Death's Door
" Atmospheric action-adventure RPG with tight combat and rich story but some repetitive fights "
Death's Door Review
Death's Door is a charming action-adventure game blending soulslike combat with Metroidvania exploration. Players control a small crow reaping souls in a beautifully stylized, interconnected world filled with secrets and atmospheric environments. The game features tight, satisfying combat with a variety of weapons and magic, alongside challenging but fair boss fights. The story is subtly told through environmental storytelling and cryptic NPCs, exploring themes of death and legacy with a mix of melancholy and whimsy. The soundtrack is highly praised for its emotional resonance and fitting tone.
While the game is relatively short (8-12 hours for the main story), it offers post-game content and encourages exploration. Some players note repetitiveness in combat arenas and lack of a map as minor frustrations, and a few criticize the progression feeling insignificant due to limited upgrades and grindy economy. Nonetheless, the game is widely regarded as polished, heartfelt, and a standout indie title that balances challenge and accessibility well.
Highlights
Players highly praise the game's art style for its simplicity and charm, creating a cohesive and atmospheric world. The combat mechanics are described as smooth, impactful, and satisfying, with bosses being particularly memorable and well-designed. The storyline is appreciated for its emotional depth and subtle delivery, blending humor and melancholy. The soundtrack receives frequent acclaim for enhancing the mood and lingering after gameplay. Exploration and level design are noted for encouraging curiosity with rewarding secrets and interconnected zones.
Criticisms
Common criticisms include the repetitiveness of combat encounters and wave-based enemy spawning that can feel tedious. Some players find the progression system underwhelming, with upgrades feeling insignificant and requiring excessive grinding. The lack of a map and fast travel early on makes navigation and backtracking frustrating. A few mention clunky movement and dodging, as well as enemies with hitboxes and attack timings that are hard to read. Bosses sometimes have overly long health bars, making fights drag on. Some feel the game lacks challenge for experienced soulslike players.
Pros
- • Beautiful, cohesive art style that enhances the game's atmosphere.
- • Tight, responsive combat with satisfying weapon and magic variety.
- • Memorable and well-designed boss fights with narrative significance.
- • Emotionally engaging story told through subtle environmental clues.
- • Outstanding, mood-setting soundtrack that complements gameplay.
- • Exploration rewarding with hidden secrets and interconnected zones.
- • Balanced difficulty suitable for both newcomers and seasoned players.
Cons
- • Combat can become repetitive with similar enemy waves and arenas.
- • Progression upgrades feel minor and require grind to obtain fully.
- • No map early on makes navigation and backtracking frustrating.
- • Dodging and movement occasionally feel clunky or unresponsive.
- • Enemy attack timings and hitboxes sometimes hard to read.
- • Boss health bars can be overly long, dragging out fights.
- • Limited enemy variety and some attacks feel unfair or annoying.
Rating Criteria
Reaping souls of the dead and punching a clock might get monotonous but it's honest work for a Crow. The job gets lively when your assigned soul is stolen and you must track down a desperate thief to a realm untouched by death - where creatures grow far past their expiry.
