They call it “dungeon crawling”, but the term is not meant to be literal. You’re not going to find your hero picking up dirt and grime on their hands and knees as they scrape along dirty dungeon floors humiliatingly. However, if your noble character were to slow it down and take their time, they may be more apt to find the hidden secrets contained within The Keep. Hold onto your rune stones, readers, we’re about to enter a review of The Keep – just don’t let the gate hit you on the way in!

Developer: CINEMAX GAMES

Publisher: CINEMAX

5 hours Played // Review Copy Provided // $17.99

The Keep is a tale, like so many other classics stories before, which starts with a whisper. Trouble is brewing and the rumors start to spread. Word is there is a malevolent force in play stemming from an evil wizard. Little does the High Council know, hushed words are like solitary bricks removed from a sound foundation. A few missing bricks won’t shake a castle, but what happens when all that’s left is crumbling mortar?

Ignoring better judgement, the High Council – who are supposed to be there for the well-being of their people – decides to deny everything. Time is of the essence, and the last grains of sand are falling quickly in the hourglass. Only so many people can go missing before there is widespread panic . . . It’s amazing how differently people react in a crisis.

The Fallout

Many of the villagers tried to step in and help where the High Council failed. Unfortunately, not everyone can be so brave. There are those town-dwellers who were scared by the thought of an evil wizard coming into power and run away; rightfully so. Others saw it as a blessing – a force challenging a corrupt, higher establishment, and fled to join the cause; understandable. We can’t forget the brave individuals who took it as a challenge, and journeyed to face whatever may come; how naïve, in hindsight. None returned.

Enter you – a mysterious drifter. You are loyal to no one but despise the thought of innocent lives being taken. “Watrys” is the name being thrown around, shaking the boots of the remaining townsfolk. You decide you want to find this supposed evil wizard – the mighty Watrys. Let no more lives be taken! Playing as the unsung hero will have you embarking on (hopefully) the last to venture into the lion’s den. I suppose for the dramatic flair is why The Keep happens to leave you (after a brief tutorial) trapped, alone, and unarmed. This is where your story begins. What could go wrong?

Sleeping Memories No More

The Keep claims to “. . . awaken memories of what made what old-school RPG dungeons so much fun to play . . . “ but does it live up to its claim? If this were the only goal I would say partly. What it sounds like is the developers wanted to tug on the heartstrings and tap into the nostalgia reserves. Here’s the thing: nostalgia is great because of what it is – a memory and an associated feeling. However, certain memories and particular feelings are better left in the past. Let’s explore both the positive and the negative things you’ll revisit. Memories . . . AWAKEN!

Classic 3D dungeon crawlers have always been hit or miss with me. It’s a similar feeling as with the classic text-based RPG’s – they’re enjoyable enough, but I always hope there’s not too much content. And when I say “too much”, I mean an excess of, as in too large of a scope. An abundance of anything, especially when repetitive, can drag down an experience greatly; it’s not any different for video games.

Leveling Out

I’m glad to say The Keep hits a real sweet spot here. The level layouts provide a good amount of variety but never feel too long or labyrinthine. The level lengths are broken up by incorporating different floors and rooms, and every now and then you’ll encounter these “dream” sequences.

The dream sequences play out like any other stage; however, things are . . . different. For instance, the color palette may change ever so slightly, and traditional doors are replaced by glowing portals. Not only this, but these levels can provide additional items you are able to take with you . . . should you be able to find them. What’s more is with any level (dream or otherwise) you are able to simply leave once you’ve gone through it. There are no specific ‘requirements’ or tasks but purely reaching the exit. Once you find that passage that leads to the next level, it will let you know how you fared. Did you kill all of the enemies and find all of the secrets? If not, you are able to choose to turn around and continue searching or simply move on. Of course, sometimes reaching the exit is a little more complicated than it sounds.

