Peglin review

Peglin review

As a seasoned gamer who has played countless games from the early days of arcade classics to modern AAA titles, I can confidently say that Peglin has managed to carve out its own niche in my heart. Harkening back to the simple yet addictive charm of Peggle, this game brings a refreshing twist with its Roguelike mechanics and turn-based combat.


Occasionally, a game emerges that captivates the public with something genuinely distinctive, and in 2007, that game was Peggle. This game offered incredibly straightforward ball-bouncing mechanics, coupled with ingenious twists to enhance the basic play, making it appealing to almost everyone and turning it into a common term in homes. Although there were several well-known sequels, pachinko-style games faded away rather swiftly, leaving those searching for this arcade-like diversion to download older games and replay them. However, Peggle has resurfaced spiritually and in an innovative new format, thanks to the Roguelike Peglin.

Peglin sets itself apart from traditional games by being a Roguelike featuring turn-based battles. In this game, you engage in combat against diverse fantasy adversaries, and instead of using conventional attacks, you fire balls at pegs to do damage. The more pegs you hit, causing the ball to bounce around, the greater the damage inflicted. Your goal is to cause as much bouncing as possible to finish off enemies with minimal balls used. Failure to do so may result in the enemies attacking back, which can be problematic given your limited health.

Each fight you get into features a different set up of pegs to bounce off, but one constant is that they all have a couple of types of special pegs you’ll want to aim for. Critical pegs will change the damage you deal to critical damage, making every single peg you hit or have already hit with that ball deal extra damage. There are also refresh pegs, which restore all the pegs you’ve hit on the board and has thus disappeared. Both of these peg types are crucial for taking down enemies effectively, but not quite as much as gathering together the most powerful ball types.

Peglin review

At first, you’ll start with just two types of balls for your collection: a standard ball and a dagger ball. The dagger ball has lower regular damage but higher critical damage. As you progress through the Roguelike part of the game, you’ll collect many more intriguing varieties. These include icicle balls that pass through all enemies to harm everyone, slime-leaving balls that can be hit multiple times when they collide with pegs, and so on. Over time, you’ll learn that there are several ways to customize your character, but only if you manage to obtain the right equipment as rewards.

In every victorious skirmish, a store screen appears showcasing various novel balls for purchase. Furthermore, you can enhance any of your existing balls if you have sufficient gold. Following this, you’ll encounter a map reminiscent of Slay the Spire, filled with paths that branch out. Here, you must decide whether to explore random occurrences, open chests, or engage in battles, all in pursuit of equipment suitable for your current gameplay.

In no time at all, you’ll figure out the ideal assortment of balls and trinkets that harmonize wonderfully. You might prioritize shielding against damage or accumulating upgrades that escalate your offensive capabilities whenever the board refreshes. Once you find the optimal mix of upgrades, you’ll become an indomitable ball-bouncing force, smoothly conquering enemies and bosses with minimal effort.

Peglin review

Currently, while brainstorming unique builds is enjoyable, one of my main concerns with Peglin lies in the limited variety available for these builds. After a handful of playthroughs, you’ll probably have tested most possibilities if luck is on your side. I found myself longing for some uncommon options that could drastically alter the game dynamics.

The assortment of peg arrangements in this game isn’t extraordinarily diverse; there seems to be a lot of repetition as you progress. Some of them even appear sparse, which can be quite annoying. On the less engaging levels, it often feels like luck plays too significant a role in achieving success. I usually don’t mind a bit of chance in my video games, but it seems excessively prevalent in Peglin.

Peglin offers an engaging mix of roguelike unpredictability and pinball-like ball bouncing, featuring some remarkably smart gameplay elements. Collecting various balls and trinkets that work effectively together is quite rewarding, though there could be more viable combinations to discover. If you’re okay with the element of luck, you’ll enjoy navigating your way through several Peglin sessions.

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2024-09-04 12:12