Cladun: This Is An RPG Review

Perfect, just what we need. Another adventurous tale of teenage heroes out to save the world. Psyche! Had you there didn't I? Don't let that one quote fool you, NIS America's Cladun: This Is An RPG isn't your typical JRPG. In fact, it's a hack and slasher dungeon crawler complete with a real retro presentation. Step into the shoes of Pudding and Souma - or many other characters, original or homemade, for that matter - as they explore the many dungeons of Arcanus Cella in search of, well, adventure and glory, or at least something along those lines.

The story of ClaDun isn't something easily put into words. It basically takes a backseat to the addicting gameplay; however, what it does present is usually wisecracks and slapstick jokes about stereotypical archetypes common to the RPG genre, specifically JRPGs. You play as Pudding, a rather tell-it-as-it-is young girl with some kind of weird disease - Die Laughing Disease - and she has six months left to do whatever it is that she wants to do. Her childhood friend, Souma, tags along reluctantly and they eventually discover the world of Arcanus Cella.

Arcanus Cella has many descriptions and they vary according to each character. In reality, it's not much of a paradise as it is a shut-off world created by the one and only inhabitant, the sorceress Despina. Unfortunately for her, Pudding and Souma violently barge into her hermit life and soon after, many more interesting characters start to enter the scene, including a talking cat, a transvestite (only due to some magic spell - to put it crudely) and a mysterious "Mask of Happiness." Most of the story revolves around Despina trying to get rid of said mask. There isn't much in terms of character development and each character is mostly there for mere comic relief.

For the most part, Cladun is knee-deep in hack and slash gameplay. Dungeons are relatively easy to get into from the get-go and the game gets progressively more difficult. Characters can be equipped with three different types of weapons: a blade, blunt weapon or a rod. Combos can be performed with blade weapons while blunt ones allow for charged attacks. Rods typically cast ranged magic spells and have a cool down meter for moderation.

However, that's not all there is to the game.

In fact, Cladun probably has one of the most in-depth character building and customization systems in any RPG game as of late. There are numerous classes to pick from when creating your own character, including Warrior, Dragoon, Merchant and Wizard. Each has its own unique stats like high attack, low HP or low attack and high SP.

Speaking of which, you'll start off with only Pudding and Souma as playable characters and eventually gain access to the other characters as they are introduced throughout the game. After clearing a number of dungeons, you'll also get access to the tools to create your very own characters. The character creation toolset is surprisingly flexible and simple to use. Simply pick a template for the character and their final boss, and start editing pixel by pixel. It's possible to recreate Etna from the Disgaea franchise or even Barret (or Mr. T) from Final Fantasy VII.