Death is so easy in videogames. We flow through it - make it mundane - in order to experience the editing process of our playthroughs, shedding layers to further reach a win-state. The summer is coming to a close and sometimes I can't be arsed to play Dark Souls again so I boot up games that just lend themselves to us, perfectly understandable and playable in every aspect. Death's Door is something like that. It's difficult to attack smoothness. You just run your hand on it and slip. But it's sweet. You do it again. Until you find yourself one night having finished the game to near completion in the ten hours that you had to spare somewhere between now and the outside noise.
The older I get and the more difficult I find it to deny the pleasures of "relaxing" games. The last time I refused myself like this was probably A Short Hike. If games are to be put on the same pedestal as other art forms - as they should, sometimes, as they won't, fortunately - then we have to acccept that they too must reflect a vastness and breadth of experiences larger than our own limited scopes. The human experience, baby. Not every game is meant for y'all and accessibility is important. Representation matters. Sometimes a game is just a game. Each one of these statements is "factually" (meaning morally) correct.
To say that I felt nothing while playing Death's Door would be factually wrong. The art, the music, the story, the difficulty, the secrets and mechanics all blend together in the primordial goop of "goodness". The only thing was that for a game named Death's Door, it doesn't contain much if any death at all. Your dodge/attack window is generous and unburdened by consequences as you don't loose any souls for failing your progress. Eventually you kill the Big Bad, Lord of Doors, Committer of the Greatest Sin in all of Videogames : To be a Gatekeeper.
You break the cycle. Freeing yourself from the bondage of serfdom, you live the rest of your days surrounded by your community of crows - wholesome reapers now without jobs. You embrace Death, without having ever truly grazed it in the first place. You beat the game.
It's my fault and not the game's for asking all these questions. Game doesn't care. Game just requires to be played - or better yet, observed. I, for one, am just grumbling. But like I said I didn't have a bad time with Death's Door. I did, after all, finish the damn thing. It might come as a surprise to some that I adore videogames - there's no trick to that. I'm enamoured with their worthlessness. They rarely make me raise an eyebrow, but then again they so often do. Death's Door makes sure that I can detect every part of itself. That I can wholeheartedly play it to bear witness and remember fondly on the time a Pothead Knight asked me if I wanted some soup. Or when a mindflayer latched onto me for a midnight quest.
My favorite part of Death's Door actually came after the game. The Dead Lord leaves a key to a Rusty Belltower that calls forth a night on the whole map. The music ceases along with the enemies, leaving room for an endgame made of missing shrines and stone tablets. I don't care much for true platinums and epilogues. But here's a terrain suddenly emptied in a quiet, serene levels that I can walk through to the sound of owls, no longer forced to engage much or activate my facilities as a gamer in order to progress. I've earned this, have I not ?
Mindful practices. Games should never be nice. They can be devoted, hearthrobbing or even joyful but never nice. What's the use of nice ? What functions does nice serve and how do you feel once niceties have been applied to you ? By you ?
Kindness, now here's the real kicker. The hard one. The one that requires commitment. Kindness requires sacrifice. Kindness - to their player, to themselves - is something videogames often prove incapable of handing. And yet we talk in the language of care, of inclusivity and adjectives. Of hyperbole. Death's Door is not a social justice game but it sure is a progressive one. This review could have been about any number of games but I chose Death's Door because its essential narrative boils down to that : The system can be undone if you embrace change to the song of old flutes and nice dungeons. Convenient ones. It's important to accept the inevitability of your own death xx. I write these words and they're probably read as highly irritated. But the truth is I'm mostly typing them in a pout. Dark Souls didn't die for this shit. I don't mind the fancy aesthetics. For example there's this game called Going Under that, while a little blunt, perfectly captures the hellscape of wholesomeness. Of saying things while not really saying anything at all. The contained chaos of that thought alone. What happens then is that the conversation ends and everybody goes home having played "a really good game".
It's not everyday Maximalist Country in this hoe. Sometimes a game is just a game, I know. But that's a little disappointing, isn't it ?
The older I get and the more difficult I find it to deny the pleasures of "relaxing" games. The last time I refused myself like this was probably A Short Hike. If games are to be put on the same pedestal as other art forms - as they should, sometimes, as they won't, fortunately - then we have to acccept that they too must reflect a vastness and breadth of experiences larger than our own limited scopes. The human experience, baby. Not every game is meant for y'all and accessibility is important. Representation matters. Sometimes a game is just a game. Each one of these statements is "factually" (meaning morally) correct.
To say that I felt nothing while playing Death's Door would be factually wrong. The art, the music, the story, the difficulty, the secrets and mechanics all blend together in the primordial goop of "goodness". The only thing was that for a game named Death's Door, it doesn't contain much if any death at all. Your dodge/attack window is generous and unburdened by consequences as you don't loose any souls for failing your progress. Eventually you kill the Big Bad, Lord of Doors, Committer of the Greatest Sin in all of Videogames : To be a Gatekeeper.
You break the cycle. Freeing yourself from the bondage of serfdom, you live the rest of your days surrounded by your community of crows - wholesome reapers now without jobs. You embrace Death, without having ever truly grazed it in the first place. You beat the game.
It's my fault and not the game's for asking all these questions. Game doesn't care. Game just requires to be played - or better yet, observed. I, for one, am just grumbling. But like I said I didn't have a bad time with Death's Door. I did, after all, finish the damn thing. It might come as a surprise to some that I adore videogames - there's no trick to that. I'm enamoured with their worthlessness. They rarely make me raise an eyebrow, but then again they so often do. Death's Door makes sure that I can detect every part of itself. That I can wholeheartedly play it to bear witness and remember fondly on the time a Pothead Knight asked me if I wanted some soup. Or when a mindflayer latched onto me for a midnight quest.
My favorite part of Death's Door actually came after the game. The Dead Lord leaves a key to a Rusty Belltower that calls forth a night on the whole map. The music ceases along with the enemies, leaving room for an endgame made of missing shrines and stone tablets. I don't care much for true platinums and epilogues. But here's a terrain suddenly emptied in a quiet, serene levels that I can walk through to the sound of owls, no longer forced to engage much or activate my facilities as a gamer in order to progress. I've earned this, have I not ?
Mindful practices. Games should never be nice. They can be devoted, hearthrobbing or even joyful but never nice. What's the use of nice ? What functions does nice serve and how do you feel once niceties have been applied to you ? By you ?
Kindness, now here's the real kicker. The hard one. The one that requires commitment. Kindness requires sacrifice. Kindness - to their player, to themselves - is something videogames often prove incapable of handing. And yet we talk in the language of care, of inclusivity and adjectives. Of hyperbole. Death's Door is not a social justice game but it sure is a progressive one. This review could have been about any number of games but I chose Death's Door because its essential narrative boils down to that : The system can be undone if you embrace change to the song of old flutes and nice dungeons. Convenient ones. It's important to accept the inevitability of your own death xx. I write these words and they're probably read as highly irritated. But the truth is I'm mostly typing them in a pout. Dark Souls didn't die for this shit. I don't mind the fancy aesthetics. For example there's this game called Going Under that, while a little blunt, perfectly captures the hellscape of wholesomeness. Of saying things while not really saying anything at all. The contained chaos of that thought alone. What happens then is that the conversation ends and everybody goes home having played "a really good game".
