Dungeon crawlers are a dying breed. Casus by Spliced Games looks to remind us what was fun about this genre. Back in the 1980s dungeon crawlers were popular, especially on computers in North America. From Wizardry to Might and Magic leading the charge to lesser known titles like Alternate Reality: The Dungeon and The City, this genre was well represented. The indie developer world has kept releases coming but they are few and far between.

First-Person Point of View matters

Call it an early attempt at virtual reality or just working with what they had but the viewpoint matters for dungeon crawlers. Sure, we have some like Diablo that use an elevated overhead viewpoint but those are not nearly as immersive to me. First-Person makes it feel like you are there, walking around the dungeons. Casus brings the graphics level up a bit mixing various themes within its myriad of dungeons. Some are techie looking while others are dark and dank filthy excursions. I love the variety displayed so far.

Casus pushes genre forward

While I love some Alternate Reality: The Dungeon, even I can see how that game is not appealing today for modern gamers. Casus takes the feel of AR:TD and gives the graphics a modest update while adding additional options to the game. There are six classes with three specializations each with customizable talent trees which allow you to create your personalized character. Now there is a reason to collect all those odds and ends left in the dungeons – you can craft new weapons and gear. I can see the crafting stuff being a big selling point for fans of dungeon crawlers.

There is danger in Casus so prepare yourself

A good dungeon crawler needs deadly enemies and challenges to break up the monotonous nature. Casus has that in spades as it will feature over 80 enemies and four bosses waiting not so patiently for you. There will also be map based puzzles to figure out, probably switches and hidden doors, so break out the graph paper and prepare. Man, how long has it been since we needed graph paper for a new game? I know I am excited and ready for Casus. It has been a long time since I turned off the cell phone, TV, and lights and just explored a good dungeon. Too long. Just look at the last time I got to talk about one here. Casus by Spliced Games Platform: Steam for Windows Genre: First-Person, Dungeon Crawler, Adventure, Role-Playing Game Rated: Unknown, probably will be E 10+ or equivalent Available Fall 2020 on Steam. This article was originally published on Retro Gaming Magazine, a gaming website I own.