Vambrace: Dungeon Monarch from Headup and Dvora Studio brings us a fantasy deckbuilding, tactical dungeon defense auto-battler on PlayStation 5. Learn more in our Vambrace: Dungeon Monarch review!
Vambrace: Dungeon Monarch from Headup and Dvora Studio brings us a fantasy deckbuilding, tactical dungeon defense auto-battler on PlayStation 5. You’ll be placed in the role of a Dungeon Monarch, who has been chosen as the guardian of your master’s dungeon. You’ll be able to use your powerful magic and an army of summonable troops that synergize with each other as you do your best to keep adventurers – as well as envious rivals and other deities – from invading, looting your treasure, and destroying your dungeon.
This particular publisher and developer combo previously gave us the 2D horror game The Coma 2B: Catacomb, which I took for a spin last year on PlayStation 5. I also had a chance to work on a Vambrace: Cold Soul review on the Nintendo Switch back in 2019. That one is a challenging and great-looking roguelike adventure that draws inspiration from games such as Darkest Dungeon, so while this new game is set in the same universe, it’s certainly one that offers a very different type of experience.
The game will require that you complete a tutorial before you’re allowed to dive into the Story Mode. This makes sense, since you’ll need to learn the basics so that you can have a chance of surviving what Vambrace: Dungeon Monarch will throw at you. To perform actions, you’ll need to select a card from your hand and set a target in order to activate it. Use the left analog stick to cycle between the cards and then press the X button to confirm on which tile you’ll be using it. Cards have an activation range for you to consider. They can activate on the selected tile, activate on a horizontal row of tiles, or activate across the entire dungeon. You’ll need Mana to be able to activate cards.
You can deploy units from the summoning queue into the dungeon. Pick a unit and select a tile to place it. Keep an eye out for your enemies, so that you can choose the right tile on which to deploy new units. During the combat phase, units will automatically engage and attack each other, dealing some damage in the process. You can deploy units up to the population limit.
Switch between card activation and unit summoning by using the R1 button as needed. If the situation takes a turn for the worse, you can press the L! button and choose a tile to summon the Monarch – that would be the dungeon’s master. Whenthe Monarch has been summoned, you’ll be able to use Monarch cards. These are powerful abilities that can quickly turn the tide of battle in your favor.
When you enter the dungeon, you’ll be able to prepare your forces and strategy during the maintenance phase. At the portal gate on the bottom tile of the dungeon – the tile that you must defend at all costs – five units will be provided before each round. You can obtain units by using the button on the right side of the screen, in the center. Press the Triangle button to spawn a unit. Acquired units are stored in the summoning queue.
During the maintenance phase, you’ll be able to place your units anywhere in the dungeon. Enemies are usually summoned at the top tiles of the dungeon. The summoned enemies are usually stunned for one turn since they’re adapting to the location. You can use this moment to strike first and chip away at their overall health!
When you’re not defending the dungeon, you’ll gain control of the Monarch, which will allow you to explore the different areas around the main hall. Once you approach an interactible object, you’ll be able to do so by pressing the X button. This is how you’ll, at first, get to visit the sanctuary, the library, and the dungeon.
As mentioned before, this one has a tower defense element to consider as well. It’s because of this that you’ll be able to spend the money you earn to construct buildings that can aid you. You could drop a Great Arena or an Ossuary to help the units that you summon into action. Buffing your units can go a long way if they can deal a bit of extra damage here and there.
The library is where you’ll be able to go when you need to modify your deck. Press the Edit Deck button to establish the active and inactive cards for combat. You can hold no more than 15 inactive cards. On top of the ranges mentioned before, there can be cards that have no range at all. At the top of a card will be the card’s power value. The left side of the card will show its attack value, while the right side of the card will show healing or shield values. You can read a card’s description at the bottom. Cards will ignore the target’s defense points and avoidance rate, making them a great option for dealing some good damage to enemies.
And now, let’s talk about the game’s trophies! This release features a full trophy list with a Platinum trophy waiting for you, and it’s a long list that is split into 51 Bronze trophies, 2 Silver trophies, and 2 Gold trophies. What will you need to do for that shiny Platinum trophy? Some of the objectives to complete include finishing the tutorial, beginning story part 1, completing the Library tutorial in round 1, achieving max synergy with the Steel Legion, doing the same with the Beasts, the Golems, the Vampires, the Worms, and the Fanatics, owning more than 50 cards, and upgrading a synergy, to name some examples.
Vambrace: Dungeon Monarch brings us a fantasy deckbuilding, tactical dungeon defense auto-battler on PlayStation 5. You’ll be placed in the role of a Dungeon Monarch, who has been chosen as the guardian of your master’s dungeon. You’ll be able to use your powerful magic and an army of summonable troops that synergize with each other as you do your best to keep adventurers – as well as envious rivals and other deities – from invading, looting your treasure, and destroying your dungeon. Vambrace: Dungeon Monarch is out on PlayStation 5 with a $14.99 price tag.
Disclaimer
This Vambrace: Dungeon Monarch review is based on a PlayStation 5 copy provided by Headup.