It's not everyday Maximalist Country in this hoe. Sometimes a game is just a game, I know. But that's a little disappointing, isn't it ?
Death's Door is a game full of charm, set in a beautiful yet dark world with so many intriguing characters to meet.
It nails the presentation as the game looks amazing and the music is fantastic. I loved exploring each area as there were so many secrets waiting to be discovered. They managed to make each area very different from the next with the visual, however, with the gameplay I did find each area played out the same and this made the game a little bit repetitive for me at times.
I found the combat fun even if it is quite simplistic. For me the most enjoyable part of the game was the boss fights as this is where the combat is at its best. They are challenging but fair at the same time, I never found any of my deaths to be cheap and it was usually a mistake I had made. The bosses are all very well designed and can kick your arse at times if you're not careful, my only complaint was there weren't more of them.
Overall I had fun playing Death's Door.
I can't make any comparisons to the Zelda games as I haven't played many (I'm sorry, I'm working on it!) but that won't stop me from recommending this game.
It nails the presentation as the game looks amazing and the music is fantastic. I loved exploring each area as there were so many secrets waiting to be discovered. They managed to make each area very different from the next with the visual, however, with the gameplay I did find each area played out the same and this made the game a little bit repetitive for me at times.
I found the combat fun even if it is quite simplistic. For me the most enjoyable part of the game was the boss fights as this is where the combat is at its best. They are challenging but fair at the same time, I never found any of my deaths to be cheap and it was usually a mistake I had made. The bosses are all very well designed and can kick your arse at times if you're not careful, my only complaint was there weren't more of them.
Overall I had fun playing Death's Door.
I can't make any comparisons to the Zelda games as I haven't played many (I'm sorry, I'm working on it!) but that won't stop me from recommending this game.
The recipe for Death’s Door appears simple at first glance. In a large mixing bowl, stir together three cups Zelda, two cups Dark Souls, and a pinch of Limbo. Preheat the oven to 450F (230C), pour the mix into a pan, bake for 36 minutes, and presto! You have Death’s Door.
Or do you? While Death’s Door is hardly original in the gameplay department – combat plays like isometric Souls, and access to new areas is granted by gear found in chests, just as in Zelda – it does offer a unique flavor that you won’t find in either of those series. There’s a sense of deliberative melancholy here, a mood that’s fleeting rare in video games. It’s the melancholy of accepting that life is what it is and it’s not likely to change. It reminds me of The End of Time in Chrono Trigger, where Gaspar waits patiently, stuck forever in a transitory state between hopeful and hopeless.
It’s probably no coincidence, then, that the hub area in Death’s Door looks a lot like The End of Time. You play as a Reaper – a Crow with a sword who hunts down the dead and sends their souls to the afterlife. But when your assigned soul is stolen before you can reap it, you end up on an unexpected adventure to harvest three giant souls and open Death’s Door itself to put things right. If you’ve played a Zelda game before, the gameplay will feel familiar. Enter a dungeon, explore, find a key item, delve deeper, defeat the boss, rinse and repeat. Yet there is plenty of Dark Souls’ DNA here, too. Combat features a heavy dose of dodge rolling and health is always in short supply – four hits and you’re a goner. You also use currency, known as – you guessed it – Souls, to purchase upgrades. One key difference from FromSoftware’s games, though, is that Death’s Door lets you hang onto your Souls when you die. No corpse runs here.
There’s no shortage of combat, and it always feels responsive and smooth. While there are a handful of weapons to collect and equip, they all feel fairly similar – a little faster or slower, a little shorter or longer. I experimented with all the options but ultimately found that the default sword offered a better balance of speed and damage output than the alternatives, with perhaps one late-game exception.
When you’re not engaged in combat, you’ll be exploring the world – a rewarding activity in its own right. In addition to the cemetery, which is as close as Death’s Door comes to an overworld, there are three main areas, and each of these main areas is subdivided into two or three distinct subareas. Take, for instance, the first area, the estate of the Urn Witch. You approach through the garden and then creep through the decrepit manor’s interior, before making a final assault through the secret furnace in the basement. One feature that’s notably absent is an in-game map, a design choice that boosts immersion at the expense of navigability. Although I’m not entirely convinced this is a good trade, it’s one I came to terms with.
The second and third main areas follow similar patterns, albeit with less cohesion. Whereas the Urn Witch feels like a fully fleshed out character, the second boss, the Frog King, is a typical jester-esque bad dude, and the third boss barely has any story beats associated with it at all. Whether this was intentional or the result of the inevitable time crunch that occurs at the end of game development, I can’t say. The third area, in particular, feels divorced from the boss at the end, focusing instead on the history of the Doors and the Crows. And once you collect all three giant souls, you’re treated to a brief info dump about how the world became stuck in its timeless state. To be fair, it feels like an info dump well-earned – I enjoyed it – but it is an info dump nonetheless.
I doubt anyone will deny that Death’s Door is derivative. But it takes familiar pieces and with them bakes a delightful new treat. My lasting memory of the game will be strolling through the melancholic land and spreading the seeds of hope. Only by keeping Death’s Door open can we fully appreciate the gift of life.
Or do you? While Death’s Door is hardly original in the gameplay department – combat plays like isometric Souls, and access to new areas is granted by gear found in chests, just as in Zelda – it does offer a unique flavor that you won’t find in either of those series. There’s a sense of deliberative melancholy here, a mood that’s fleeting rare in video games. It’s the melancholy of accepting that life is what it is and it’s not likely to change. It reminds me of The End of Time in Chrono Trigger, where Gaspar waits patiently, stuck forever in a transitory state between hopeful and hopeless.
It’s probably no coincidence, then, that the hub area in Death’s Door looks a lot like The End of Time. You play as a Reaper – a Crow with a sword who hunts down the dead and sends their souls to the afterlife. But when your assigned soul is stolen before you can reap it, you end up on an unexpected adventure to harvest three giant souls and open Death’s Door itself to put things right. If you’ve played a Zelda game before, the gameplay will feel familiar. Enter a dungeon, explore, find a key item, delve deeper, defeat the boss, rinse and repeat. Yet there is plenty of Dark Souls’ DNA here, too. Combat features a heavy dose of dodge rolling and health is always in short supply – four hits and you’re a goner. You also use currency, known as – you guessed it – Souls, to purchase upgrades. One key difference from FromSoftware’s games, though, is that Death’s Door lets you hang onto your Souls when you die. No corpse runs here.
There’s no shortage of combat, and it always feels responsive and smooth. While there are a handful of weapons to collect and equip, they all feel fairly similar – a little faster or slower, a little shorter or longer. I experimented with all the options but ultimately found that the default sword offered a better balance of speed and damage output than the alternatives, with perhaps one late-game exception.
When you’re not engaged in combat, you’ll be exploring the world – a rewarding activity in its own right. In addition to the cemetery, which is as close as Death’s Door comes to an overworld, there are three main areas, and each of these main areas is subdivided into two or three distinct subareas. Take, for instance, the first area, the estate of the Urn Witch. You approach through the garden and then creep through the decrepit manor’s interior, before making a final assault through the secret furnace in the basement. One feature that’s notably absent is an in-game map, a design choice that boosts immersion at the expense of navigability. Although I’m not entirely convinced this is a good trade, it’s one I came to terms with.
