Review by: Brian Rowe

With titles like Demon’s Souls and The Dark Spire under its belt, Atlus has become the go-to company for modern roguelikes – a roleplaying sub-genre typified by extreme difficulty and permanent deaths. Shiren the Wanderer is an obvious compliment to Atlus’ newfound reputation.

Although the swordsman in the straw hat has been testing the perseverance of Japanese dungeon-crawlers since 1995, Shiren made his stateside debut only two years ago in Mystery Dungeon: Shiren the Wanderer, and disappeared in a haze of critical confusion. After a decade of being coddled by tender fantasies, few gamers were prepared for the Mystery Dungeon’s spirit-obliterating trials. It’s good to know that Shiren hasn’t gone soft.

Wanderers are brave, foolhardy breeds who follow folktales along the open road in search of adventure and hopefully a bit of treasure to pay for the next day’s meal. Despite his youth, Shiren is one of the few Wanderers to find success among the endless catacombs and the corpses of mythical beasts. During a rare visit, Sensei reveals his latest prize to Shiren; the key to Karakuri Mansion. The legendary structure is home to unfathomable fortunes, but no human has ever lived to speak of its walls, let alone its location. Shiren is determined to be the first and, if a millennium-old prophecy is correct, the mansion may be waiting for him.

Although good things wait, Shiren the Wanderer fails to make a favorable first impression. It is aesthetically antiquated. The Wii isn’t a visual powerhouse, but I expect more than early-gen GameCube graphics and washed-out color-palettes. Advancements in the roleplaying genre, like voice-acting and user-friendly menus, are completely absent. The menus are particularly bothersome and come packed with more extraneous warnings and dialogue than a fresh install of Windows Vista. Does the shopkeeper really need to tell me his story every time I want to buy something? Most importantly, and incredibly discouraging for Shiren fans, is the complete lack of challenge for the first four hours. Endure this gauntlet of disappointments, and you will face what is likely to be the most challenging game of the year.