Swordship
OpenCritic Rating
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Critic Reviews for Swordship
Brisk, stylish and compulsive, this is everything an arcade game should be.
A fantastic mix of endless runner and racing game, which marries the aesthetics of WipEout with the challenge and difficulty of a hardcore roguelike.
Swordship is a great example of contemporary arcade. It does one thing, it does it well, and it's incredibly fulfilling, challenging, and exhilarating. Smugglers of the post-climate change future against corporations, pirates at the service of the least, always ready to take risks and with a great sense of entertainment. Great management of the risk / benefit component, precise controls, audiovisual remarkable, with each game over generating more sense of revenge than frustration. A truly remarkable work in its compactness.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Swordship is a clever, original, and interesting concept. It looks good, sounds good, and plays well. There’s just that RNG irritant that means, while you can learn enemy behaviours, you sometimes get lost in the fray. Even the camera shifts and the slow down (which can be disabled) can occasionally disorientate you from your position, resulting in sudden death. At the same time, while imperfect, its evolving and increasingly intense nature has major appeal for score hunters. And, when you do grab that container, trip under a set of lasers, detonate three mines sequentially and blow the screen sky-high, it earns itself an action badge of honour.
The platform and theme are simple, but Swordship is not easy. Its take on shmups is unique, its visuals are interesting and its story is just enough to inspire the whole "be the hero" ethos. If you like dodge-em games this one is a good addition to your game library.
The upside-down scrolling arcade concept brings a different gameplay and racing that requires precision. You'll enjoy Swordship as a short-term pass, but it is overpriced.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
If you love arcade-styled games that challenge your skills and draw you in time and time again in order to set a new high-score, Swordship is very much worth playing. It’s a simple concept but one that’s been executed rather well. And it is somewhat fun outwitting your enemies and making them destroy each other as you vie to collect valuable cargo.
Swordship is a fun and interesting arcade title that flips the genre on its head. Its high intensity dodge ‘em and puzzle-style action creates a fun gameplay loop. The addition of upgrades and difficulty changes adds to the title’s replayability and while the game is somewhat difficult and lacking in accessibility features, the game still manages to be an exceptional example of arcade-like brilliance.
