Meet Dokuro, our skeleton hero depicted by a Playstation Vita game named after this very same character and developed by Game Arts. He was once part of the army under the Dark Lord but has now turned over a new leaf. You see, the Dark Lord has kidnapped the princess and is forcing her into marriage. And it is up to you playing the role of Dokuro to save this damsel in distress.
This game plays out as a 2D platforming adventure coupled with elements of puzzles. Your objective is to guide the princess to safety as you help her escape from the Dark Lord’s castle. In his original form, Dokuro has a hard time getting the attention from the princess. However, he can transform himself into a human, which then gives himself the ability to carry the princess during certain level sequences as well as execute more power when attacking enemies. But this form can only last temporarily. Because of this, it is vital that you figure out the appropriate times to make use of this human form.
Dokuro will have you using the left analogue stick and face buttons on the Vita to pull off movements, jumps, attacks and special actions. Additionally, there are situations where you’ll need to use the touch screen and rear touch pad. For instance, there are different colored chalks that serve as a rope, dynamite or produce water. By swiping your finger across the screen, you’ll make use of the chalk’s specific function. The controls overall is actually easy to handle, thereby making the whole puzzle-navigating gameplay a delightful experience.
Where the annoyance lies is in the fact that the princess does walk continuously without stopping. So you’ll need to act fast and decide how you want to guide her before she runs into trouble. It would be ideal if the princess didn’t give that much problems since the task of attacking enemies along with figuring out the puzzles are challenging enough as it is.
Despite this mishap, Dokuro is still a lot of fun for a Playstation Vita game. When you have 10 puzzles waiting to be solved in each of the 16 levels in total, you can be assured that you’ll be spending quite a bit of time with this game. And when you take into account the bosses that you’ll run into, the whole Dokuro experience becomes not only cerebral, but also very exciting.
A distinguishing feature behind this Playstation Vita game is its overall look. Dokuro is presented with an artistic design that utilizes chalk. So not only does chalk serve as a tool for solving puzzles, but it also is used for the visual appearance. From the background to the characters themselves, the intricate detail is astonishing especially when viewed on the Vita’s OLED screen. Plus, the graphics seem to run without any frame rate loss.
You can now acquire Dokruo from the Playstation Network for $19.99. Those who aren’t too keen in figuring out solutions to puzzles may not welcome this game. However, players who are looking for a some gameplay that challenges their brain but stimulates their senses with a unique chalk-like art style should definitely give Dokuro a go.
