Riverbond Reviews

Riverbond is ranked in the 25th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
7 / 10
Aug 23, 2019

Riverbond breaks no new ground but is an enjoyable romp through a highly detailed and eye-catching voxel world that accommodates younger players better than most in this genre. The bosses, as menacing as they look, aren’t quite up to scratch and in co-op, you can easily lose yourself in the action, but if you’ve got a brood of kids to entertain and a few Dualshock 4 controllers handy, you can easily get 7-10 hours of fun out of this game before the repetition sets in. Perfect for a rainy day.

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Unboxholics
Στράτος Χατζηνικολάου
Top Critic
Ehhh
Aug 27, 2019

A great looking co-op game that's nothing more than a simple co-op game.

Review in Greek | Read full review

Jan 1, 2020

And that’s my biggest problem with this game: how tedious it is. You go through level after level and stage after stage, doing the same things over and over again. It doesn’t even feel rewarding towards the end, just a relief that the level is over. I really hate saying that, because this game had a lot of promise and is very pretty looking, especially for someone like me who loves that art style. I just wish there were a little more depth to the game, because as it is right now it’s very boring to sit through a lot of the time. I didn’t even mention the story that much because it’s very simple and takes a backseat to a lot of the game. For a simple pick-up-and-play game, I suppose it’s fine and serves the purpose of an arcade game well enough. But I don’t think it’s all that worth it, especially at the $24.99 price range where it sits right now. All in all I got about five hours out of the game, but I really wouldn’t recommend it unless you really love this kind of thing, or you need something simple and fun to play with friends.

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7 / 10.0
Dec 10, 2019

For whatever reason I have a bit of a soft spot for voxel-based graphics so when I saw a dungeon-crawler boasting those aesthetics when Riverbond was announced I was easily on board...

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6.6 / 10.0
Jun 11, 2019

Riverbond is definitely an appealing game, especially if you want an easy breezy co-op experience to wind down with.

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Jul 15, 2019

There is no denying that Riverbond has been well executed in its design and many will love its unique eye-catching aesthetics and accessibility, but it falls short of the mark in a number of key areas.

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65 / 100
Jul 3, 2019

Riverbond is a friendly, soft game with RPG dynamics, but hack n'slash could describe it better. But it is very short, and the lack of an inventory and a numerical counting of items, besides the death penalty, are negative points. It's a funny game, but it's nothing that hasn't been seen before.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

SomosXbox
Top Critic
6.5 / 10.0
Jun 30, 2019

In short, it does not come to revolutionize anything, but Riverbond is a proposal to take into account for all those who like a quick game from time to time to kill a few enemies and deal with a handful of bosses

Review in Spanish | Read full review

6 / 10.0
Dec 9, 2019

Although there's no doubt that playing co-op as a group of four will be more fun than hacking and slashing alone, the minute-to-minute gameplay doesn't feel satisfying enough to make this a game worth choosing over others in the genre. The objectives are really plain and the challenge and obstacles almost toothless. It might be a good first dungeon-crawler for a younger audience or a family that wants to play together, but this Riverbond ain't wide enough for me to recommend it to you.

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8.8 / 10.0
Mar 6, 2020

Whether you’ve conquered many other quests already or have a young adventurer yearning for their first, Riverbond is a great adventure for the casual and the experienced.

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7 / 10.0
Aug 29, 2019

This cutesy adventure feels barebones yet ideal for a fun family game and a child's introduction to hack and slash games.

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5 / 10.0
Dec 26, 2019

Riverbond coaxes you in with its charming feel and aesthetically pleasing voxel graphics, only to thrust you into a monotonous hack 'n' slash. With the plethora of other games that have interesting art styles and incredible looks, it is hard to let the gameplay here slide, even with its comedic relief and destructible environments as a backer.

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GameSpace
Top Critic
6 / 10.0
Jan 6, 2020

So is Riverbond worth your time? If you have kids I would say that they couch coop experience is great. It introduces them to a great genre with a family-friendly filter. If you're looking for the next dungeon crawler for yourself I worry that there just isn't enough here to keep you interested for any length of time.

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8.3 / 10.0
Jan 27, 2018

A delightful little dungeon crawler, Riverbond, is fun for everyone. The voxel styling paired with the abundance of skin choices makes for a wonderful visual experience. The drop-in/out multiplayer means the whole family can hop on the couch and play as much, or as little, as they want to help clear a board. In a medium full of ever-increasingly realistic graphics, Riverbond is a breath of fresh air with its colorful world and characters.

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3.5 / 5.0
Jun 30, 2019

Riverbond is ultimately an extremely simple game meant to appeal to a younger or less experienced gamers. While the art style is cute and gameplay is fun, even if it is extremely simple, there really isn't much to see. After a level or two you realize nothing really matters and it becomes a quest to earn as many points for the sake of it or finish everything for an easy platinum. That said, if you could get it for a bit less, I could see it being a solid choice for anyone looking for something simple and easy to play with kids or introduce their significant other to gaming.

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7 / 10
Jul 10, 2019

What Riverbond lacks in depth, it makes up for with wonderful simplicity. Potentially too basic as a single-player game, but it's a silly, upbeat and nostalgic adventure best played with friends.

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7 / 10
Dec 11, 2019

Riverbond isn’t the most in-depth game on the Switch this year, nor is it the best looking. It does, however, boast an interesting art style, and its gameplay is simple yet engaging enough that almost anyone of any skill level can give it a good crack.

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6 / 10
Dec 14, 2019

Riverbond is a pleasant experience to enjoy on a co-op level and its simple mechanics and accessible difficulty level make it a perfect family game. It's not for those seeking a hardcore challenge or a long-lasting solo experience but for anyone who enjoys a simple and good-looking game with company Riverbond does a good job at that.

Review in Portuguese | Read full review

Dec 9, 2019

Riverbond is a smile factory thanks to its cutesy voxel graphics and simplified dungeon-crawling but its repetitive design limits the fun.

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7.5 / 10.0
Jun 18, 2019

A short and satisfying dungeon crawler with a litany of skins and crazy weapon designs to unlock and slash at a variety of enemies with. Co-op makes it a great family game when you combine it with how easy the game is. It may be a little long for how simple it is, but there is still a great five-to-eight hour experience here.

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