Blood Dungeon Refreshes Bullet Heaven With 9 Characters as Balance Flaws Blunt Its Rise
Updated
Updated · Game Informer · Aug 24
Blood Dungeon Refreshes Bullet Heaven With 9 Characters as Balance Flaws Blunt Its Rise
3 articles · Updated · Game Informer · Aug 24
Summary
Messhof’s Blood Dungeon stands out by making movement central—its nine characters can wall-climb, swim and platform through swarms, turning a usually passive bullet-heaven formula into a more active game.
That twist works because runs still deliver the genre’s familiar loop of killing enemies, collecting blood and stacking upgrades, but several builds feel overly dependent on a few standout picks like the basketball weapon and a doubling upgrade.
Three bosses gate each level, and the game’s higher difficulty makes platforming skill matter more than in Vampire Survivors-style peers, even if the power fantasy never fully takes over.
Permanent progression also stumbles: bones buy upgrades, but unlock conditions become unclear after early purchases, leaving excess currency unspent and advancement feeling random.
Its deliberately ugly, gross-out art gives Blood Dungeon a distinct identity, though the review says that style—and some balance issues—may limit how broadly its inventive take lands.