The second and third main areas follow similar patterns, albeit with less cohesion. Whereas the Urn Witch feels like a fully fleshed out character, the second boss, the Frog King, is a typical jester-esque bad dude, and the third boss barely has any story beats associated with it at all. Whether this was intentional or the result of the inevitable time crunch that occurs at the end of game development, I can’t say. The third area, in particular, feels divorced from the boss at the end, focusing instead on the history of the Doors and the Crows. And once you collect all three giant souls, you’re treated to a brief info dump about how the world became stuck in its timeless state. To be fair, it feels like an info dump well-earned – I enjoyed it – but it is an info dump nonetheless.
I doubt anyone will deny that Death’s Door is derivative. But it takes familiar pieces and with them bakes a delightful new treat. My lasting memory of the game will be strolling through the melancholic land and spreading the seeds of hope. Only by keeping Death’s Door open can we fully appreciate the gift of life.
Didn’t expect the story to be this good, I’m speechless.. Also it has so many beautiful soundtracks
Death's door does so much right - as if I needed more convincing, it is further evidence that indie games really are the future! Back them, fund them, share them, buy them, give them a chance, because they deserve the attention and support!
Death's door was an instant buy when I found it because conceptually it is such an easy sell, deriving its inspiration very clearly but very effectively, rooting its core design closely around dark souls and classic zelda, but with a uniquely gorgeous art style and charm. I love almost everything about it, I love the fast paced and satisfying combat, I love all of the different locations and I particularly love its well handled themes around the cycle of life & death and what it means to have purpose. Death's door wonderfully juggles an overarching sense of melancholy with a great sense of humour and a whimsical sense of exploration & discovery. Despite wearing its influences on its sleeve, i've not really played anything quite like it and that is a space that indie games fill time and time again with increasingly novel ideas.
I would like to have seen maybe a bit more enemy variety and I do wish there was some way to heal mid-combat, this felt sorely missed in the late game which has some lengthy and really challenging fights. Also, the widely zoomed out perspective and sometimes unclear levels of elevation did occasionally make parts tricky to follow. Even so, these things are small nitpicks, at the end of the day this game is fantastic and with its short length, multitude of secrets, pretty varied possible playstyles & awesome aesthetic appeal, I reckon i'll be coming back to play it again sometime!
Death's door was an instant buy when I found it because conceptually it is such an easy sell, deriving its inspiration very clearly but very effectively, rooting its core design closely around dark souls and classic zelda, but with a uniquely gorgeous art style and charm. I love almost everything about it, I love the fast paced and satisfying combat, I love all of the different locations and I particularly love its well handled themes around the cycle of life & death and what it means to have purpose. Death's door wonderfully juggles an overarching sense of melancholy with a great sense of humour and a whimsical sense of exploration & discovery. Despite wearing its influences on its sleeve, i've not really played anything quite like it and that is a space that indie games fill time and time again with increasingly novel ideas.
I would like to have seen maybe a bit more enemy variety and I do wish there was some way to heal mid-combat, this felt sorely missed in the late game which has some lengthy and really challenging fights. Also, the widely zoomed out perspective and sometimes unclear levels of elevation did occasionally make parts tricky to follow. Even so, these things are small nitpicks, at the end of the day this game is fantastic and with its short length, multitude of secrets, pretty varied possible playstyles & awesome aesthetic appeal, I reckon i'll be coming back to play it again sometime!
I've never finished a classic Zelda game, but this game has a cute lil crow with a sward, so I'm preeety sure this is the better game.
I jest, but this really is a delightful little experience. It's smooth, it's pretty, it's well paced. It doesn't really take any risks as far as the game design is concerned—I can't think of anything particularly unique, in fact. But it chooses a good blend of concepts from its predecessors and executes on them with polish.
The main draw, in my eyes, is the world and aesthetic. I just love being a little salaryman crow who's job is to reap souls for a dilapidated bureau. Your little bird walk is adorable, the sward is delectably bright against the washed out world, the characters you meet are quirky and fun, and the eulogies given for every boss are actually quite touching.
Death's Door manages a surprisingly good balance of lighthearted and somber elements and that will probably be what keeps it in my mind as a warm memory for a good time to come.
I jest, but this really is a delightful little experience. It's smooth, it's pretty, it's well paced. It doesn't really take any risks as far as the game design is concerned—I can't think of anything particularly unique, in fact. But it chooses a good blend of concepts from its predecessors and executes on them with polish.
The main draw, in my eyes, is the world and aesthetic. I just love being a little salaryman crow who's job is to reap souls for a dilapidated bureau. Your little bird walk is adorable, the sward is delectably bright against the washed out world, the characters you meet are quirky and fun, and the eulogies given for every boss are actually quite touching.
Death's Door manages a surprisingly good balance of lighthearted and somber elements and that will probably be what keeps it in my mind as a warm memory for a good time to come.
Charming game full of character with a nice message to it. I would’ve liked a map feature and more weapon variety but I enjoyed my time with it.
15 hours of really pleasant game with some great high points. The mood and atmosphere are both good, and the mechanics and gameplay, while not anything extraordinary are good enough to carry the duration of the game with ease.
A pretty good One Of Those games. You know the ones. I usually don't like them that much, I didn't even think Hollow Knight was that great. Death's Door has one additional dimension, but still, it's One Of Those. Very pleasant to look at and listen to. Gameplay was solid and kept me engaged for its shorter run time (this is a good thing, it didn't overstay its welcome)(I played this game right after finishing Elden Ring, and oh boy, you want to talk about overstaying a welcome. I'll be a little sad to remove Death's Door off my hard drive. Maybe I'll keep it there for a couple of extra days so it knows how much I appreciated it. Not like I did with Elden Ring. No sir, I finished that game and pop, off the hard drive it went). Puzzles weren't quite there but then again I didn't engage much with the optional content. Does that really annoying thing that seems to be a genre staple where you have to backtrack and use the things you unlocked to get all the Good Stuff in previous areas. Well, I'm stronger now and I know how to fight all the dudes here, so that seems kind of boring. I would like to see more of the map if it's there, but not enough to repeat content. I think there's a world where Death's Door encourages exploration without necessitating backtracking and this game vibes with me more.
Also, please for the love of god if you want me to backtrack, include a map. I don't need to get relost in areas I was already lost in once.
Really can't overstate how much I enjoyed the crow btw. Wicked cute.
Also, please for the love of god if you want me to backtrack, include a map. I don't need to get relost in areas I was already lost in once.
Really can't overstate how much I enjoyed the crow btw. Wicked cute.
