Beyond the Labyrinth

Lore & Background

Beyond the Labyrinth was produced by Shingo Mukaitoge, who led development of Elebits and Dewy's Adventure, and directed by Takayuki Suguro, director of Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria. The music was composed by Motoi Sakuraba, known for the Star Ocean, Valkyrie Profile, and Dark Souls series. The game features voice actors Haruka Tomatsu and Takehito Koyasu.

The story begins with a player starting an 8-bit-styled online dungeon crawler called 'Beyond the Labyrinth.' While playing with three other players—Pokira, Nerikeshi, and LiLy—they hear a voice calling for help. The 8-bit world vanishes, and the group finds themselves in a different world where they meet a young girl who fell into the Labyrinth. She survived by landing on a healing point. The group learns that magic is sealed inside the Labyrinth and dangerous creatures reside there.

Gameplay takes place in a 3D first-person perspective. The player controls a group of four characters, with the main character in control. The young girl joins after the introductory segment; she cannot use magic at first but can perform special actions like moving lifts and opening doors. The battle system combines real-time and turn-based elements with a rock-paper-scissors magic cycle: ice beats fire, fire beats wind, wind beats ice. Enemies are color-coded by magic type. Damage depends on type effectiveness, and airborne damage can be used to heal or boost attack. The girl gains magic abilities later under certain conditions.

Reader's Guide

Beyond the Labyrinth is a notable entry in the dungeon crawler genre for its unique integration of an online multiplayer premise with a single-player narrative. The game's combat system, blending real-time and turn-based mechanics with a rock-paper-scissors magic cycle, offers strategic depth. The requirement to protect the young girl, who has her own health bar and can perform actions the player cannot, adds a cooperative escort element. The game's graphical style drew comparisons to Ico, and its soundtrack by Motoi Sakuraba is a highlight. Famitsu rated the game 31/40. While not a major commercial or critical blockbuster, Beyond the Labyrinth stands as an experimental title from tri-Ace, a developer known for role-playing games, and Konami. Its legacy lies in its attempt to merge online and offline RPG experiences on the Nintendo 3DS, and its distinctive combat and character dynamics.

Did You Know?

• The game's combat uses a rock-paper-scissors system where ice beats fire, fire beats wind, and wind beats ice.
• The young girl cannot use magic at first but can operate lifts and open special doors.
• The game was produced by Shingo Mukaitoge, who also produced Elebits and Dewy's Adventure.
• Famitsu rated Beyond the Labyrinth 31 out of 40.