MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death, known as in Japan, is a dungeon crawler role-playing video game for the PlayStation Vita developed by Compile Heart and published by Idea Factory. It is the second game in the Makai Ichiban Kan series of games. In MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death, the protagonist Estra must conquer dungeons to save the world from eternal darkness whilst defeating monsters and enemies. The game was released on December 17, 2015, in Japan, September 13, 2016, in North America, and September 16, 2016, in Europe by Idea Factory International.
Premise
MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death is set in a world where the stars in the sky have stopped rotating, shrouding it in darkness. Protagonist Estra, a Makaishi ("demon machine soldier girl"), must band together with four other chosen Makaishi and robotic Guardians to conquer four towers with Protector Gods in them, so that they may wind back up the Celestial Screw which rotates the stars. The Makaishi are descendants of the stars and have an ability to utilize mysterious "demon machine arts", each with their own preferred element. The five Makaishi of MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death are: Estra (voiced by Ayaka Ōhashi), the main protagonist. She is both curious and a girl who takes action. Her element is Earth. Flare (voiced by Sora Amamiya), a prideful and belligerent girl. She is strong, confident, trigger-happy and proud, and a rival to Estra. Her element is Fire. Connie (voiced by Sora Tokui), a naive and innocent girl. Her element is Wood. Maki (voiced by Mai Kadowaki), a calm and collected honours student. She often acts as wise older sister-like character to Estra. Her element is Gold. Setia (voiced by Chinatsu Akasaki), a shy bookworm with a trademark umbrella. Setia lacks confidence and often has a negative attitude. Her element is Water. Other characters include the three dark Saneishu ("shadow people") and the Meitakiryuu ("mysterious dragon"). The main antagonists of MeiQ: Labyrinth of Death are: Gagarin (voiced by Shuichi Tatsunami), a Makaishi who lost his way and has since turned to darkness. He is the primary antagonist and leader of the three Saneishu. Glen of Flame (voiced by Nozomi Sasaki), the greatest of the three Saneishu with the Fire attribute. He is a perfectionist who is sarcastic, stubborn, yet polite. Gordon of Metal (voiced by Kousuke Kotou), a Saneishu with the Gold attribute. Gordon is a rough and impulsive muscular giant. Aria of Water (voiced by Chinatsu Akasaki), a Saneishu with the Water attribute. She has a queen-like demeanour and always wears a smile. Pamela (voiced by Eri Ohzeki), a thief who is like an older sister with a weakness for gems, money, and other precious metals. Ganz (voiced by Minoru Shiraishi), Pamela's subordinate who is often yelled at by her.
Gameplay
Players form parties composing of three characters (or mages) and three Guardians to take on dungeons; this is later expanded to four characters and four Guardians in the game's latter stages. Guardians can be customised to a variety of different configurations, which affects their overall strength. The body, arm parts, and core of a Guardian can be altered to increase its attack strength, defence, and health points, as well as granting them new skills. There are a total of ten Guardians to choose from. Meanwhile, characters (mages) are customised with "Astral Seeds", which grant them stat boosts. This includes being able to analyse monsters more effectively as well as strengthened defence. The game contains a "Form Change" feature which allows players to change into four different forms, plus their default form. A "Demon Stone" system allows the player to remember special skills and enhance their abilities. At the "Star Wing Inn", players rest their characters and customize them.