Death's Gambit Reviews
The visuals are pretty and the exploration is great, but the combat is unfortunately rather tepid, and hit detection can be disappointing with a slight delay to the attacks. Death's Gambit can also suffer from awkward difficulty spikes and there is a distinct lack of memorable boss fights, but it is overall an enjoyable product that is recommended for fans looking for a Souls-like experience.
Death's Gambit isn't perfect, but it is damn good, and it meshes together two different genres with a lot of style and charm.
Despite its flaws, I appreciate Death's Gambit and what it has accomplished. It offers a challenging, story-driven platforming experience that will reward the patient and methodical. Wrapped in a beautiful pixel art veneer and topped with a wonderful soundtrack, Death's Gambit is a treat for those willing to spend the time to master its combat and enemies. Will it appeal to everyone, absolutely no! However, much like games like Dark Souls, I don't really think that's the point.
These kinds of games are essentially love-letters to the OGs of the genre, and that sense of affection and praise is evident in the care that went into crafting Death's Gambit, and I would love to see this game become as polished as it deserves to be.
Despite lagging behind in certain key areas and roughly developing others, Death's Gambit is a relatively enjoyable romp for fans of 2D Souls-like hack and slash. Siradon won't beckon you like Lothric or Yharnam anytime soon but presents some enjoyable sights and sounds otherwise.
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 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 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.
For Souls fans, there's a lot to love about Death's Gambit. There's a multitude of secrets to be found, shortcuts to be unlocked, and lore to be read from the cryptic item descriptions. When the game isn't being held back by the weird boss and level designs or technical issues, it can be charming and sincere in its own right.
Death's Gambit is 40 per cent trial and error, 40 per cent reliant on upgrades, and 20 per cent luck. Racing to the next level only to be stopped abruptly in your path by an opposing foe issues an element of surprise and delightful unpredictability, and exploring its pixelated medieval world feels both refreshing and nostalgic. Though the inclusion of a fully voiced cast and more platforming elements wouldn't go amiss, its difficult boss battle encounters are enough to keep you motivated, providing you have a great deal of patience, and are willing to put in some time upgrading your character and skill set. Just don't get mad if you die, like, a lot.
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.
A great way to enjoy a great cocktail between the Souls saga and a metroidvania. Lots of time to die and an interactive death system are his main features.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
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
White Rabbit has done an excellent job with Death's Gambit, managing to create a good balance between soulslike and pixel art. Even if we are not in front of a perfect product, Death's Gambit is strongly recommended to all lovers of this kind of games.
Review in Italian | Read full review
With its enjoyable story, melancholic atmosphere, competent gameplay and outstanding soundtrack, Death's Gambit is an enjoyable take on the Dark Souls series formula. Some flaws, such as floaty movement, weird hitboxes on select weapon types, and some mediocre bosses, however, prevent the game from being a masterpiece.
While Death's Gambit as a whole falls a bit short of expectations, the game itself is a solid action-RPG.
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 decent soul-like 2D ARPG, and it has a strong art style, interesting story, and various gameplay.
Review in Chinese | Read full review
Overall, Death's Gambit seems truly beautiful though the creators have surly hasted in the creation. The story, the gameplay, it's graphics and music, they all seem proper and the whole experience will be worth your time, but be aware that this isn't a flawless experience either and it requires the player adjust themself with the game's core mechanics.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Death's Gambit provides an interesting 2D challenge with its dark world filled with fierce enemies. While I can't recommend it for everyone, anyone who likes challenging 2D action-adventure games will enjoy this title.