Death's Door é uma das obras mais convidativas dos últimos tempos. Alinhando seus belíssimos visuais, trilha sonora encantadora, level design complexo e narrativa intrigante, todos os elementos presentes ampliavam um jogo extremamente coeso e ciente de seus objetivos. Seja ao explorar um cemitério críptico, uma assombrosa mansão estranhamente repleta de vasos, as ruínas inundadas de uma antiga catedral ou os picos gelados das montanhas, jogar Death's Door nunca soava como algo cansado ou forçado. Infelizmente, seu combate não correspondeu as expectativas, perdendo várias oportunidades de criar algo ainda mais cativante em meio aos diversos acertos do jogo. Apesar disso, foi um enorme prazer passear por todas essas portas da morte e dar fim para algumas almas perdidas, me deixando curioso pelos próximos passos desse estúdio tão promissor. Após tudo que foi aprendido em Titan Souls e agora em Death's Door, tenho certeza que podemos esperar por uma nova obra-prima surgindo novamente do cenário de jogos indies.
Death's Door é um jogo que enquanto jogava sempre me deixava com um gosto de potencial desperdiçado. O jogo em si não é ruim, é divertido, mas a todo momento eu sentia que ele podia ser mais.
Alguns jogos não precisam desse a mais, Death's Door não é esse caso, uma polida ou um pouco mais de complexidade em seu combate daria um brilho maior ao jogo.
E novamente o jogo não é ruim, a movimentação é boa, a arte é boa, a jogabilidade é boa. Mas falta algo nele, caso tenha um Death's Door 2 acho que seria um jogo mais interessante.
Alguns jogos não precisam desse a mais, Death's Door não é esse caso, uma polida ou um pouco mais de complexidade em seu combate daria um brilho maior ao jogo.
E novamente o jogo não é ruim, a movimentação é boa, a arte é boa, a jogabilidade é boa. Mas falta algo nele, caso tenha um Death's Door 2 acho que seria um jogo mais interessante.
It's easy to see the game that Death's Door wanted to be. Bleak, melancholic,challenging, sardonic. Doors as starting points, checkpoints. Literal pots for healing that reset on use of those doors, only for use outside of combat, with said combat being deliberate, focused on dodging and striking when it's safe, being careful to not get caught off guard or lose control of enemy crowds. Given all that, it's not hard to imagine that the souls you collect might have been dropped on death, possibly regained with a corpse run. The roots are clear, but they've been eroded, the decision having been made to make the game into something more approachable at some point.
The humor now gives way to occasional outright goofiness. The combat is more forgiving, often coming in set waves that need to be cleared only once. Unlockable shortcuts abound, allowing you to skip most of the trek back, avoiding enemies that may get in a lucky hit here and there. Doors are plentiful, the aforementioned changes making their use and the resultant respawning of enemies far less taxing. This new game is easier, more inviting, a bit more relaxed.
But it is also, in the end, still a good game. A very good one, even, with the changes pushing it closer to Zelda and further from the Souls series. Exploration is fun, encouraged by those shortcuts, and meaningful. The overworld itself is like a dungeon, but without succumbing to the fiddly tediousness that plagued the maps of Oracle of Seasons and Ages. Outside of some pure collectibles, everything is worth finding and almost everything is missable. Currency is doled out by exploration and combat, with the former paying out at just the right rate to always make it worthwhile, while the rewards you can buy are incremental enough to not make scouring for it an active demand. Upgraded skills are significant changes that are worth the time to find before the usual end game sweep. Weapons are different in more subtle ways than might be expected, but each fills a niche.
Meanwhile, combat is fun, somewhat simple in the way games often are when they take inspiration from classic Zeldas but still engaging enough, with those gated waves ensuring that the overworld doesn't become a combat slog while still putting up a bit of a fight the first time through. Bosses are fun and engaging, minibosses are just the right difficulty. The final boss is toned down from what was surely its original difficulty, given checkpoints for its nearly 10 phases. Afterwards, the game gives you tools to find the things you missed and a postgame that encourages you to look for them along the way.
So: it's hard to be disappointed by the game Death's Door became, even if it's difficult to shake the feeling that the end result straddles two concepts and comes out a touch weaker for it.
The humor now gives way to occasional outright goofiness. The combat is more forgiving, often coming in set waves that need to be cleared only once. Unlockable shortcuts abound, allowing you to skip most of the trek back, avoiding enemies that may get in a lucky hit here and there. Doors are plentiful, the aforementioned changes making their use and the resultant respawning of enemies far less taxing. This new game is easier, more inviting, a bit more relaxed.
But it is also, in the end, still a good game. A very good one, even, with the changes pushing it closer to Zelda and further from the Souls series. Exploration is fun, encouraged by those shortcuts, and meaningful. The overworld itself is like a dungeon, but without succumbing to the fiddly tediousness that plagued the maps of Oracle of Seasons and Ages. Outside of some pure collectibles, everything is worth finding and almost everything is missable. Currency is doled out by exploration and combat, with the former paying out at just the right rate to always make it worthwhile, while the rewards you can buy are incremental enough to not make scouring for it an active demand. Upgraded skills are significant changes that are worth the time to find before the usual end game sweep. Weapons are different in more subtle ways than might be expected, but each fills a niche.
Meanwhile, combat is fun, somewhat simple in the way games often are when they take inspiration from classic Zeldas but still engaging enough, with those gated waves ensuring that the overworld doesn't become a combat slog while still putting up a bit of a fight the first time through. Bosses are fun and engaging, minibosses are just the right difficulty. The final boss is toned down from what was surely its original difficulty, given checkpoints for its nearly 10 phases. Afterwards, the game gives you tools to find the things you missed and a postgame that encourages you to look for them along the way.
So: it's hard to be disappointed by the game Death's Door became, even if it's difficult to shake the feeling that the end result straddles two concepts and comes out a touch weaker for it.
Graaaande Corvinho Souls.
Um jogo muito charmoso e gostosinho demais de jogar. O desafio dele e o loop de gameplay foram perfeitos pra mim nesse momento, não era difícil demais pra me frustrar e nem fácil demais pra me desanimar (e graças a deus não tem corpse run). Foi ótimo pra desligar a cabeça, e até jogar ouvindo podcast em alguns momentos.
Ele não faz nada espetacular nem diferente. É isso ai, explorar umas dungeons, desbloquear caminhos e poderes, lutar com inimigos e chefes, encontrar uns segredos. Tudo padrão. Mas é tudo muito agradável e bem feitinho. Não é um jogo que vai explodir a sua cabeça, mas vai entreter demais.
Minha única crítica é com o sistema de progressão de habilidades dele, nunca senti diferença real ao aumentar força, destreza e etc. Parece que você fica 0,005% mais forte e essa parte foi frustrante.
A história também é simples mas achei bem efetiva, com uns momentos legais.
Enfim, delicinha de jogo.
Um jogo muito charmoso e gostosinho demais de jogar. O desafio dele e o loop de gameplay foram perfeitos pra mim nesse momento, não era difícil demais pra me frustrar e nem fácil demais pra me desanimar (e graças a deus não tem corpse run). Foi ótimo pra desligar a cabeça, e até jogar ouvindo podcast em alguns momentos.
Ele não faz nada espetacular nem diferente. É isso ai, explorar umas dungeons, desbloquear caminhos e poderes, lutar com inimigos e chefes, encontrar uns segredos. Tudo padrão. Mas é tudo muito agradável e bem feitinho. Não é um jogo que vai explodir a sua cabeça, mas vai entreter demais.
