If you’re tired of getting your ass handed to you by brutal dungeon crawling RPGs that tend to overwhelm you with powerful enemies, which often creates a situation where the only real challenge it offers is whether or not you can stay awake long enough to level grind to an appropriate level, then MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death is looking like the game that might turn your attitude around. But don’t be mistaken, that’s not to say it’s not challenging. From what I could tell after watching the game in action, it’s quite the opposite. What makes MeiQ stand out however, is its encouragement to let the player customize their Guardians, mech like machines that serve as your first line of defense against the many monsters these dungeons house, without worrying about how a bad combination will cost you hours of progress.
Idea Factory’s upcoming RPG looks familiar at first, opting for a first person view as we explore a grid based map, uncovering secret rooms, hidden treasure and tough enemies along the way. Small improvements for genre wide issues such as auto turning so you won’t run into walls as often are welcomed on the navigation front, but it’s when your team starts a battle that the real highlights shine through. Each Guardian is paired with a Machina Mage, a spell caster with her own HP and MP to help take down enemies within a traditional turn based battle system. Oftentimes, the abilities that the mage can use can work better than the Guardian’s can, or a weakened mech might need to take a backseat while being healed by its user.
However, you might want to be careful when using your Mage, because doing so exposes her to potential damage. A key difference between your party members is that a Guardian can be revived. If all of your Mages get knocked out, it’s game over, even if your Guardians still stand. Managing when to use who looks like it will be a major component to how strategy will come into play when braving the most dangerous labyrinths. But if you do screw up and get KO’d, the good news is that there’s no penalty. Aside from being warped back to the beginning of the dungeon, any experience and cash you found since your last save will be retained.
Pushing forward and completing these dungeons promises to be worth it though, since beating bosses and finding hidden items are just two of many ways you’ll be able to find new parts for your Guardian, allowing you to customize them in seemingly countless ways. Not just acting as a cosmetic change, each part will alter their abilities, stats, strengths and weaknesses, allowing you to create the perfect party member for any situation. Of course, you have to find them first, which is why I can see MeiQ becoming an obsession for Vita owners over who can build the strongest team of machines. Not to be outdone, Mages can also unlock costumes, including free DLC outfits based on Idea Factory and Compile Heart’s other titles, Hyperdimension Neptunia and Trillion: God of Destruction.
As you can see, there will be plenty to discover when MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death arrives for Sony’s PlayStation Vita this fall. Who’s up for some mech building? Let us know in the comments below!