Game: DROS
Genre: Adventure, Puzzle, Action
System: Nintendo Switch (also on Steam, Windows)
Developers | Publishers: Emergeworlds | RedDeer.Games
Age Rating: US E | EU 3+
Price: US $24.99 | UK £22.49 | EU € 24,99
Release Date: July 12th, 2024
A review code was provided, and many thanks to RedDeer.Games.
Dros is a dark fantasy puzzle adventure about two unlikely heroes who are stuck together. It was originally released on PC and is now released on the Nintendo Switch.
Play as Two Characters in DROS
In the game, you control two characters with different abilities, the Captain and Little Dros. The Alchemist in his tower is constructing a mysterious weapon alongside an army of slime creatures called Dros.
Little Dros is similar to black goo, and it escapes the laboratory inside the Alchemist’s tower in hopes of finding a shell or a form that will ensure it’s survival and help it escape.
Meanwhile, the Captain approaches the Alchemist’s tower and is tasked with stealing the Alchemist’s flute; unfortunately, the Captain is quickly defeated and left for dead.
Along comes Little Dros, who is in desperate need of a new shell to live in. Naturally, Little Dros hops into the Captain’s body and brings him back to life. Together, they form an unusual, if not always happy, alliance to save the day and navigate the decaying Alchemist’s tower filled with sewers and decrepit locales. They chase the Alchemist in a bid to escape with their lives and return home. Simples!
Gameplay Mechanics and Character Abilities
As you control both the Captain and Dros, you can switch seamlessly between them to use their unique abilities to solve puzzles and progress through the game.
The Captain is the outfit’s muscle; he handles combat and operates heavy switches, while Little Dros is the outfit’s brains. It can slip out of the Captain to navigate tight spaces, hit distant switches, and scout around the environment.
Furthermore, Dros essentially keeps the Captain alive and vice versa. When it exits the Captain’s body, he becomes inanimate, but Dros is also vulnerable to attack, so it must be careful. With a quick press of the button, Dros can re-enter the Captain at any time, making him mobile again to fight enemies, move through doorways, or onto platforms.
Dros is also agile and capable of double jumping to reach collectables; it can also travel through pipes, swim, jump, and pass through tight spaces. In contrast, the Captain can attack and block but cannot jump, which can be really frustrating when falling off ledges and having to backtrack.
Combat and Puzzling
As for the actual combat, it doesn’t have that much depth to it; the Captain will automatically target the nearest enemy. Furthermore, there isn’t any option for you to switch to a different enemy, which I found can be pretty frustrating in fights with multiple foes. However, the gameplay mainly emphasises puzzles and platforming over combat.
In all, there are forty levels to puzzle over in the game, and the level design resembles that of Captain Toad Treasure Tracker. Each level is a diorama that you can spin around as you guide the pair of heroes from the entry point to the exit.
Narrative, Visuals and Replayability
The story of Dros is quite deep, which surprised me, and it has lots of humour, which I always appreciate. It is also reminiscent of a classic adventure game that requires you to defeat several guardians to reach the final boss and restore peace.
The narrative unfolds through visual novel-style talking heads and sketch-type animations, which I liked and thought enhanced the storytelling. Dros’s visual style complements the game’s narrative-driven approach really well.
After completing the main story, the game offers plenty of replay value. Each level is filled with collectables and opportunities for speed-running. Though, like myself, speed-running might not appeal to everyone, especially given the Captain’s mobility issues, the core gameplay and puzzles remain engaging throughout.
The game does suffer from very odd framerate issues on the Nintendo Switch, but it wasn’t enough to interfere with my enjoyment of it.
Conclusion
Dros is a fun and enjoyable game. I had a blast with the gameplay and puzzled my way to the exits. It is a timeless tale of two characters joining forces and discovering their similarities, and it is well executed. The combination of stealthy manoeuvres as you play as Dros and then the brute force of the Captain, all paired with great presentation, makes this game a memorable and enjoyable experience.
Final Verdict: I Like It a Lot 
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