Dungeons Of Hinterberg PS5 Review. With so many indie games coming out this generation, it’s hard to filter through so many and find one that catches your attention. Dungeons of Hinterberg scratches that itch of fun dungeon crawling and relaxing and entertaining characters to interact with. It also provides a distinct art style that pops out with every region you explore.
Dungeons Of Hinterberg PS5 Review
Living Life On The Edge
You take on the role of Luisa, a young woman looking to escape the burnout of her job. In this fictional city of Hinterberg, mysterious dungeons appear, and monsters roam around them. The world has decided this should become the newest major tourist location where people can come and slay monsters and challenge the various dungeons that have appeared.
Luisa arrives to blow off steam and challenge every dungeon before her vacation ends. These dungeons are in a different dimension; you must pass through a portal to enter them. While exploring her first dungeon, mysterious earthquakes begin to destroy the dungeon, and Luisa narrowly escapes with her life.
Though there is a story to tell, it’s not the main focal point in the game. Even though the game is called Dungeons of Hinterberg, it’s not the dungeons that make it so special. The residence and other dungeon hunters you meet in town shine.
Be Mery And Make Friends
Luisa can befriend dozens of citizens, and doing so not only rewards you with lore about the world and town but also provides you with unique tools and skills for your adventure. Befriending one person will unlock the photo mode in the game, allowing you to take pictures, for example.
You’ll also gain unique side quests from these individuals worth completing due to the various items you can receive for crafting and gifts to give other residents.
My big gripe with the game is that you can’t make friends with everyone in town. That’s due to the game’s third half, which forces you down a linear path due to its story, and you’re then forced to spend time with specific characters.
The game has a structure that some people may not enjoy as it limits you to what you can do. Each day consists of three things you can do. Explore a dungeon, spend time with one resident in the evening, and either go to bed or stay up reading or watching TV. This increases your expertise in various subjects and helps you get acquainted with the residence.
Exploring The World Is Rewarding And Entertaining
There are twenty-five dungeons to explore across five regions, each with unique landscapes and monsters—locations like snow-covered mountains and lush forests full of mine shafts. There is plenty to find, from hidden boss encounters and treasure chests.
Each region also provides you with two unique spells. These spells are locked to the region you explore, so you won’t be able to carry them across the entire game.
These spells are used not only for combat but also for the puzzles in the region and dungeons. Puzzle-solving hits that sweet spot where it’s challenging but not challenging enough to make you rip your hair out. I enjoyed solving most of them, especially the ones that use physics to get around the environment.
Each dungeon is unique and provides various platforming, puzzles, and combat challenges. The best of which require you to use your magic abilities to solve. Some of these dungeons also come with unique bosses that can be pretty challenging and sometimes require you to use your skills and magic abilities in tandem to defeat them.
Fun Combat That Can Get Repetitive Rather Quickly
Combat is also very satisfying. Though it can get repetitive, it’s competent enough to keep you engaged, especially when the game starts mixing up various monsters with unique abilities that require plenty of timing and patience to defeat.
You have your basic simple and heavy attack, your dodge that drains stamina, and your magic that you can use during combat. You also unlock unique skills but can only equip up to two.
It’s a shame the game lacks too much enemy variety. Outside of unique bosses that later appear as regular enemies, you’ll encounter all the standard monster variety within the first few dungeons of the game.
Stunning Visuals That Utilise The Entire Color Palette
You collect monster materials from defeating foes that you can use to craft new gear, which is a must as it raises your gear level, which allows you to take on more difficult dungeons.
The game can be quite stunning visually. Its art direction is fantastic and really stands out, and the visuals remind me of old hand-drawn postcards. Though the game has no voiceovers, which is quite a bummer, the soundtrack is catchy, and the combat music is excellent.
Dungeons of Hinterberg is a calming yet, at times, challenging game. I loved exploring dungeons and catching up with friends I made in town; it’s just a shame that so much of it is limited to doing each activity once a day. Still, with a gorgeous art style and exciting exploration and puzzle-solving, Dungeons of Hinterberg offers plenty for those looking for a challenge and a relaxing dungeon crawler.
Dungeons of Hinterberg releases for PS5 on March 13, 2025.
Review code kindly provided by PR
