Communications AKA Christin Deville |
Minimum System Requirements:
Windows XP SP2 or More Recent, Windows Vista, Windows 7, DirectX9, .Net 3.5, Shader Model 2.0, 60 MB of Disk Space |
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Test System:
Windows XP, 3.20 GigaHertz Intel Pentium 4, 1 GB Ram, RADEON X850, Creative SB Audigy 2 ZS |
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Related Links:
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