Death's Gambit Reviews
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 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.
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.
For all of its striking visuals and sophisticated animation work, Death's Gambit suffers a bit of an identity crisis among fundamental control flaws.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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 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
Ambitious ideas and a twisting story are marred by bad design choices.
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.
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.
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.
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
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