Dark Deityis a new indie strategy RPG that is trying to harken back to the classicFire Emblemgames. It was funded onKickstarterand was released for PC in 2021. It received great reviews at launch, with the PC version sitting around the 80s. Will this port do better?
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More importantly, for Switch users, was the wait worth it? IsDark Deitya worthy successor to the nameFire Emblemor is it all hype? The results are a mixture of the two. The game perhaps relies too heavily on the past while innovating in other ways. It is an interesting strategy RPG, to say the least.
6Best: Classic Fire Emblem Returns
Thereare strategy gamesand then there areFire Emblemgames. There is a difference between the overall genre and this classic series.Dark Deityfalls more in line withFire Emblemwith many clear nods to this beloved series.
The character sprites are simple as are the maps. However, when in combat, everything gets more detailed. These combat animations can be turned off, just like inFire Emblemthankfully. Doing so can help speed up battle turns. There is also a bonding system between characters and a weapon wheel. As a strategy RPG,Dark Deitycouldn’t be more of an homage if it tried.
5Worst: No Map Saves
As brutal as the difficulty could be in a majority of theFire Emblemgames beforeFire Emblem Awakening, there was always a way to save on a map. In most cases, this interim save would disappear once players loaded back into a map. It wasn’t permanent, but it at least allowed players to quit a mission while saving progress.
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Dark Deitydoes not have this option. Once a map starts, players will have to finish it. They can always put their Switch into sleep mode. That is one of the best features of theconsole handheld hybrid. However, not every player will want to play in this way.
4Best: The Class Upgrade System
Most strategy RPGs have class systems that feature upgrades. For example, inFire Emblem, players can turn their characters from a weaker class into something stronger. This is usually performed with the help of an item. Even anewer strategy RPGslikeTriangle Strategyalso requires items.
Dark Deitydoes not require items to essentially evolve their heroes for the most part. There are upgrade Tokens for weapons, but transitioning from one class to another mostly requires leveling up. This changes a bit in the late game progression. However, it is still a more relaxed evolutionary chain than the two previous examples andmost strategy RPGsin general.
3Worst: The Inventory System
Dark Deitymight have one of the worst inventory systems inrecent RPG history. Characters will obtain items in combat from defeating enemies or from chests. Each character only has a set few slots. This limits the amount of healing items that they can carry into battle, for example.
This is a fine restriction as it balances out the difficulty. However, taking items out of a character’s personal inventory should be easier. Players have to select items and then choose where they want to go between the caravan and another character. It sounds simple, but it is more complicated than it needs to be. This is true of many early games in theFire Emblemseries as well. Some things shouldn’t have been paid homage to inDark Deity.
2Best: Difficulty Choices
Players have typical difficulty choices to choose from at the start of the game. They range from easy to hard and are called Mortal, Hero, and Deity. Allowing players to choose a set difficulty in an RPG should always be applauded. However,Dark Deitygoes a step beyond.
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Players can also fine-tune their experience via a series of sliders. For example, the amount of experience points earned as well as gold can be increased or decreased. The only downside to this flexibility is that it cannot be changed once players start. Still, asan assist feature, it deserves recognition. More games need adjustable sliders likeDark Deity.
1Worst: Low Production In Odd Ways
Indie RPGS likeDark Deityonly have so much budget. Some developers use every inch of their power to match up to the AAA experiences.Dark Deitymay look and play likeFire Emblem, but the production value is oddly lowered in some standard aspects. There is technically voice acting while in cutscenes, but only a word or two is voiced. There are never any fully voiced sentences.
As far as audio goes, the music is sleepy as if someone forgot to remove the placeholders. The text is oddly small while not in a cutscene. If the Switch isn’t right at the face, it can be hard to read while in battle or at camp. The loads are frequent and long. One can go on, but the point isDark Deitycould have been so much more. It will not stop players enjoying the experience as it is still a solid strategy RPG.
Dark Deitywas released on Jun 03, 2025 for theSwitch. It was released previously in 2021 as aPCexclusive.
