REVIEW: ‘Dungeons of Hinterberg’ Captures The Magic Of Adventure (Xbox Series X)

Sometimes, a game captures you as you start it, and Dungeons of Hinterberg immediately comes off as something special. It’s part classic Zelda in its combat and dungeon design, with Persona social sim elements rounding out the experience. It’s a story about finding yourself and pursuing the things that excite you rather than giving in to what you think is expected. Dungeons of Hinterberg is unique, with an excellent narrative, tight gameplay loop, and a gorgeous art style that just leaves you wanting more as the credits roll.

Dungeons of Hinterberg kicks off on a train, with protagonist Luisa heading to the mountain town of Hinterberg on vacation. She’s heading there to escape from the monotony of everyday life; her recent foray into being a lawyer is already burning her out. Just a few months prior, magic was discovered in Hinterberg, with dungeons, monsters, and special abilities turning the sleepy town into a hot spot tourist destination. Folks come from around the world to experience the magic and the joys of monster slaying, dungeon exploration, and escape. A mystery starts to unravel around Luisa while she explores, focused on the town’s mayor turning it into a billion-dollar hot spot and going global, regardless of the risks.

The narrative is fantastic, with an intriguing cast of characters and shades of grey to its central conflicts. The town is more popular than ever, tons of money flows, and business is good for the locals. At the same time, the internet is gone due to the presence of magic, isolating the townsfolk from the world at large. The quiet beauty of the town is filled with noise and presence, and the tourists are a double-edged sword. Capitalism rolls in hard, as new money is helpful but dangerous.

Luisa is a fantastic protagonist as she explores why she took the massive jump to magic and monster slaying, a far cry away from her lawyer life. Her life may not have been perfect, but it wasn’t bad. As she dives deeper into the mysteries that Hinterberg holds while getting to know the rest of the cast as much as she gets to know herself, she evolves and changes. I can see many younger generations resonating with Luisa and her struggle. This prevalent feeling of being lost and burnt out, surviving in oppressive conditions at the cost of what makes you happy, becomes a timely story that can hit close to home for many.

The rest of the cast is similarly fantastic, from the social media stars Kai and Jae to the locals trying to navigate newfound success and capitalistic pressure as new business rolls in, like Hannah the Smithy. Even the dog, who I lovingly named Pitzl-Muncher, adds a distinct flavor to the cast. Each character has an interesting quest line, and the choice of who to spend time with is never simple. Hinterberg feels bustling and alive, primarily because of the number of exciting characters waiting around every corner.

Dungeons of Hinterberg follow a calendar system similar to Persona, with each day broken down into Morning, Afternoon, Evening, and Night. Mornings are for cut scenes, setting up different events and character moments, almost always on the inn’s patio. After choosing an area to go to, Luisa sets off for afternoons filled with exploration and dungeon crawling. Evenings are for restocking items and spending time with friends, while nights take you back to your room at the inn to sleep or boost a few social stats.

The gameplay loop is well done, with the afternoon and evenings being natural highlights. There are 4 to choose from, ranging from snowy mountain caps to grassy meadows, each housing a handful of dungeons. Upon arriving, you have to set out actually to find the dungeons in the space. The exploration is a lot of fun, as using signposts to help guide the way will be effective at first, with later dungeons taking some footwork to find.

The dungeons are incredible, each with unique puzzles, designs, and gameplay mechanics. One may be straightforward, solving a few puzzles revolving around pressure plates, while another shifts entirely to a top-down perspective, with parts of the level shifting entirely to open up new pathways. The creativity displayed here is top-notch, as heading into each dungeon is an exciting foray into the unknown.

The dungeons are reminiscent of old-school Zelda, which also extends to the combat. Luisa starts with a basic attack, heavy attack, and dodge to take out the monsters. Each mountain then layers on different magical abilities, used equally for combat, traversal, and puzzles. One set of magic gives you a summonable tornado, knocking back enemies while lifting Luisa to new heights and a blast of wind for a ranged move. Another set gives Luisa a hoverboard, opening up grinding pathways while leaving a fire trail, coupled with an energy beam ranged attack.

On top of the magic, Luisa has various skill abilities, such as special attacks. You can have a set amount equipped at one time, each changing the flow of combat. I heavily favored the spin attack, sending Luisa careening around the combat space, dealing damage quickly, and a burrowing move that deals damage while Luisa hides underground. There are many excellent skills that you can equip, constantly evolving combat depending on how you want to play.

The social sim elements of Dungeons of Hinterberg are similarly well fleshed out. There are some characters to hang out with and give gifts to. Spending time with them unlocks new, meaningful gameplay enhancements like new gear, upgrades, and boosted stamina, among many others. There’s genuinely not enough time to hang out with everyone over the title’s run time, making each open slot a careful choice, depending not only on who you want to spend time with but also on the benefits you get from raising your relationship with them.

Luisa has four core personality traits that can be raised by spending time with certain characters. Raising Renown, Relaxation, Amusement, and Familiarity are all important, with some townsfolk requiring a certain level of one to be open to spending time together. Some are also raised by completing dungeons, relaxing at certain spots in the mountains, watching TV, reading, going to the movies, or relaxing at the spa. Doing any of the above will move time along, and finding the right balance of focusing on Luisa while finding time for others scratched the Persona itch.

One of the best parts of Hinterberg is its visuals. The graphics look like comic book pop art come to life, with gorgeous and colorful vistas, mountain ranges, forests, and swamps. Each area has a unique visual identity, only getting more creative in its dungeons. Supplemented by a beautiful ambient soundtrack, the vibes on display here are among the year’s best.

Dungeons of Hinterberg is a fantastic adventure with an addicting gameplay loop based on exploration and wonder, tight combat, and an exciting cast of characters to interact with. It has a genuinely interesting and touching narrative that resonated greatly with me. Each mountain is a joy to explore with an exciting dungeon and puzzle design. Dungeons of Hinterberg is one of 2024’s best games worth the trip, a magical journey to finding oneself.

Dungeons of Hinterberg is available now on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox Game Pass.