These Aren’t Glass Castles

This brings me to another shining moment in The Keep: its puzzle aspect. Although I don’t recall there being so many rocks to throw in classic RPG’s, I welcome the loose stones that are strewn around. Many puzzles require different weighted stones to be strategically thrown or placed in order to open gates or doors leading into new rooms. Random thought here – it’s actually extremely amusing to think that the supposed almighty wizard could have prevented his own potential downfall simply by picking up some stray rocks lying around the keep. I’ll bet his mother is out there saying “I told you so”! That’s what you get for being a slob, Watrys.

Back to the puzzle aspect – I can see the potential monotony that some may find in repetitive, similar puzzles. At times, it can drag on or even stump you for a prolonged amount of time. This being said, I may be an exception as someone who enjoys things like Sudoku, where every puzzle is just numbers and boxes. It’s all about the breakthrough of finally finding that one number that unlocks the remainder of the puzzle! This is the same type of feeling invoked in all of the stone-throwing, pressure-plated, tile-weighting, lever-pulling conundrums you’ll face in The Keep.

You’re Better Than This

Not only is game progressed by these mind-bending puzzles, but a similar idea is also reflected in the tactical combat systems as well. First off, melee combat is a series of button presses and joystick swipes. Press R, then swipe the right stick to the right, rinse and repeat. Other options do unlock later on, but you get the idea. Though unique, I wasn’t a huge fan of the repetitiveness involved. Not to mention the shame involved in attacks failing randomly.

I understand there is an accuracy stat involved; I do. But it just adds insult to injury as you furiously (and ridiculously) swing your dagger at a STATIONARY BOX, only to MISS REPEATEDLY. I can just imagine what’s going through the character’s mind having to sheepishly wait for your stamina bar to fill back up to attempt hack-attacking again. Talk about having a f*$#ing mental breakdown. Can I take a stress leave-of-absence as a self-proclaimed adventurer? I’ll even write up a doctor’s note – I need to find myself and get to the real root of the issue.

Magic Squares

But I digress. The other method of combat is rune-powered magic spells, otherwise known as “connect-a-rune” (in my mind)! Traversing through each layer of The Keep will lead you to find some fun and powerful spells to add to your arsenal. The way you use them is simple (not really): Find a scroll, read the scroll, then see what runes are needed for the associated spell. Once you’ve collected the necessary rune-gredients you have to lay them out strategically on a grid.

Once you’ve applied said runes on the spell grid, close your menu to bring you back in game. Press the ZR button (to open the spell grid), then use the left stick to navigate over the appropriate runes in the correct order via the pop-up spell grid. This will initiate the magical attack, after which each individual rune used will have a short cool down period. That’s a mouthful.

As much as I wanted to spam fireballs in the castle like Mario hyped up on a fire flower, I was forced to be patient. Shortly put – love the spells, but they could have been implemented easier. If you miss any runes and/ or are short on them, you will need to get creative in how you lay the runes you do have. It may even bar you from certain spells until you can find more . . . which I personally experienced early on in my very first run.

Closing Thoughts

The Keep is a puzzle-driven, dungeon-crawling RPG that will definitely awaken certain past memories of old-school 3D Dungeon Crawlers. The graphics are greatly improved of course, and all motion is very fluid. It contains an atmospheric ambience and appropriate theme music when applicable. Dialogue and/ or narration is all voice-acted too! This is a great touch and a detail I love to see.

Fans of traditional dungeon-crawling RPG’s will find enjoyment within the walls of The Keep on their quest to face Watrys. If you can adapt to the unorthodox battle system, doing everything in real time becomes enjoyable; just watch for those cooldowns. If this sounds like a game for you, I recommend playing through twice: once with no perma-death to get a feel for the game and to find the secrets without much risk. Then for additional challenge, start a second run with perma-death enabled. Raise the stakes, raise the gates, and probably some blood pressure too. Warm up your dominant arm because your adventure in The Keep is just a stone’s throw away!

Thank you so much for reading this rune-powered review of The Keep! Does it sound like a game for you? Do you disagree? Share your thoughts in our awesome community Discord or Subreddit! Feel free to follow us on Twitter for more Nintendo Switch related thoughts and news as well!