9th Dawn III
Developed and published by Valorware, 9th Dawn III is a 2D action-RPG set in a huge, sprawling open-world filled with tonnes to do and see. Having never played Valorware’s previous titles, I was a little worried about not understanding the story of 9th Dawn III despite being really interested in it, as such a massive world felt quite intimidating for someone who knows nothing of the game aside from “I really like the look of that!” Thankfully, prior knowledge of the series is not required (although it certainly won’t harm things), so I was able to dive right in.
Set in the world of Cedaltia, your character is tasked with an investigation into some weird, ghostly sightings around the Lake of Elmson. You must uncover the truth, and to do that you’re gonna need to explore. There’s so much to see and do in Cedaltia, from picking up quests from NPCs, to exploring dungeons and reading various notes that delve into the lore and backstory, to facing off against swarms of enemies. From the get-go, the story is interesting and complex - and with the ability to capture creatures to use in battle, I was super excited to see everything the game has to offer. It can be a tad overwhelming at times, due to how large the world is and the sheer volume of tasks available to you - but once you find your bearings and get into it a little, you’ll be able to focus on what your plan is.
9th Dawn III has a pixel-art style that is fairly similar to other pixel games we’ve seen before, but is nonetheless very well done. Battle animations are impressive, and the design of the creatures and characters populating the world are appealing. There are 270 monsters that you can come up against, each of which are varied in their designs and it’s these, as well as the variety of locations that make all the difference. The music of 9th Dawn III is engaging, with tracks that vary throughout, with increasing intensity that will amp you up for boss fights and really immerse you in the game.
If you’re looking for some activities to pass the time, which are pretty much always a given in RPGs such as this: a card game, called Fyued, is available to play - and can be really addictive once you learn how it works. You can challenge other characters, and win cards from them to add to your deck - but be careful! - you could just as easily lose some of your own cards, too. There are 180 different cards to collect, so keeping an eye out for ones you need and making sure to nab them is a really fun aspect. Other activities are available too, such as fishing, if you want some time to chill out.
Combat feels fantastic, with simple to learn controls and satisfying action. The twin-stick controls work really well here, and makes combat feel really fun - if challenging. Many of the dungeons you come across will prove to be a challenge, so grinding to level up will be required. Every time you level up you gain five points that can be used against each of the Attributes; strength, that will increase your attack with weapons such as swords; endurance, for health; wisdom, for magic; dexterity, which increases your attack for crossbows, etc.; and intelligence, for spell damage. You can also find ‘ability coins’ in the dungeons, which will allow you to purchase Abilities, which are skills that will greatly help you on your quest. There are tonnes of weapons and armor options available to you, and using weapon types frequently in battle will increase your skill further.
At just £13.49 on the Nintendo eShop, it’s a perfect price point to get people interested - and with so much to offer, you get tonnes of value, too. We had a lot of fun with 9th Dawn III, and I can’t wait to get all of the cards in Fyued - it’s definitely a very addictive element to the game! Additionally, capturing creatures is a lot of fun - and something that always gets our attention in games, so we hope to get as many of these as we possibly can.
In the end, we decided to give 9th Dawn III the Collecting Asylum rating of 8/10.
Have you played 9th Dawn III yet? What did you think of it?
Let us know in the comments below!
- V x
Thank you to Valorware for the 9th Dawn III Nintendo Switch review code!
