Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate

Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate is a must buy for roguelike fans that own a Vita.

Thanks to a dynamic and challenging play experience, there are plenty of reasons to get back up after you meet your untimely end in Shiren the Wanderer. Fans of this genre know exactly what they’re getting into and fans of RPGs in general may find the formula fresh, fast, easy to pick up and exciting to play. The lack of online support may render the co-op useless for many, but even without it the game’s rather enjoyable.

Despite its age and its retro style that may not be to everyone’s taste, Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate has a charm that’s hard to deny. Its simple gameplay loop is endlessly rewarding, luring players back again and again, even after multiple deaths. The constant promise of loot helps, as does the speed in which Shiren levels up. Success is always just around the corner; you just need to survive long enough to get there.

Spike Chunsoft and Aksys have brought a new roguelike quest to Vita. Check out our Shiren the Wanderer Vita review!

The Shiren series makes its return to the west on the Vita. Find out if it was worth the wait with this review which was, sadly, not randomly generated.

Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate is an interesting game. It does a lot of things right and is the prototypical mystery dungeon title. And if that's all you want, then look no further. But I suspect most people are going to find the dungeons frustrating and the permanent death mechanic infuriating. This is an acquired taste that you'll either love or hate. Unfortunately, my personal feelings fall closer to the latter.

Shiren wandered into my life ready to take me on a grand adventure, but instead all we did was go camping in his backyard.