The monsters and bosses of Dungeon Souls are dead-set on seeing you escape, but practice, determination and getting to grips with the different characters will eventually pay off with a win. And then it’s back down to the dungeons again, because one victory is rarely ever enough.

In the end, no, this isn’t going to be a game that anyone is probably going to rip out 100 hours of, but it’s a lovely little game for killing a few evenings or a weekend.

I have the feeling that Lamina Studios were going for a ‘Best of Roguelikes’ with Dungeon Souls, but it ends up as more of a showcase of the best and worst the genre has to offer.

This indie roguelike is nothing revolutionary, but acts as a fun tribute to the action focused dungeon crawlers of yesteryear. Those looking to get a satisfying, adrenaline-inducing dose of hack n' slash nostalgia shouldn't be disappointed.

Dungeon Souls isn't boring, but it's tough to justify spending time with it over many of the recent dungeon crawler greats. It is a typical roguelike - fun to play for a while, and easily forgotten afterwards.

Dungeon Souls is a typical example of a game that wastes all surprises right from the beginning, and in long-term, besides a stable foundation, has nothing to offer. [Issue#272]

Dungeon Souls proudly wears its inspirations on its sleeve (and its Steam Store description), a mishmash of inspirations that takes a step backwards even as it steps forward. Yet, despite that, it still manages to create a tiny universe of its own, full of engaging heroes and tenacious foes. It's a fun title, but when you have so many standout games that you can combine them to create something like Dungeon Souls, it's hard not to recommend those instead.