Cladun Returns: This Is Sengoku!

Cladun Returns: This Is Sengoku!, developed by Nippon Ichi Software, Inc. and published by NIS America, Inc., is an action RPG that blends retro dungeon crawling with an unusually deep focus on customization and system-driven progression. At first glance, it presents itself as a simple, pixel-art throwback with short missions and fast combat, but the more time you spend with it, the clearer it becomes that its real depth lies not in its moment-to-moment action, but in how you build and refine your characters behind the scenes. The game is set in a strange limbo-like realm where souls gather before moving on, and each mission revolves around helping these spirits resolve unfinished business. The narrative is structured in small, self-contained stories rather than a single overarching plot, which gives the game a fragmented but fitting tone. While these stories occasionally offer charm or humor, they rarely develop into anything emotionally significant, serving more as a backdrop to justify the constant dungeon runs. The focus is clearly on gameplay systems rather than storytelling, and the narrative reflects that priority. Each mission takes place in a compact dungeon filled with …

Pixels forge legends Sengoku spirits endure Tiny heroes rise

7/10, pretty fun game if you like creating some pixel arts. I played the heck out of Cladun X2 on the PSP and this is basically the same game with more content. It's lightning fast to pick up and do a dungeon run for some loots and upgrades, good timekiller and a perfect fit on the Steam Deck. The main campaign is pretty quick to run through, most of the gameplay is in getting RNG to give you better and better loots to make numbers go bigger which may get really repetitive really fast, so if you're not into that style of progression this series might be for you. Other reviews said there were stability issues with random crashes, but I haven't encountered any in my 25 hours playtime. There's no autosave though so do be careful. Worth getting on a sale, though I don't think there's any reason to get X2 if you want to get this, and it's probably the same way with X3, no reason to get this if you already have that one.

Had this on my PS Vita and was not disappointed. A great progression of the gameplay systems from the first two ClaDun games, excellently enhanced with a great Sengoku feel. I love that this PC port has been polished up since its initial release and am glad I bought it. The customization features are robust enough to whet my whistle until I can get ClaDun X3.

I adore this game. Unfortunately, I can’t recommend it on PC/Steam Deck. The game is bugged such that chests in dungeons very often appear empty, which is pretty damning for an ARPG about looting dungeons. Go for Cladun X3 instead, or play this one on PSVita. And beware the VERIFIED status; it’s false. At a glance, yes, the game appears to run well. It’s not until you get into it, the empty chests basically ruin the game.

Great game, buy when it's on the sale. One problem - bad stage balance one time you got easier enemies, one harder. Graphics: 6/10 Soundtrack: 7/10 Story: 8/10 Gameplay: 7/10 Overall: 7/10