It could have been a beautiful combination. Like butter on popcorn, pouring Castlevania: Symphony of the Night-inspired pixel art over the demanding gameplay of a "Soulslike" feels like a combination that should lead fans of both to fall in love. Unfortunately, Death's Gambit's performance fails to fully realize its buttery premise. Though this 2D action game achieves a neat horror vibe and features some cool art, it can become confusing and frustrating – and not in the rewarding ways that make games like Dark Souls and Bloodborne fun.
It doesn’t help Death’s Gambit’s predicament that we are in the middle of a whirlwind renaissance for 2D “Metroidvania” games. Some of them, including Hollow Knight (which was released last year but has re-entered the zeitgeist thanks to its recent re-release on the Nintendo Switch) and the near-universally beloved Dead Cells have also taken cues from Dark Souls without coming off as imitations. And, sadly, their successes highlight Death’s Gambit’s failures.
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It doesn’t help Death’s Gambit’s predicament that we are in the middle of a whirlwind renaissance for 2D “Metroidvania” games. Some of them, including Hollow Knight (which was released last year but has re-entered the zeitgeist thanks to its recent re-release on the Nintendo Switch) and the near-universally beloved Dead Cells have also taken cues from Dark Souls without coming off as imitations. And, sadly, their successes highlight Death’s Gambit’s failures.
Continue reading…
Continue reading...