Developer: Acid Nerve
Publisher: Devolver Digital, Inc.
Released: 2021
Platforms: Epic | Steam | Switch | PS4 & PS5 | Xbox Series (buy/Game Pass)

Death’s Door is light on content, but it’s charming and enjoyable.

If you see references to this game being “like Dark Souls,” it’s regarding the story. Gameplay wise, it’s closer to a traditional Zelda. The game is casual enough that a kid could easily play it (which isn’t a bad thing).

I was instantly sold at playing as a little crow that reaps souls. He waddles through each zone, with his dark body contrasting against each zone’s vibrant and pleasing color palettes.

Also, this game features the best death animation.

Unfortunately, the level design itself is lacking. It would benefit from more landmarks to mitigate wandering in circles. Take the previous with a grain of salt, however, as my navigation skills can be downright embarrassing. Getting lost is probably by design, though I still don’t like it.

There’s not a lot to talk about with combat. The few obtainable swords in the game are limited to how much damage they deal, and how many times you can swing it for their one and only combo. However, they’re optional, and you can easily beat the game with the starting sword.

There are a couple special attacks with these weapons - a rolling slash or charged slice - but they weren’t particularly reliable in my experience.

Thankfully, the dodge roll is highly responsive. Its speed and cooldown can be improved, though I never noticed a significant change.

Aside from all that, 4 magic spells are unlocked for additional offensive techniques (as well as traversal through each map). Unfortunately, the upgraded fireball eclipses the others thanks to a passive DoT. It’s quick to cast, costs very little mana, and to reiterate, slowly burns out an enemy’s health. No one resists the fireball, either.

One positive aspect of combat that I like is how mana is handled. For every melee hit that connects, the mana bar recharges. It encourages swapping between the sword and magic without being obnoxious to juggle.

It’s worth noting that, due to how simplistic fights are in the game, 6 HP is considered “tanky,” and 6 mana casting slots is “overpowered.” You can collect the equivalent of pieces of hearts and magic, but in the end you get +2 to each category. It makes sense for how short the game is, but it gave me an “Oh, that’s it?” reaction.

As I tend to do with Zelda games, I did use a guide to point me towards the secret upgrades. For some reason, my only (quick) option for a written one was from dry-toast IGN. The Steam community lists a video walkthrough, which… no thanks, I’d rather not sit through a Let’s Play and defeat the purpose of why I’m playing the game.

This was a useless tangent, but I find it funny that Baroque has an encyclopedia-length guide, but not this poor game.

Death’s Door is an adorable game, and I don’t regret paying for a copy, but it’s not a particularly memorable experience. At most, get it on sale or play it through Game Pass.