Death's Gambit Reviews
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.
The new action-RPG Death's Gambit is an ambitious, initially attractive 2D souls-alike, but it frequently stumbles where it should soar.
The game is simply not finished yet, and while I can definitely see those desperately hungry for this kind of game being able to look past a fair number of its faults, I would sooner recommend the myriad of other titles which scratch the same itch, without nearly as many caveats.
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 had such promise. At its core, it is the blueprint to properly take risks and make attempts to improve a game design that we all take for granted. But it's just surrounded with poor quality of life choices, while missing some things it should have absolutely nailed. Weird animations, strange pacing, counter-intuitive combat, and way too many bugs holds this game back from being something truly great.
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.
This 2D action-platformer is a gorgeous but frustrating test of patience.
Death's Gambit makes a literal and blatant use of a multitude of mechanics, concepts and aesthetic aspects directly imported from Hidetaka Miyazaki's work, but, despite its ups and downs, it manages to differentiate itself enough to have its own personality.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Dark Souls mixed with 2D action platformer is a good idea. But there should be more weapons and more balanced gameplay.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Death's Gambit is a fun game, it doesn't provide anything out of the ordinary and has some issues here and there. it's just an average experience after all.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
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.
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.
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.
Ambitious ideas and a twisting story are marred by bad design choices.
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
like. He tries to be both original and traditionalist, by scenographic map design and a great attention into bossfights, sustained by a soft soundtrack and a deep character development (both on plot and gameplay). Its will to create a different mood from the normal "2010s dark fantasy" makes this game a good starting point for both developer and publisher, but they'll have to deal with inevitabile inexperience.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Death's Gambit is a substantial entry into the souls-like genre, even if it is very derivative. Some of the ways it was "inspired" by Dark Souls feel a bit dangerously too close at times. It does enough to make itself unique, and it does bring some new ideas to the table that will absolutely tickle fans of this genre. Don't expect Hollow Knight levels of polish or content; this is more closer to Salt and Sanctuary in terms of quality, but with a more refined art style.
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.
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.