Dungeons of Hinterberg review: Xbox Game Pass gets an unforgettable spin on Zelda

Dungeons of Hinterberg MSRP $30.00 Score Details Pros

• Nuanced, weighty story
• Excellent dungeon design
• Unique spells
• Deep RPG hooks
• Strong social link systems

Cons

• Combat gets repetitive

Luisa is on the vacation of a lifetime. After walking away from a career in law, the red-haired hero of Dungeons of Hinterberg decides to solve her quarter-life crisis with a trip to the Alps. She settles into a mountainside town, a small village that’s become a hot travel destination after a series of magical dungeons appeared out of thin air one day. It’s on that trip that Luisa is determined to find herself, finding her true calling and rediscovering the magic in her life. Sound familiar?

You don’t have to look far to find media with this kind of premise — minus the dungeons, of course. There’s a long tradition of works that romanticize travel and its healing powers, from Under the Tuscan Sun to the appalling Sex and the City 2. But Dungeons of Hinterberg is different. This isn’t another simple story of a woman finding her second act in a foreign country; it’s a much-needed deconstruction of that narrative told in a way that could only be done in a video game.

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Dungeons of Hinterberg is a razor-sharp debut from developer Microbird that tackles the complexities of the tourism industry from every angle. From its impact on politics to how it backs local businesses into a corner, the action-adventure game delivers a nuanced dissection of a quiet town turned global attraction. And like any good tourist trap, it hooks players in with wondrous entertainment, from ingeniously designed dungeon puzzles to magical powers that turn its natural landscapes into amusement