Souls-like Death’s Door balances dark fantasy with tons of charm

There’s so much I love about Death’s Door. This top-down, isometric adventure is filled with charm. It is a satisfying game. The major thrust of the game is understanding why and how the afterlife’s Reaping Commission Headquarters exists, and this quest takes you through Death Door’s bleak yet alluring world and gets you lost in the labyrinthian dungeons that fill out the space. This quest will lead you to a vast world of small, thoughtful details. Death’s DoorThis is what makes it great.

Death’s Door is our 7th best game of the year

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Death’s DoorsIt’s simple. My little void of a crow is tasked with reaping souls, sometimes of monsters who don’t want to go. The afterlife here is not what I’d expect: It’s a rote, repetitive process dripping with bureaucracy. My crow has the ability to roll, cut, and shoot. It faces both small and large enemies. The combat is quick and satisfying and reminds me of old Legend games. Dark Souls. Although the game looks familiar on paper, you will discover that it is something new as you play.

Death’s Door is, after all, about death — not necessarily a topic many would describe as inviting. The game, however, is very inviting. The world is so beautifully designed that even the most terrifying thoughts are made to seem a bit more manageable. Death’s DoorSets its dark world against an alluring charm in every smallest detail. Intense, Dark SoulsThe sarcastic combat style is balanced by humor and unexpected warmth. Combined with smooth and precise mechanics. Death’s DoorsThe combat is intense, but the atmosphere is welcoming. Even in moments where it might seem too intense, this genre is new to me and I find solace in the small things.

I’m not necessarily a person who likes to plan out an approach to combat: I like to enter a game and immediately start hitting things. The same was true for me with Death’s Door. I got into the game by slashing, trying to test the limits of it and see what it allowed me. This is a way for me to learn the controls, and to see how each button works. To my surprise, Death’s DoorIt allows me to break down things some other games won’t. My blows would be received by the entire world in surprising ways.

The titular Death’s Door in Death’s Door

Image: Acid Nerve/Devolver Digital

You can’t break signs. These are especially important because Death’s Door doesn’t have a map. Without a map, the gloomy stone buildings of the world can often appear similar. It was a surprise to me when Death’s Door’s first signpost reacted to my weapon, breaking in two right through the words telling me where to go. Clicking the button allowed me to see it. I saw that the text box had been slashed just like the sign. The entire thing had to be read. It almost feels silly to mention a detail like this because it’s just so small; it has no bearing on my moment-to-moment experience of the game. And yet, it’s a thing that’s stuck with me even months after playing Death’s Door. Take note of the sign?

This little detail can be more than mere destruction. It’s a little reminder of the harshness of this world, that actions always have consequences. But there’s humor in that destruction, too, giving the game’s brutal world some silly charm.

You will find little touches that have been taken with such care, humor and humor throughout the entire game. Little green buds follow me everywhere, but they run every time I swing the weapon. There’s the way flowers sway when I pass, how leaves rustle and move under my crow’s footsteps. It’s such a contrast to the violence of the world, where a variety of enemies lurk around every corner and attack on-site. That’s on top of Acid Nerve’s incredible art direction, which mimics the game’s themes of duality: It’s both light and dark. This game needs those little moments of joy in between its challenging, intense gameplay.

These details are a source of delight in a game about grim subjects. This is the duality of Death’s DoorBecause these small details help to balance the dark. Dark SoulsEnjoy moments of delight in a symbiotic world.

There are plenty of hidden items and places to explore in the game, but what sticks with me are these little secrets that might not otherwise get a mention, the stuff you don’t find guides or achievements for. It’s in these details that Death’s DoorIt is something that stands out.

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