Death's Gambit Reviews
Though it's not the best platformer, the story and environment alone make it a must play for Dark Souls fans and retro Metroidvania junkies alike. There's plenty here to enjoy, with plenty of replay value for those it hooks.
Death's Gambit aimed to transition the Souls style of gameplay into an unforgiven 2D adventure, and for the most part, it has succeeded. I do feel that the controls aren't as smooth or fluid as they need to be. Ranged foes seem to have an unfair advantage, being able to instantly lock on to your direction in a heartbeat, which isn't fair. I also felt like I was fighting the controls every step of the way, making the experience that much harder, but I did appreciate the unique take on the genre. Dying doesn't mean the end of the world, and being able to watch new sequences and listen to additional dialogue after dying was a treat.
Death's Gambit is almost an above average 2D hardcore title, with challenging bosses and some solid environmental design. However the game lacks atmosphere and the story just doesn't quite take hold. The world is compact enough that repetition is unavoidable, and repeating the same steps can you wear down. Death's Gambit isn't a bad game but it simply doesn't have the spark that others in the genre do.
The gameplay is solid and the combat is weighty, with some decent platforming physics to boot. I enjoyed its sumptuous visuals and the inventive design of some of its creatures and characters.
Death's Gambit tries its best to be a 2D Dark Souls and it somehow succeeds half way but it fails to transfer all those elements to a new realm which is due to nature of Dark Souls itself.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Death's Gambit shows moments of potential, but they're undercut by bad storytelling, flat combat, and a nagging sense that it's all been done better elsewhere.
This 2D action-platformer is a gorgeous but frustrating test of patience.
Whether you're a masochist or a hardcore masochist, Death's Gambit might have something for you. At the very least, you can see an amazing take on the character of Death wearing an apron.
In the end, Death's Gambit resonates as a flawed gem, one I'm happy to have played. It's an uneven experience bogged down by technical woes and stilted combat, but if you can enjoy less-than-pristine games in spite of rough spots, it's worth taking a chance on. Just hold out for a few patches first.
For all of its striking visuals and sophisticated animation work, Death's Gambit suffers a bit of an identity crisis among fundamental control flaws.
Death's Gambit is buggy, unpolished, frustrating, and derivative. At the same time, it features some interesting bosses and unexpected storytelling tricks. It's sure to be a divisive game, but you may be won over by the atmosphere its fantastic art, music, and voice acting create, if you can overlook its flaws.
Death's Gambit is a fantastically crafted game; the controls are tight, the bosses are memorable, and the graphics are great. However, the unrelenting difficulty makes it a tedious and sometimes painful affair. It's brutal challenge often feels like it's more of a test of the player's endurance and perseverance limits than it does supply an enjoyable experience. Each sitting is a grueling endeavor which can, unfortunately, be offputting all in all. It excels in a lot of situations and would undoubtedly appeal to fans of the Dark Souls series, but for everything that Death's Gambit does well it's unforgiving nature can take away from the game as a whole.
In Death's Gambit we find a "I want but I can't". It will like to the fans of the "soulslike", but they will stay with a bittersweet taste for its mistakes and lack of personality.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Death's Gambit is a good attempt to make a 2D version of Souls with an interesting game mechanics and a large and well-designed world. The game captivates and makes you come back to it again and again, even despite kinda bland bosses.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Death's Gambit is a decent soul-like 2D ARPG, and it has a strong art style, interesting story, and various gameplay.
Review in Chinese | Read full review
That makes Death's Gambit worth seeing past through its more frustrating moments. It may not quite have the finesse of its inspirations, but it delivers a world that's no less fascinating to explore and bleak (though also hopeful, somehow) story that deserves to be uncovered.
Death's Gambit never quite sheds its skin as simply a Dark Souls-inspired side scroller, and is done no favors by gutless, awkward combat. There's plenty to love in its visuals and designs, but ultimately it's a title that struggles to find footing in a saturated genre.
Death's Gambit is a very blunt attempt to fuse two beloved games, Dark Souls and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, into one challenging 2D action-platformer. Developer White Rabbit shows a strong understanding of what made each of them great but glosses over fundamentals that all great games need, such as responsive controls and an understandable game world, and falls short of its promise.
Despite its shortcomings, Death's Gambit is a strong game and has enough quality to be a possible contender for Indie of the Year. Highly recommended for Dark Souls fans and RPG gamers alike.
It's worth a look because of its unique style, which really is a cut above the rest, and it is clear that White Rabbit have had a good crack at producing a game that tries to be creative with an established formula. However, be prepared for a journey that's a bit of a slog in more ways than one.