With Cladun X3, Nippon Ichi Software brings back its cult pixel-RPG series for another round of chaotic dungeon-crawling. This time, the villains themselves are center stage, competing in a deadly “peace game” inside Arcanus Cella. It’s a premise that sounds wonderfully tongue-in-cheek, and the game unfolds as half parody, half grind-fest, in a tone that fits NIS’ tradition of quirky worlds where even evil overlords feel oddly endearing. The PlayStation 5 release keeps the nostalgic, 16-bit-inspired aesthetic, though it’s clear that this is a modestly scaled game leaning on retro charm rather than technical flash.
Narratively, Cladun X3 doesn’t dive deep into character development, but it doesn’t really need to. The story works mostly as a framework for endless dungeon dives and the eccentric cast of would-be villains who banter along the way. It’s brisk, often funny, and doesn’t pretend to be more than a quirky setup for combat and customization. While the humor and premise occasionally feel repetitive, the lighthearted approach is consistent with the series’ long-running style of self-aware absurdity, and it helps keep the constant grind feeling more like deliberate camp than creative bankruptcy.
Gameplay remains the beating heart of Cladun X3. The core loop mixes real-time, grid-based action with stats-driven character building, letting you hack, slash, and cast through traps and treasure rooms at a frantic pace. What distinguishes the game is the Magic Circle System – a signature mechanic that lets inactive party members boost the stats of the hero while serving as literal shields in combat. It’s a clever design that encourages experimentation and planning even as battles unfold at breakneck speed. Every weapon type and job class feels distinct, and success depends as much on party arrangement and gear crafting as on raw reflexes. It’s old-school at its core but surprisingly tactical once you start chasing optimal builds.
That said, Cladun X3 can be overwhelming at first. Its dense menus, obscure explanations, and layered stat modifiers evoke the complexity of classic NIS titles – something longtime fans will love, but newcomers may find impenetrable. Early hours often involve trial and error as you decipher how everything connects. The PS5 version runs smoothly, but some lingering issues from previous iterations persist: collision detection can be finicky, hitboxes inconsistent, and enemy AI occasionally brain-dead. Combat feels satisfyingly fast but also lightweight, never quite achieving the punch or precision of modern action RPGs.
Where Cladun X3 truly stands out is its absurd level of customization. Nearly everything – from characters to weapons and even music – can be hand-crafted or remixed. It’s a creative playground where you can fill your dungeons with your own pixel art heroes, upload custom compositions, and rebuild towns to your liking. This freedom, while rough around the edges, makes progression feel personal. The Ran-geons – randomly generated challenge dungeons – add replay value for completionists, though repetition sets in quickly once you’ve mastered your build. The grind is part of the appeal, but pacing issues sometimes make long sessions feel like work rather than fun.
Visually, the pixel art style remains a deliberate throwback. Character sprites are expressive, effects are colorful, and environments evoke the charm of early SNES-era dungeon crawlers. The retro soundtrack, meanwhile, captures the upbeat energy of classic NIS games with catchy loops and cheerful bleeps, complementing the game’s tone even when it veers toward chaos. It’s cohesive rather than technically impressive – a style-over-specs approach that works because of consistency.
In the end, Cladun X3 is unmistakably niche, but proudly so. It caters to players who crave dense systems, fast-paced dungeon runs, and a dash of absurd humor. For those veterans, it’s a satisfying continuation that sticks to its pixelated roots. For everyone else, it may feel too repetitive, dated, or opaque to sink into for long. Still, there’s something admirable about a series that refuses to compromise its eccentric identity in a market full of polished clones. It might be rough, it might be weird – but Cladun X3 knows exactly what it wants to be, and that’s its greatest strength and why fans of the previous games will love it.
Score: 8.0/10
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