Entry-level Dungeon Crawler

[SpcDaicon]

Sup y'all!

For quite some time I've been meaning to get into dungeon crawlers but I'm having a hard time. I recently tried Wizardry: Labyrinth of Lost Souls on Steam (got on sale) as my first dugeon crawler but I gotta admit: this game is hard as balls.

Seriously, I knew how infamously hard classic dunegon crawlers are and knew it wasn't gonna be easy but the game is so hard and grindy that I just gave up.

The fact the game lacks a overarching story also didn't help, it failed to keep me engaged. I know that with dungeon crawlers, specially older titles and older franchises, the dungeon exploration itself is the main motive to play but it became a chore after some time.

It's not a bad game, I just wasn't having fun (art is suberb tho)

Is there any kind of "entry-level" classic dungeon crawler? It dosen't need to be "baby's first dugeon crawler", just a game that isn't so punishing and has enough story to keep you interested. Any plataform.

 

[Dai]

Try "Undernauts, labyrinth of yomi", it has enough little things and quests to keep you entertained while exploring, it's on PC, or if you emulate, try "unchained blades" on the PSP, i remember having good fun with it. An older title and as i can remember i liked it a lot for the story, game mechanics and customization was "Generation Xth", only the first game of a trilogy is translated to english though, i didn't enjoy the north american official version called "operation abyss", mainly because i didn't like the changes, and the battle and exploration mechanics were changed too much, in a very bad way to my taste. I enjoyed Generation Xth very much, too bad the fan translation stopped after the official was anounced.
If i remember more i'll post them.

 

[Megazao]

Starting with Wizardry is certainly bold lmao. I haven't played that many, but from the ones I did I can recommend Mary Skelter. It has multiple difficulties and I love its world and story, but if you get it don't buy the first game solo on steam, since Mary Skelter 2 comes with a "remake" of 1 that fixes a lot of its problems.
I have also been playing SMT Strange Journey Redux for the 3DS, and it's a much more forgiving (though still challenging) version of the DS original. Pretty cool vibes.
Finally, if you want something portable and free, there's a mobile game in the Wizardry series that came out recently called Wizardry Daphne. I know I said starting with this series was bold, but by virtue of being a mobile game, Daphne is much more manageable for beginners. It is indeed a gacha, but I never felt I needed more than the game gives me to pull on it, so it's much better than other games of its kind. It recently came out on Steam too, so it's more accessible now.

 

[99nereids]

Even the newer Wizardry titles that have automapping & other qol features are intense as hell lol

the first dungeon crawler i've played was Etrian Odyssey, which inherits a lot of the same mechanics but imo is much more forgiving. Go for any of the DS titles (i haven't tried the switch/PC remasters but i've heard some good things abt them) the 3DS titles can be a mixed bag, the Untold series are remakes of the first 3 games but with a new story based around premade characters, IV is pretty fun & Nexus lets you go crazy with character custimization.
overall i think Etrian is a good entry point for the genre

 

[RageBurner]

Someone recommended SMT - SJ and I second that. I also think that the later Etrian Odyssey games are sufficiently accessible (the 3DS ones), if you'd like to try those.

 

[Not_Red]

If you are willing to try something with slightly more mechanics in the dungeon, I suggest the Mary Skelter series, but specifically starting with the second game as not only it has the first one included but it also adds more content to it if you beat the second game first.

Etrian Odyssey is also a good starting point, from the HD collection I'd say 3 > 1 >2 in terms of how good they are, but if you want to give the series a full chance then starting with the very first game is better as going back after playing 3 is really hard.

 

[moonbits]

Shining The Holy Ark but it can be a bit unforgiving if you don't prep.

 

[Bakuma1997]

Try Orcs and Elves, is REALLY barebones compared to most Dungeon Crawlers, but if you want to check if the genre is for you or you want something easy, suit yourself, there is no turn combat like FF, but instead every step is a "Turn" and your enemy will get near every "Turn", wich could be easy if it werent for the FPV, even then, lacking most of the trappings of the genre and practically being gifted stuff to break the game, you miss nothing

Is the FAR upgraded version of an obscure Java game and my introduction to the genre

 

[Raziya The Seeker]

If you're aiming for Wizardry, might I suggest Labyrinth of Lost Souls? That was my entry point to the more old-school-styled ones, compared to ones like Wizardry 8. LoLS was pretty zen to play, easier to grasp with a more straightforward dungeon design, and is a bit more forgiving than others. I'd also suggest the recent remake of the original Wizardry, Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord, because it has a lot of accessibility and difficulty settings you can fiddle with.

Otherwise, I doubly suggest later Etrian Odyssey games. 3's my favorite of the original trilogy, and 4 onward also have difficulty settings one can fiddle with to make the experience more forgiving for newbies. The Dark Spire is also a lot of fun and aesthetic as all get out, combining old with new in terms of that classic Wizardry experience.

Otherwise... I dunno, the original Phantasy Star is also a first-person dungeon crawler for its dungeon design. Otherwise it plays like a JRPG for its mechanics, and it's quite fun. I've yet to play Shining in the Darkness, but it's also a Sega blobber and interestingly, the first game in their Shining series (including Shining Force, a tactical RPG and Shining Soul, a hack-and-slash RPG).

In terms of difficulty, I'd argue Phantasy Star is the easiest. For ones that play like old-school D&D, I'd argue WizLoLS is the easiest of the bunch. I only read too late that you're not quite looking for "baby's first dungeon crawl for babies", but figured I'd offer.

 

[otogirisou]

Ray Gigant

 

[RetroDKCN]

Ray Gigant is a good suggestion but a bit too different from the average, still a good pick if you want a first person dungeon crawler that has visually appealing battles


Also, seconding the Etrian games, the 3DS ones are much easier than the original trilogy and Nexus as a whole is a cakewalk (tho I don't recommend starting with it since its a comemorative game meant for people who already played others even if its the easiest one)

 

[thanonyx thanonyx]

Shin Megami Tensei games are all great dungeon drawlers. They just tend to have multiple endings depending on the choices you make throughout the game. So if you want a particular ending may I suggest using a guide.