Minha única crítica é com o sistema de progressão de habilidades dele, nunca senti diferença real ao aumentar força, destreza e etc. Parece que você fica 0,005% mais forte e essa parte foi frustrante.
A história também é simples mas achei bem efetiva, com uns momentos legais.
Enfim, delicinha de jogo.
playing this game made me want to go back to botw so i can't really give it a higher praise than that i guess
Charmoso, simples e bem construído. Um Souls like? MetroidVania? Zelda? É tudo isso e mais um pouco! Esse jogo me cativou ao momento que cheguei no primeiro boss, foi uma experiência que foi bem positiva e satisfatória no geral. Destaque para as músicas e para todo o universo construído do jogo, Death's Door mesmo sendo bem simples se provou uma grata surpresa.
It's difficult to let go. Afraid of leaving loved ones behind, unsure of personal legacy, stumbling blindfolded with one hand out, dreading the sensation of fingertips first brushing against the veil, of falling slowly out of control and into the esoteric Aether - sometimes a push is needed. Letting go is difficult, but inevitable.
In Death's Door, the player embodies this push. A literal reaper that ushers bloated, fearful souls into the afterlife, the Crow protagonist travels through a fairytale world by solving puzzles, obtaining upgrades, and kicking ass. The combat in Death's Door draws from both Zelda and Dark Souls for inspiration - though a more apt comparison might be a more streamlined and balanced version of Hyper Light Drifter. Movement is responsive and smooth, allowing for full control during fights and puzzles, as well as pleasant world traversal. Backtracking is mostly optional in Death's Door, but necessary in order to upgrade spells and unlock secrets, so having excellent controls is a big win.
Encounter design is also fantastic and manages to find a balance between challenging combat and fairness - I never once felt as if a death came from something unavoidable, but rather my mistakes that I could then use to improve. The dodge has generous i-frames from the beginning and gains more as it is upgraded, which makes solving the puzzles of boss movesets fairly forgiving. In addition, Death's Door encourages using the entire arsenal of tools available by making ranged attacks refill through melee hits and providing certain enemies with resistances and weaknesses to specific damage types. Of the five melee weapons available none play drastically different, but the general pace and variety of combat are enough to keep it fresh still. Boss fights also do a fantastic job of evolving and adapting as combat unfolds, providing new challenge as you get closer and closer to victory. Failing to defeat a boss just means another chance to solve the puzzle, and checkpoints exist directly outside of the arenas to stave off frustration.
Each bosses design oozes with the same charm that typifies the art direction of Death's Door. Areas exist as their own biome while being linked together through the central area of the cemetery, and though they are all unique, the world still feels consistent. Part of this consistency is achieved through the enchanting score and sound design. While the visuals are cute, and movement through the world feels smooth, the score takes it to another level and breathes life into the levels. Similarly, small touches like the sound of little crows' feet on the different surfaces in the game add to the immersion and charm. These touches, when combined with puzzles that utilize your spells and test your creativity, make each level fun to explore. Rarely do I wish that a game was longer, but I do actually think Death's Door would be well-served with one more area and boss to explore and defeat.
All of these artistic choices serve to support the narrative and characters of Death's Door. Though the story is quite simple, the presentation of the game's overall aesthetic causes each character to exist as simultaneously humorous and tragic, with a gravitas that wouldn't be achievable if played in a more realistic setting. The conclusion of the narrative is surprisingly poignant and touching in a greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts way. Though Death's Door does have a focus on combat, there is no malice involved; it's simply a means to help your adversaries do what they cannot bear to do themselves - let go.
In Death's Door, the player embodies this push. A literal reaper that ushers bloated, fearful souls into the afterlife, the Crow protagonist travels through a fairytale world by solving puzzles, obtaining upgrades, and kicking ass. The combat in Death's Door draws from both Zelda and Dark Souls for inspiration - though a more apt comparison might be a more streamlined and balanced version of Hyper Light Drifter. Movement is responsive and smooth, allowing for full control during fights and puzzles, as well as pleasant world traversal. Backtracking is mostly optional in Death's Door, but necessary in order to upgrade spells and unlock secrets, so having excellent controls is a big win.
Encounter design is also fantastic and manages to find a balance between challenging combat and fairness - I never once felt as if a death came from something unavoidable, but rather my mistakes that I could then use to improve. The dodge has generous i-frames from the beginning and gains more as it is upgraded, which makes solving the puzzles of boss movesets fairly forgiving. In addition, Death's Door encourages using the entire arsenal of tools available by making ranged attacks refill through melee hits and providing certain enemies with resistances and weaknesses to specific damage types. Of the five melee weapons available none play drastically different, but the general pace and variety of combat are enough to keep it fresh still. Boss fights also do a fantastic job of evolving and adapting as combat unfolds, providing new challenge as you get closer and closer to victory. Failing to defeat a boss just means another chance to solve the puzzle, and checkpoints exist directly outside of the arenas to stave off frustration.
Each bosses design oozes with the same charm that typifies the art direction of Death's Door. Areas exist as their own biome while being linked together through the central area of the cemetery, and though they are all unique, the world still feels consistent. Part of this consistency is achieved through the enchanting score and sound design. While the visuals are cute, and movement through the world feels smooth, the score takes it to another level and breathes life into the levels. Similarly, small touches like the sound of little crows' feet on the different surfaces in the game add to the immersion and charm. These touches, when combined with puzzles that utilize your spells and test your creativity, make each level fun to explore. Rarely do I wish that a game was longer, but I do actually think Death's Door would be well-served with one more area and boss to explore and defeat.
All of these artistic choices serve to support the narrative and characters of Death's Door. Though the story is quite simple, the presentation of the game's overall aesthetic causes each character to exist as simultaneously humorous and tragic, with a gravitas that wouldn't be achievable if played in a more realistic setting. The conclusion of the narrative is surprisingly poignant and touching in a greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts way. Though Death's Door does have a focus on combat, there is no malice involved; it's simply a means to help your adversaries do what they cannot bear to do themselves - let go.
Um corvinho souls isometrico bem gostosinho de jogar.
Aproveitando as ferias pra jogar coisas que eu to enrolando a tempos, decidi pegar esse que tava de facil acesso (game pass é nois).
E aqui nao tem muito segredo não,vc é um corvinho ceifador muito dum simpático é ir coletar 3 grandes almas para abrir uma grande porta. E vamos em florestas, mansões, cemitérios, montanhas e mais alguns poucos cenários em buscas desses chefes.
E como é um souls like, vamos ter rolar e contra atacar muito pra derrotar os inimigos desse jogo. Se vc ta preocupado com a dificuldade do game, pode ficar de boas. A dificuldade dele é na medida (nem muito fácil pra vc só andar por ai e nem muito dificil pra vc tacar o controle na parede).
Maior problema pra mim é que falta um mapa pra vc se localizar. E se vc quiser fazer o verdadeiro final, vai ter que fazer 100% e eu nao tive paciencia pra isso (quando eu vi a quest das sementes, foi a hora que eu parei :v).
Resumindo, um jogo bacana de se jogar.
Aproveitando as ferias pra jogar coisas que eu to enrolando a tempos, decidi pegar esse que tava de facil acesso (game pass é nois).
