Plot Almost Like in Darkest Dungeon 2
Lootbound's plot setup resembles Darkest Dungeon 2, where the player assembles a squad to explore dungeons. As you progress, the past of your charges is revealed. In Red Hook's creation, characters almost always turned out to be terrible people seeking redemption or gain.
In Lootbound, a quartet of heroes – Warrior, Witch, Bard, and Paladin – storm the ominous Citadel. The characters have lost their memory and ask the player to help them reach the end. By defeating bosses, they gradually recall their dark past, but the game portrays them as noble and kind people, sincerely striving to correct past mistakes.
The story is presented in several ways. At the start of a run, the hero voices memories, and if successful, reveals additional details. Additionally, an in-game encyclopedia with detailed biographies unlocks as you play.
The most interesting part is listening to conversations during rests. Initially, party members quarrel due to differences in character and worldview. Gradually, they grow to respect each other and become true comrades. The dialogues are lively: for example, from the dispute between the Bard and the Witch about magic, one can understand the laws governing the Citadel itself.
Like Slay the Spire, but More Tedious
The Citadel is divided into three unique biomes, the order of which remains unchanged in each playthrough. With each stage, the difficulty increases, but found equipment and talents help cope with the challenges.
Like in Slay the Spire, each region is riddled with branching paths with points of interest. The chosen character starts the journey alone and without equipment, finding allies, artifacts, and challenges during the expedition.
In treasure rooms and at the forge, you have to roll dice for valuable rewards. The game provides a stock of extra dice for re-rolls. However, the random number generator is treacherous: in one run, high faces consistently drop, while in another, two ones appear consecutively.
After defeating the Citadel, a higher difficulty level unlocks. To fully understand the plot, you'll have to complete the campaign three times for each hero. Repetitive actions quickly become tiresome, especially since an average session lasts more than an hour. The monotony of the process is partly brightened by the randomness factor and heartfelt gatherings around the campfire.
“Memory Shards” are awarded for runs. With this currency, the player upgrades basic characteristics, buys consumables, artifacts, and additional dice. Strengthening the team is critically necessary, otherwise, it will be impossible to overcome high difficulty.
Tetris in Diablo Style
Each class has a clear role on the battlefield:
- The Warrior feels equally confident in attack and staunch defense;
- The Witch deals colossal damage but suffers from low health;
- The Bard buffs the team and distributes useful effects;
- The Paladin takes damage, shatters enemy armor, and covers allies.
Each fighter has their own set of parameters: pure damage, penetration, defense, thorns, health, and mana. The “chaos” and “order” indicators affect the strength of applied effects. Buffs and debuffs have no action timer, so the Witch can weaken a boss to a state where allies can deal with it in a couple of hits.
Item management, distributed among the heroes' inventories, plays a key role in development. Rare items have a passive aura – it's advantageous to place them so that their influence extends to adjacent slots. The blacksmith can create gemstones with Diablo-style bonuses, and no separate sockets are required for them. The game is not stingy with loot: in one run, you can repeatedly reassemble the entire build.
Enemies use the same arsenal of techniques: they attack, break defenses, buff minions, and cast curses. On their turn, the player activates only one skill of the leading character, while party members act autonomously. Using potions and scrolls does not consume a turn, but valuable consumables are rare and serve as a last resort.
At the end of each biome, you'll need to configure the boss's parameters. The enemy is assembled from three components that make it more ferocious, armored, or fast. The outcome of the decisive battle largely depends on these preliminary decisions.
Verdict
In Lootbound, the role-playing component is excellently executed. The project attracts with its well-thought-out plot and organic presentation of lore. Classes here serve as the foundation of the characters' personalities: first, they think in terms of their craft, and then they reveal themselves as deep heroes. The pleasant visual style, detailed pixel art, and high-quality soundtrack complement the atmosphere.
The gameplay eventually becomes repetitive due to prolonged runs, but the variety of builds and equipment variations maintain interest. And lively conversations around the campfire are an excellent way to distract from the inevitable routine.