Don’t Die, Minerva! Review (Xbox One X)
Is it just me or are rogue-like games being released in massive numbers these days? Every second game I have played recently seems to be a rogue-like or have rogue-like elements in them. Thankfully, unlike the rest of the team, I am not adverse to this as I quite like the format and play style that rogue-likes fall into. That is not to say I don’t throw the odd controller in frustration at my 145th death in 3 minutes. I have just learnt to throw it gently onto the couch beside me. But with a little Luigi flair this could be fun to play.
Luigi? Are You There?
You take control of Minerva, a young girl armed only with a flashlight and a backpack of cuddly toys. And what does an 11 year old girl want to do on a particularly nasty evening out in the woods? Well, explore the haunted mansion she has just found of course. Maybe she is a close relation to Luigi and picked up her love of flashlights and mansions from him. Upon entering the mansion you find that the powers that lie within have not only produced all manner of ghosts and spectres but also give life to your stuffed toys. Very handy indeed as these now animated toys have some very useful powers.
Don’t Lose Your Head Over It.
By exploring the randomly generated mansion and ridding it of all the nasty’s, you will find and assortment of goodies. Some will improve your gear and aid you in the current exploration. Items not required can be scrapped for gold to buy better items from the mansion’s servants. But most importantly are the crystals. You give these to the ghostly mansion servants to increase permanent attributes. Because when you die, and it will happen, you lose everything you have. So make sure you trade in the crystals often.
Not For The Materialistic.
Frustration can really kick in when you are having a good run and have managed to score a good set of Legendary equipment, only to die soon after. Removing the mind-set that your equipment is vital to success and treating it as not much more than a consumable item will definitely help your mental state. Concentrate on collecting crystals and getting them back safely to increase you abilities so you can explore deeper. And don’t pass the well’s without using them to return to the start to cash in the crystals. The just one more level approach will be your undoing.
Closing Comments.
Don’t Die, Minerva! looks really nice and plays well. Although there isn’t a huge variety in what you are doing and where you are doing it, it maintains that, just one more run, feel you expect from a good rogue-like. A big concern is the glut of rogue-like games coming out from Indie developers. This may dilute to market to the point where good titles are lost in sheer numbers. And, while still in a Game Preview state, Don’t Die, Minerva! is a game that doesn’t deserve to be overlooked. That is if you are a fan of rogue-likes of course. Now time to pack up my Teddy Bear and Flashlight and head back to the mansion.