E aqui nao tem muito segredo não,vc é um corvinho ceifador muito dum simpático é ir coletar 3 grandes almas para abrir uma grande porta. E vamos em florestas, mansões, cemitérios, montanhas e mais alguns poucos cenários em buscas desses chefes.
E como é um souls like, vamos ter rolar e contra atacar muito pra derrotar os inimigos desse jogo. Se vc ta preocupado com a dificuldade do game, pode ficar de boas. A dificuldade dele é na medida (nem muito fácil pra vc só andar por ai e nem muito dificil pra vc tacar o controle na parede).
Maior problema pra mim é que falta um mapa pra vc se localizar. E se vc quiser fazer o verdadeiro final, vai ter que fazer 100% e eu nao tive paciencia pra isso (quando eu vi a quest das sementes, foi a hora que eu parei :v).
Resumindo, um jogo bacana de se jogar.
Really fun and pleasant action/adventure game that's very similar to Hyper Light Drifter, which is a pretty good game to be compared to. One of the biggest strengths is definitely how varied it is, the game never lingers on anything for too long. That does end up making the runtime a little on the short side, and I think I still would have enjoyed a longer version of this game, but the pacing here is excellent.
The combat is very nice feeling, if a bit simple. There's nothing really unique to it, but it's still engaging and a bit challenging. The upgrade system is a little weak, you just get some minor and not very interesting stat boosts, I thought the alternate weapons and upgrades to your abilities were much more interesting but at least in my playthrough I didn't really get those until late game. I feel like it's a bit of a misstep how fun the last of your four main abilities is with how late you get it in the game, there's still a lot of optional exploration at that point but the main part of the game left after you have your full set of abilities is fairly short. I also would have liked the final mountain area to have a bit more exploration like the previous ones, it felt kind of lacking in comparison.
The art and music here is really excellent, the environments all look great and are very creative, as well as the characters being memorable and having really nice animations. The soundtrack is surprisingly good, it's a little understated at first but I found myself humming the songs a lot between playing. These tie really well into the story and world, which were pretty interesting. I don't know if the story would have held my attention as much in a longer game but it was good enough for the short length here. I do think some of the individual characters worked better than the main narrative did, I really enjoyed the sub-story of your companion as well as your main enemy throughout the first of the three main sections of the game, and while they tried to do a bit of the same later I didn't think those landed quite as well.
Really pleasant experience overall and especially easy to recommend when you can play through it in just a couple days. I don't know if a sequel to this would really make sense, but I hope the devs make some sort of spiritual successor at least, I could definitely go for more of this.
The combat is very nice feeling, if a bit simple. There's nothing really unique to it, but it's still engaging and a bit challenging. The upgrade system is a little weak, you just get some minor and not very interesting stat boosts, I thought the alternate weapons and upgrades to your abilities were much more interesting but at least in my playthrough I didn't really get those until late game. I feel like it's a bit of a misstep how fun the last of your four main abilities is with how late you get it in the game, there's still a lot of optional exploration at that point but the main part of the game left after you have your full set of abilities is fairly short. I also would have liked the final mountain area to have a bit more exploration like the previous ones, it felt kind of lacking in comparison.
The art and music here is really excellent, the environments all look great and are very creative, as well as the characters being memorable and having really nice animations. The soundtrack is surprisingly good, it's a little understated at first but I found myself humming the songs a lot between playing. These tie really well into the story and world, which were pretty interesting. I don't know if the story would have held my attention as much in a longer game but it was good enough for the short length here. I do think some of the individual characters worked better than the main narrative did, I really enjoyed the sub-story of your companion as well as your main enemy throughout the first of the three main sections of the game, and while they tried to do a bit of the same later I didn't think those landed quite as well.
Really pleasant experience overall and especially easy to recommend when you can play through it in just a couple days. I don't know if a sequel to this would really make sense, but I hope the devs make some sort of spiritual successor at least, I could definitely go for more of this.
I've let too much time pass between playing this and writing my review, and I'm horrible about taking notes on my experience, so I won't try to articulate at any length something in depth. So in short:
It's a cute game that kind of feels like the generic version of the big studio "polished, well reviewed, might be nominated for but would never win GOTY" but on an indie scale. It offers no surprises whatsoever, is so pick up and play if you're familiar with isometric controls, has basically no difficulty in it at all, and has a few memeable moments of quaintness. It's so easy to consume that Death's Door could be administered via IV.
It's a cute game that kind of feels like the generic version of the big studio "polished, well reviewed, might be nominated for but would never win GOTY" but on an indie scale. It offers no surprises whatsoever, is so pick up and play if you're familiar with isometric controls, has basically no difficulty in it at all, and has a few memeable moments of quaintness. It's so easy to consume that Death's Door could be administered via IV.
⌚ Time to finish - 18 hours (80% completion - main story (16h) + bunch of side activities on my way to 100%). With experience and focus people seem to be completing main story in 8-10hrs.
🤬Difficulty - Ori's little brother. One of the most difficult games I played. Mainly because I am new to precise action combat oriented games. However, I think its perfect difficulty. Though frustrating at times due to my own skill, i wanted to go over and over again till i won. I never once felt like it was unfair as I did in Ori. The boss fights are a masterpiece. Every fight is unique and flows like butter.
🔊 Soundtrack - Great sound track.
🌄Graphics – Excellent.
🌦 Atmosphere – great atmosphere.
📚 Main Story / Characters – I loved all the characters. the Crow is such a bad ass how he walks through the levels. The characters are so funny. I want to 100% this game and see what it has to offer.
🤺 Combat – Amazing. Its precise its punishing. Its creative. The boss battles are so good and have so much personality. When you see a boss for the 1st time you have absolutely no idea how you even plan to tackle it but after dying to it 10 times you start seeing the cracks. And then finally after the 20th time you defeat the boss. What a journey it is and so rewarding. I want more games like this that found the perfect balance. The game rewards you for coming up with creative plans and timing things. Sure you can slash the boss, but if you it right you can throw a projectile into a boss mouth for a very different effect! There are so many little things like this hidden everywhere to reward creativity.
🧭 Side Activities / Exploration – I only have one gripe with this game, no map!!!! However, I am going to 100% this game which I would never do. There is so much in this game that is fun and not repetitive. The epilogue is as well crafted as the actual game and is lengthy. There are so many things to discover as you 100% the game that I want to see it all. The only issue I have is planting the life seeds. I didn't know at the beginning of the game i needed that for 100% so that will now be tedious to walk through the whole map finding places to plant seeds. Rest of the stuff is great!
🚗 Movement/Physics – Pretty much perfect. I do feel that on some bosses when they back hand you, i dodge but somehow it doesnt always register in time. I assume this is my skill level as I don't see better players suffering this.
📣 Voice acting – Not much
💡Final Thoughts:
This game is a near masterpiece. The devs looked at everything with a fine tooth and added creativity to everything.
Not only is the game great, but it challenged me and I learnt a lot as the game progressed. I think I can play hades and the likes thanks to this game. I am going to 100% this game as I want to see everything and that is telling a lot.
I wanted to give this a 5 but settled on 4.5 because of no map, and having to look up some guides on the 100% achievement because there is no direction at all in the game or clues put in place to discover it on your own. I hate looking up guides.
