Indie games always end up being among the most surprising hits of the year. In 2021, Acid Nerve’s newest gameDeath’s Doorwas released and won over the hearts of many people who enjoy action games.
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The story revolves around a crow whose job is to collect the souls of those who have outlived their expiration date. The gameplay revolves around taking on enemies while also attempting to navigate through an area with the purpose of trying to reach the main soul they are hunting for. There is plenty to love aboutDeath’s Door, as well as a few things that weren’t so great.
7Love: The Characters
For a world that seems rather bleak overall, there is a ton of charm thatDeath’s Doorshowsthroughout its story. This is especially thanks to characters that inject so much life into a game about death. Some side characters are hilarious such as Jefferson, a squid who animates a human corpse and helps provide the player with various secrets they haven’t discovered.
The individuals whose souls the crow is hunting are also quite interesting. The Frog King spends most of the time taunting the crow about how he will never be brought down. The Witch of Urns keeps a close eye on the Reaper as they explore her house. Then there’s The Lord of Doors, whose condescending nature is amusing enough to have the player not hate him.
6Love: The Soundtrack
In a world like this, where the ambiance is important, it is nice that players get to experience the world while listening tosome sweet tunes. The score, written by David Fenn, keeps the player engaged even during some less exciting points of the game. A great example isDeath’s Door’smain theme, which sets the tone of the adventure players are about to go on.
“Estate of the Urn Witch” fits the vibe of being outside in a beautiful courtyard. It’s then followed by “Ceramic Manor,” which is much more haunting as players navigate the home. “Avarice” is one of many solid battle songs, but it stands out as it matches the energy of going through a gauntlet of enemies in a short period of time.
5Love: Exploring The World
There are many fans that compare this game toThe Legend of Zeldain terms of navigating a world from a top-down angle and finding various things that stray from the main path. Throughout the game, players can go down many paths that could either advance the story forward or lead them to a secret.
This includesfinding shrinesthat will lead to health and magic power-ups, locating life seeds and planting them so players have the opportunity to heal, and attempting to locate various different “shiny thing” collectibles. There are also many puzzles that incorporate the player’s abilities in creative ways.
4Don’t Love: Lack Of Map
Navigating the worldis a lot of fun, as there is so much to go find and accomplish. That said, it would’ve been nice to see the game implement some kind of map. This is because there are times when it would be very easy to get lost, as the area can be structured like a maze.
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The game is somewhat linear in story structure, but players can backtrack at any point and try to unlock things they couldn’t do when they were in the area before. Whether it’s the addition of a mini-map or a large map in the menu that slowly reveals itself as players explore, it just would’ve made overall navigation even better than it already is.
3Love: Boss Fights
The most engaging parts ofDeath’s Doorare the climactic boss fights. Each battle generally involves memorizing the patterns of these large enemies, dodging when needed, then going in for the kill when there is an opening. Even the Demonic Forest Spirit, which the crow faces early in the game, is an exciting first glimpse at what the battles can become.
The unique element of these boss fights is that there isn’t a clear boss health meter. Instead, the more hits the player gets in, the more glowing cracks the enemy will show on their body, until they are eventually defeated. Taking down a boss isincredibly satisfyingas the fights themselves can last a long time, but also end in the reward of many souls.
2Don’t Love: Sparse Upgrades
There are no difficulty settings associated with this game, which means players need to be prepared that there are going to be rough patches no matter what. That said, there are points during which it felt like the game could be a little more forgiving than it is. A great example of this is the lack of upgrades to the health andmagic metersoverall.
In order to upgrade either of these at least once, players will have to find four of the eight shrines. That means health and magic would only be able to go up two slots overall. Getting the ability upgrades in the Hall of Doors is a nice way to balance this, but it’s hard to believe it would’ve hurt the game if those shrines were more rewarding.
1Love: Art Design
While the overall gameplay is fantastic, it would be hard to imagine this game being as fun to experience if it wasn’t forhow the world and its characters looked. From the creepiness of the Lost Cemetery to the autumn feel of the Estate of the Urn Witch to the green swamp of the Overgrown Ruins, all the areas of the game are gorgeous in their own unique way.
Meanwhile, the characters themselves are very well-designed. The details that went into both the Bard and Pothead, two characters that are small parts of the crow’s overall journey, show how dedicated Acid Nerve was to making every part ofDeath’s Doorlook as good as it could.
Death’s Dooris available now on PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Playstation 5, Playstation 4, and Nintendo Switch.
