Dungeons of Hinterburg Review: An Utterly Charming Blend of Zelda and Persona

For those who can afford to take a break, where else to go but the ? Microbird Games’ debut action-adventure is structured something like the contemporary games, with players traveling to a resort-styled Austrian village with one key draw: 25 dungeons packed with puzzles and combat. Utilizing an eye-catching style that mixes the qualities of cel-shading, rotoscoping, and 's overall vibe, is an attractive and cozy experience with a substantive 20+ hour runtime, and should attract fans of its inspirations and anyone else looking for a lower-stress dungeon-crashing adventure.

As Hinterberg's newist visitor Luisa, player days are structured in quadrants: the morning is when to decide what region to visit, afternoons are often spent in a single dungeon of choice, then evenings allow for chatter with fellow tourists or townsfolk, or even just a moment to decompress with some solo time. Then, late at night, it’s time to veg out in front of the tube, browse a tome of local history, or catch some early shuteye.

At its heart, is about daily rhythms, with a down-to-earth narrative that almost anyone with a grueling day job will relate to. Except, here, instead of hitting the mountainside to burn off some mounting stress, Luisa mashes through monsters with her sword or blasts them with spells and skills…although there may be some time to hit the slopes, yet.

Luisa settles into the local traveler’s hotel with quaint top-floor lodging on her arrival to Hinterberg. She travels light, reflecting on her excitement to explore this curious destination pastime and get away from her dissatisfying law firm job for a spell, with a life path that feels like it’s at a crossroads. Like many travelers, a key part of her experience is geared towards shaking up routine, puzzling out what she should really be doing at this point in her life, with mind and heart open to the universe.

She’s soon introduced to a few of Hinterberg’s movers and shakers. There’s the glad-handing mayor, a few