This is a must play game. And one day I hope to beat this game with 0 deaths :) but that isnt going to happen until I get a thousand hours playing games like this. :) For a game this length there is almost no sense of repetition, re-use content, which alot of games do. Masterpiece!
🤬Difficulty - Ori's little brother. One of the most difficult games I played. Mainly because I am new to precise action combat oriented games. However, I think its perfect difficulty. Though frustrating at times due to my own skill, i wanted to go over and over again till i won. I never once felt like it was unfair as I did in Ori. The boss fights are a masterpiece. Every fight is unique and flows like butter.
🔊 Soundtrack - Great sound track.
🌄Graphics – Excellent.
🌦 Atmosphere – great atmosphere.
📚 Main Story / Characters – I loved all the characters. the Crow is such a bad ass how he walks through the levels. The characters are so funny. I want to 100% this game and see what it has to offer.
🤺 Combat – Amazing. Its precise its punishing. Its creative. The boss battles are so good and have so much personality. When you see a boss for the 1st time you have absolutely no idea how you even plan to tackle it but after dying to it 10 times you start seeing the cracks. And then finally after the 20th time you defeat the boss. What a journey it is and so rewarding. I want more games like this that found the perfect balance. The game rewards you for coming up with creative plans and timing things. Sure you can slash the boss, but if you it right you can throw a projectile into a boss mouth for a very different effect! There are so many little things like this hidden everywhere to reward creativity.
🧭 Side Activities / Exploration – I only have one gripe with this game, no map!!!! However, I am going to 100% this game which I would never do. There is so much in this game that is fun and not repetitive. The epilogue is as well crafted as the actual game and is lengthy. There are so many things to discover as you 100% the game that I want to see it all. The only issue I have is planting the life seeds. I didn't know at the beginning of the game i needed that for 100% so that will now be tedious to walk through the whole map finding places to plant seeds. Rest of the stuff is great!
🚗 Movement/Physics – Pretty much perfect. I do feel that on some bosses when they back hand you, i dodge but somehow it doesnt always register in time. I assume this is my skill level as I don't see better players suffering this.
📣 Voice acting – Not much
💡Final Thoughts:
This game is a near masterpiece. The devs looked at everything with a fine tooth and added creativity to everything.
Not only is the game great, but it challenged me and I learnt a lot as the game progressed. I think I can play hades and the likes thanks to this game. I am going to 100% this game as I want to see everything and that is telling a lot.
I wanted to give this a 5 but settled on 4.5 because of no map, and having to look up some guides on the 100% achievement because there is no direction at all in the game or clues put in place to discover it on your own. I hate looking up guides.
This is a must play game. And one day I hope to beat this game with 0 deaths :) but that isnt going to happen until I get a thousand hours playing games like this. :) For a game this length there is almost no sense of repetition, re-use content, which alot of games do. Masterpiece!
solid level design, decent enough combat, awesome character designs, kinda forgot it existed as soon as I finished it.
deaths door really hit me at the right time. i really like the music and atmosphere in this game. its really moody and the exact feel i like in a game. combat is fun, not incredible but it stays interesting for the whole game. the zelda influence is pretty clear and i really like the different areas you adventure too. the game also has a lot of postgame content for those interested. its a really great zelda like and a must play for fans of the genre
Indie soulslikes try to be original challenge (IMPOSSIBLE).
Every year there seems to be an indie game that comes out of nowhere and explodes onto the scene. "Have you played Hades? Have you played Celeste?" Somewhere inside me I believe that Death's Door will be the next game to reach such status. While obviously inspired by Dark Souls, classic 3D Zelda, metroidvanias, and isometric dungeon crawlers, Death's Door finds its own identity quickly and reaffirms it with each new surprise.
Death's Door has players take control of a cute little crow named The Reaper, who has been assigned to find the soul of a giant. The stuffy old birds at The Hall of Doors tell The Reaper that they'll need to retrieve souls to continue to power doors to other realms. But, they must be careful. If they die while their door is open, they perish forever. The Reaper receives a sword and a magic bow and wanders off, searching for their soul assignment.
The map setup is a bit reminiscent of Bloodborne. The Hall of Doors serves as a hub area, which heals the player whenever they return and where the player can trade in their collected souls for upgrades. While exploring the realms, players will find doors that act as checkpoints leading back to the Hall of Doors. This checkpoint feature is a brilliant little design since you'll likely need to bounce around worlds as you gain new powers to unlock new areas. Fast travel is as simple as walking into a door back to the Hall, walking a few feet down the path, and entering another door.
Inventive and disturbing monsters populate the over-world, but the art style applied is so cute and endearing it creates a strange dissonance that feels comfortable. The creatures are reminiscent of Studio Ghibli's peak films Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle. The cartoonish art combined with the somber, otherworldly creatures and tongue-in-cheek humor draws my mind back to Tim Burton's James and the Giant Peach. The lilting music is calming yet puts me on edge when it needs to. Even during mini-boss fights, Death's Door uses quiet piano trills rather than a frantic orchestra. I suppose you could say that Death's Door controls the atmosphere perfectly every step of the way.
Combat consists of melee attacks, ranged attacks, and dodge rolling. The skill tree allows the player to upgrade melee weapons, dexterity, speed, or ranged weapons. You begin with four mana charge slots for ranged attacks and refill them by striking with melee attacks, similar to Hollow Knight. While it seems simple at first, adding new items and upgrades gained by completing the dungeons and fighting optional mini-bosses keeps things fresh. I focused on upgrading speed for better dodge-rolling, but the easy-to-learn system allows for many different playstyles.
I enjoyed Death's Door well enough for the first few hours, but the moment it struck me as genuinely great was when I stumbled onto an optional fire-based boss. I got my butt absolutely handed to me. Generally, after a few defeats, I would give up and move on to the next part of the story, but something about this game has made me want to be good at it. Death's Door has brought out the part of me that wants to master a game rather than just beat it, in a way that Hollow Knight or the Soulsborne games have failed to do. I spent nearly an hour on that boss, unable to conquer it, and yet I continued to try. After steadily getting better after 20 attempts, the moment of victory was the best I've felt playing a game this year.
The characters I've met have been delightful, especially my faithful partner Pothead, who is indeed a guy with a pot for a head. I won't spoil the plot for you (which is surprisingly tragic for a game this cute), but he and the other characters I interacted with walked a strange line between a morbid existence and darkly funny.
One last thing - this game is pretty damn hard. Don't come expecting a Dark Souls level of challenge, but perhaps something more akin to Hades. Checkpoint placement is very fair, and when you die, you only lose the souls you collected since the last checkpoint. The bosses will seem invincible at first, but once you find their weak spot, the cracks will literally begin to show. My advice is to keep at it by trying new approaches each time, rather than trying to perfect a play style that you've chosen. Roll with the punches, as it were.
My only real complaint is how easy it is to get turned around. The game does nothing to hold your hand and provides infrequent guidance. You'll end up doing a lot of backtracking to see what you missed. A map would be a great addition, as many of the pathways are winding, and it's easy to get mixed up. More than once, I wished I could access a guide on where to go next rather than wandering around until something happened.
