Minecraft on Drugs? It’s More Likely Than You Might Think - Angeldust Review

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What if I told you endless magical worlds exist where you and your friends could explore and battle fearsome creatures? Fantasy worlds where you can tame and ride fantastical beasts of burden, discover wonders aplenty, and unleash your imagination by crafting and shaping the universe as you see fit? Would this be a place you'd like to visit? OF COURSE, it would! Ladies and gentlemen, it's time we took a ride and sampled Angeldust.

I’m not referring to the popular moniker for an illegal, class A street drug, mind you, but the mobile MMORPG developed by Metagaming B.V. Not knowing what to expect when I first tried Angeldust, my immediate reaction was undoubtedly a confused utterance of, “What the hell?” With no immediate goals, enemies, introduction, or anything more than a basic, one-line tutorial, I was thrown into the midst of god-only-knows, armed with a simple shovel as my sole companion.

However, if you're a fan of Minecraft, you'll probably get the hang of Angeldust a lot quicker than I did. Like that beloved title, Angeldust is an open-world, sandbox-style game where you can freely explore and collect assortments of materials to build the world around you. There are over 450 materials and objects to build with, and a lot of content is unlocked through achievements. Those achievements also grant experience, which can level you up quickly—achievements that you may or may not have intended to complete, mind you. I was literally lost in the woods for thirty minutes and managed to gain a few levels by digging at the ground and placing the materials into a nice plot of land around me... Seeing my character gain levels from these mundane tasks was certainly trippy.

Digging at the ground had other benefits, of course. Aside from materials, I also came across gold that I could use in the in-game store to buy even more materials or upgrade weapons. The focus on upgrading weapons struck me as a bit odd, because there weren't all that many enemies to fight and no player-versus-player as far as I could figure out.

Nevertheless, the variety in environments was pretty cool. Angeldust makes it easy to wander from forest to desert to savanna in a short time, but I couldn't help but notice how empty these different environments were. Angeldust has versions on PC, Mac, Android, and iOS that are all connected and cross-play compatible, but I still only ever ran into a handful of other players. On top of that, most of the computer-controlled enemies I fought would run away instead of engaging in combat. It ended up feeling like a solo trip despite being in this huge, expansive world.

Character build options are less expansive in Angeldust. There are four classes to choose from: warrior, sorceress, archer, and builder. As far as I can tell, the gameplay doesn't vary much at all based on this choice. Each character starts the game equipped with a shovel, and the only elements that seem to change are fight animations and the character’s primary weapon of choice. Still, I enjoyed the archer's jumping prowess and how she effortlessly glided from place to place as I hit the jump button.

Not unlike its hallucinogenic counterpart, what may stick out to many about Angeldust are the trippy visuals, which will be either highly charming or off-putting depending on your point of view. From the opening title, I had the option of a fully three-dimensional character or a 2D animated cartoon. Being a fan of toons since Who Framed Roger Rabbit, I naturally decided to choose the animated cartoon style. But I couldn't help but think my 2D character looked strange when contrasted with the immersive 3D environments they were moving around in. My character was a flat cutout trapped in a big, full world!

I'll go right out and say it: What I learned after many hours of playing is that Angeldust isn't for me. There's barely any narrative, and I found mindlessly wandering too tedious before long. Perhaps building houses and gathering materials could've been cooler with a friend by my side, but then again it’s not like Angeldust makes it particularly easy to find folks to play with. On the other hand, there are some elements of Angeldust that I built up a sort begruding respect for. Yes, you could easily spend your money and time on standard-bearer games like Minecraft, but Angeldust’s funky indie aesthetic offers an intriguing change of pace. It also provides a decent experience and a huge world for little to no cost—it’s free on Google Play and only $1 on the App Store. It may not have clicked for me, but if you’re looking for alternatives in the world-building genre, there’s no reason not to give Angeldust a try. You only live once, after all!

SCORE: 2 STARS OUT OF 5

PLAY IF YOU LIKE:

• Minecraft. There's no mistaking the familiar mechanics here. From gathering different materials to shaping the world around you, if you are really into Minecraft, you'll more than likely enjoy the gameplay of Angeldust.

• Open-world exploration. If you're the type that enjoys low-pressure games where you can roam from place to place and do your thing at your own leisure, then you'll like Angeldust's many environments and open feel.

💬 Do you like your RPGs to rely more on the narrative or the open-world gaming experience? Leave a comment below and let me know what you think!

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