Severed Reviews
Severed is one hell of a game, complete with addicting mechanics, a bizarre and wonderful story, moments of pure horror and a silent heroine that does the
A grim and foreboding fairytale liberally swathed in colourful style, Severed masterfully combines touch screen combat, metroidvania game design and hugely satisfying character progression to make the most essential PS Vita title to date. Severed is quite simply a handheld tour de force without equal.
It’s a beautiful game that needs to be seen, and every single aspect has been designed with care.
While a touch-focused first person dungeon crawler might sound crazy on paper, Severed's unique brand of combat is as deep as it is engaging. Oh, and the visuals and soundtrack are bonkers to boot.
When that's the worst I can come up with, it's clear to me that DrinkBox Studios knocked it out of the park. I'm glad the team took its time.
Top marks to Drinkbox for daring to be different, and using the PS Vita's touch screen to create a unique gestural combat system. The action can be somewhat repetitive at times, but Severed's story is compelling enough to keep driving you on. That, combined with the beautiful-looking graphics deliver a dungeon crawler that's well worth experiencing.
It’s a fun, simple, good looking game with a surprisingly deep combat system. That said, there isn’t much more to the game besides the occasional dungeon puzzles so if you’re hungry for more, this game might not be for you. If you have the patience for repeated battles while dungeon crawling, then it wouldn’t be much of a surprise to find yourself burning hours just swiping at your screen.
Severed is a worthwhile dungeon exploration experience.
As challenging as it is rewarding, Severed is a reason to dust of your PS Vita and get slashing.
Severed is a dark and surreal game that, while somewhat repetitive in its gameplay, delivers an overall enjoyable experience, thanks to its fantastic visuals.
It’s a shame that Severed came so late in the Vita’s life cycle, because it had me wondering whether or not more games like it could have saved the system. That’s just wishful thinking, of course, so it’ll just have to remain what it is: an incredible eleventh-hour treat for fans who have invested their time and money into the handheld. If you enjoyed Guacamelee!, you’ll find a lot of what you loved in that game has returned. Vibrant colors with a unique “diorama” artstyle really pop off the screen, and its inventive gameplay successfully combines touch-twitch antics and old-fashioned role playing. There may not be enough reasons to shell out for a Vita now, but if there had been more content like this arriving alongside the system back in 2012, we might have seen a very different fate for Sony’s second portable.
Severed presents a grim tale of grief and vengeance that offers deceptively deep combat. This is a great example of touch controls done right and the presentation is top-notch. This is a must-own Vita title.
A fantastically strange and unique first person adventure that manages to make touchscreen controls seem fresh and interesting again.
Between the puzzles that need to be solved throughout this world (enough to fill up a few hours’ worth of gameplay), enthralling battles and a superb presentation, Severed gives you another good reason to cherish your Vita.
Severed takes one of the oldest and inaccessible genres in video games and reinvigorates it, giving it much wider appeal than its contemporaries
There really isn’t anything wrong at all with Severed. It is one of the best Vita games on the system and I can’t recommend it enough. Drinkbox took a big risk releasing this game on on the Vita but it takes full advantage and is probably the best use of the touchscreen to date. The combat is so satisfying, the world so beautiful and fun to explore, and the music and sound effects so great to listen to. I loved every second I spent severing all of those monsters limbs off and making Sasha stronger with them. I hope to see more of Severed in the future and if you own a PlayStation Vita this is a must buy.
There are few titles more deserving of being called one of the truly essential experiences for the Vita than Severed. If you own the latest PlayStation handheld, do yourself a favor and pick this up: you won't regret it.
Severed is a great experience that comes perilously close to overstaying its welcome. The combat is fast and intense, the dungeon exploration is enjoyable, and the visuals are enticing. The combat can become repetitive and is completely dependent on your touch-screen, but by and large, it's a fun and well-made game. As you slash your way through the bizarre monstrosities that populate the land, Severed manages to be engaging without feeling like a roadblock. It won't change the mind of anyone who hates touch-screen gaming, but it's a great example of how it can work, and it's one of the best indie games on the Vita.
[D]espite all odds, [Drinkbox Studios has] managed to craft a title featuring a fantastic world that begs to be explored, and a combat engine that’s intuitive and the finest use of touch controls since Tearaway. It’s simply the best title to come out for the Vita in some time, and one worth adding to the library of every Vita owner.
A beautiful throwback that's just a touch too shallow.