I've very much enjoyed my time with Death's Door and hope the world at large does as well. The developers clearly took inspiration from the greats without compromising the unique identity of Death's Door, and it shows. If you miss the classic dungeons of 3D Zelda games, the hauntingly cute aesthetic of Hollow Knight, or the abominable monsters of the Souls games, then Death's Door is for you.
Death's Door has players take control of a cute little crow named The Reaper, who has been assigned to find the soul of a giant. The stuffy old birds at The Hall of Doors tell The Reaper that they'll need to retrieve souls to continue to power doors to other realms. But, they must be careful. If they die while their door is open, they perish forever. The Reaper receives a sword and a magic bow and wanders off, searching for their soul assignment.
The map setup is a bit reminiscent of Bloodborne. The Hall of Doors serves as a hub area, which heals the player whenever they return and where the player can trade in their collected souls for upgrades. While exploring the realms, players will find doors that act as checkpoints leading back to the Hall of Doors. This checkpoint feature is a brilliant little design since you'll likely need to bounce around worlds as you gain new powers to unlock new areas. Fast travel is as simple as walking into a door back to the Hall, walking a few feet down the path, and entering another door.
Inventive and disturbing monsters populate the over-world, but the art style applied is so cute and endearing it creates a strange dissonance that feels comfortable. The creatures are reminiscent of Studio Ghibli's peak films Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle. The cartoonish art combined with the somber, otherworldly creatures and tongue-in-cheek humor draws my mind back to Tim Burton's James and the Giant Peach. The lilting music is calming yet puts me on edge when it needs to. Even during mini-boss fights, Death's Door uses quiet piano trills rather than a frantic orchestra. I suppose you could say that Death's Door controls the atmosphere perfectly every step of the way.
Combat consists of melee attacks, ranged attacks, and dodge rolling. The skill tree allows the player to upgrade melee weapons, dexterity, speed, or ranged weapons. You begin with four mana charge slots for ranged attacks and refill them by striking with melee attacks, similar to Hollow Knight. While it seems simple at first, adding new items and upgrades gained by completing the dungeons and fighting optional mini-bosses keeps things fresh. I focused on upgrading speed for better dodge-rolling, but the easy-to-learn system allows for many different playstyles.
I enjoyed Death's Door well enough for the first few hours, but the moment it struck me as genuinely great was when I stumbled onto an optional fire-based boss. I got my butt absolutely handed to me. Generally, after a few defeats, I would give up and move on to the next part of the story, but something about this game has made me want to be good at it. Death's Door has brought out the part of me that wants to master a game rather than just beat it, in a way that Hollow Knight or the Soulsborne games have failed to do. I spent nearly an hour on that boss, unable to conquer it, and yet I continued to try. After steadily getting better after 20 attempts, the moment of victory was the best I've felt playing a game this year.
The characters I've met have been delightful, especially my faithful partner Pothead, who is indeed a guy with a pot for a head. I won't spoil the plot for you (which is surprisingly tragic for a game this cute), but he and the other characters I interacted with walked a strange line between a morbid existence and darkly funny.
One last thing - this game is pretty damn hard. Don't come expecting a Dark Souls level of challenge, but perhaps something more akin to Hades. Checkpoint placement is very fair, and when you die, you only lose the souls you collected since the last checkpoint. The bosses will seem invincible at first, but once you find their weak spot, the cracks will literally begin to show. My advice is to keep at it by trying new approaches each time, rather than trying to perfect a play style that you've chosen. Roll with the punches, as it were.
My only real complaint is how easy it is to get turned around. The game does nothing to hold your hand and provides infrequent guidance. You'll end up doing a lot of backtracking to see what you missed. A map would be a great addition, as many of the pathways are winding, and it's easy to get mixed up. More than once, I wished I could access a guide on where to go next rather than wandering around until something happened.
I've very much enjoyed my time with Death's Door and hope the world at large does as well. The developers clearly took inspiration from the greats without compromising the unique identity of Death's Door, and it shows. If you miss the classic dungeons of 3D Zelda games, the hauntingly cute aesthetic of Hollow Knight, or the abominable monsters of the Souls games, then Death's Door is for you.
Surprisingly fun, if way too brutal Souls/Zelda-like.
You only get 2 heart upgrades in the ENTIRE game, and the upgrades are so minimal that you might kill first-level enemies with 2 slashes instead of 3 by the time you're maxed out.
Nevertheless, I had a really good time with it. The combat is fluid and fun. The world is heaps of fun to explore, with shortcut porn galore for anyone who loves that aspect of the Soul's games. And, the story is decent, with some funny characters and a tongue-in-cheek charm.
You only get 2 heart upgrades in the ENTIRE game, and the upgrades are so minimal that you might kill first-level enemies with 2 slashes instead of 3 by the time you're maxed out.
Nevertheless, I had a really good time with it. The combat is fluid and fun. The world is heaps of fun to explore, with shortcut porn galore for anyone who loves that aspect of the Soul's games. And, the story is decent, with some funny characters and a tongue-in-cheek charm.
I had no idea what to play after the last game I beat and it just so happened to be on the day the monthly PSN games were revealed. I saw this and thought why not give it a try?
I’m so glad I did! I wasn’t expecting myself to enjoy this game as much as I did, but the art, story, and music are sooo good. Specifically the music, I could listen to some of these tracks alllllll day.
I enjoy all the secrets and exploring, the combat is fun enough (especially since it offers different weapon types) and the characters are great.
I’m so glad I picked this game up!
I’m so glad I did! I wasn’t expecting myself to enjoy this game as much as I did, but the art, story, and music are sooo good. Specifically the music, I could listen to some of these tracks alllllll day.
I enjoy all the secrets and exploring, the combat is fun enough (especially since it offers different weapon types) and the characters are great.
I’m so glad I picked this game up!
It's like if Tunic was a real video game. I'll admit I haven't played Hades yet, but so far this is literally the only "isometric souls-like" to be literally any good.
an extremely polished experience to the point where the only adjective i can use to more accurately describe how it felt to play it would be 'delicious'
Death's Door was a very nice surprise for me. The gameplay is very much like a 2D Zelda game which is refreshing in today's gaming landscape. The combat, bosses, puzzles, exploration, progression... all done very well. I was hooked from the start and kept wanting more! Not many games have given me the satisfaction of losing track of time lately, but this one surely did me in.
Death's Door is a pretty little game. It's really short (I beat it in about 5.5-6 hours) and mostly pretty easy. The puzzles and combat are, for the most part, not at all challenging. The combat is mostly a button masher where sometimes you'll decide to use your ranged attack because it's been a while. The hookshot shows some promise of depth to combat but by the time you get it the game is already over so the use is moot. The game really only shines during the final boss fight, which is a shame because it makes me wish the rest of the game were nearly as fun. The visuals and music are amazing and basically saved this game for me. It would be really dull without those, I think. The biggest issue I had with the game was the strange tonal dissonance. The music and locales and story were all very somber and lonely, but most interactions with other characters had a jokey tone like something out of A Hat In Time. It felt very obnoxious to have the game seem to be afraid to take itself seriously, especially at times where it may have actually made the player feel something. Still, I'm a sucker for the music, visuals, birds, short games, and killer finales, so Death's Door still had something to offer.