Dandy Review (PC)

very good
key review info
  • Game: Dandy
  • Platform: PC
  • Show system requirements
  • Gamepad support: Yes  
  • Reviewed on:
A review of Dandy on PC

Side scrolling shoot'em ups and bullet hell titles have gotten pretty numerous nowadays, as quite a lot of independent studios have started delivering their own take on the genre that was made famous by the likes of Galaga and many others a long time ago.

Dandy: Or a Brief Glimpse Into the Life of the Candy Alchemist is not only one of the most interestingly named titles currently on the Steam service but also one of the latest horizontal shoot'em ups out there.

Promising cartoonish visuals, tight controls, a Candy Crush-like obsession with sweet things, and permanent death, the game definitely feels like a memorable experience.

Does Dandy have what it takes to make a solid impression or should its candy-based alchemy be abandoned? Let's find out.

Gameplay

Dandy is a horizontal shoot'em up in which you control a tiny candy alchemist, floating on a lollipop that shoots other bits of candy at all sorts of colorful foes. While you can't move forward or backward, you can still go up and down.

While the mechanics seem simple, the title manages to stay fresh and fun throughout most of the actual experience. The enemies are extremely varied and behave in many different ways, requiring not just reflexes but also strategy skills from players.

Some opponents start charging the player while others float around harmlessly, whereas other varieties shoot at the user depending on various situations. Throw in the fact that Dandy doesn't move forward in the level until you eliminate all the foes, and the title certainly starts to stand out from other shoot'em ups.

Watch out for enemies in Dandy
Watch out for enemies in Dandy

However, the main claim to fame of the title is the procedurally generated mechanic that randomizes enemy patterns and configurations, not to mention the powerups available to players. At different points in the huge, seamless level, you reach statues that let you choose among three powerups. One always replenishes your health (aka the number of hearts you have), whereas the other two offer all sorts of other changes.

You can pick up a peanut that not only changes your appearance, as apparently you're allergic to them, but also augments your attacks. Some powerups offer extra hearts, whereas others provide interesting modifiers to the general attacks.

Speaking of attacks, Dandy doesn't shoot automatically. Instead, you can keep a button pressed to shoot at a regular pace, or mash it to start firing a bit faster than usual. While at first you can rely on keeping the button down, soon you meet threatening foes that fire back in quick succession, so you must ensure that your own projectiles can withstand the onslaught.

The pattern of enemies changes every time you go through the game, and while it generally stays similar, things like the spawning of smaller foes or the presence of other ones vary just enough so that you can't memorize everything and breeze through things.

There's also the permanent death system. Once you die, and this happens quite a lot due to the challenging nature, your last powerup drops and you're sent back to the beginning. The game has no checkpoints and it's just one huge level, so dying at the final boss can be quite aggravating.

Here is mostly where Dandy can turn away players. While its visuals are sharp and its mechanics pretty tight, the grueling nature emphasizes trial-and-error and relies quite a bit on your luck, as some powerups can make things easier or that much more difficult.

Explosions in Dandy
Explosions in Dandy

Multiplayer

Besides playing alone, Dandy also allows players to get up to three more friends alongside them, using controllers as well as the mouse and keyboard. While only the initial player appears as Dandy, they also get to control smaller companions and help decimate foes. The action can get quite hectic but it certainly helps alleviate some of the more frustrating deaths.

For those who want a bit of competition, there's also an online "racing" mode that pits up to four players against one another, in a hectic race towards the boss. While it may not sound like it stands out from the cooperative mode, the game throws in Mario Kart-style abilities that can help sabotage others. The whole experience is pretty fun, and the cross-platform support between the PC and Mac OSX versions should ensure that there are plenty of available players.

Visuals and sound

Dandy sports a great cartoonish visual style that not only looks polished but also manages to keep the attitude light, even when you die. The fact that Dandy's look changes depending on the equipped powerups is also quite fun, and some results, like the peanut allergy one, are downright hilarious.

The soundtrack is quite good and fits the action on the screen quite well. The transitions between songs are seamless, and the effects manage to stay fresh even in extended play sessions.


The Good

  • Procedural levels keep things fresh
  • Varied items produce interesting results
  • Quite fun with and against others
  • Great presentation

The Bad

  • Can get a bit challenging in later levels
  • Success often relies on luck and the right items

Conclusion

Dandy: Or a Brief Glimpse Into the Life of the Candy Alchemist hides a very challenging shoot'em up experience under its vibrant visuals, and provided you're willing to brave its perma-death and procedural mechanics, you're in for a compelling experience, especially if you have friends to play with or against.

Dandy launches on PC and Mac OSX via Steam on August 4, worldwide.

story 0
gameplay 7
concept 8
graphics 9
audio 9
multiplayer 8
final rating 8
Editor's review
very good
 

Dandy screenshots (12 Images)

A review of Dandy on PCStart your journey in DandyShoot at foes in DandyBattle enemies in DandyReplenish your hearts in Dandy
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