Bleak Sword DX Review (PC)

I roll to get out of the way of a spider. I probably should have tried to block the attack, stagger the attacker and then deliver a set of strikes that would kill it. But I made the split-second decision to roll because there are other enemies around and they might get involved at any time. The roll means I don’t take damage and I also end up in a good position to strike at a zombie creature.

Three quick attacks dispose of this undead, while another one is rising out of the ground near a tree. Near the top of the level, there’s another that has around half of its health left, preparing to launch his own attack. But I don’t focus on either one of them because I know a bigger problem is coming.

A boar will appear somewhere in the lower right in a few seconds and if I allow it to gain momentum I am in trouble. So I roll again to be right next to its spawn point and start hitting the creature as soon as I can. With a little luck, I will be able to deal with the two zombies rather easily, allowing me to then face the satyr, who is nimble and deals a lot of damage, as soon as he emerges from the woods.

Bleak Sword DX is developed by more8bit, with publishing handled by Devolver Digital. I played on the PC using Steam. It will also be available on the Nintendo Switch. The title blends small arenas with classic Souls-like combat in 2D.

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There’s not much narrative in the game. A king is slain, a kingdom is under threat, and all manner of supernatural signs are pointing to doom. Only the player-controlled hero can make everything better by using a sword and shield to eliminate a range of threats, including some pretty big bosses.

Bleak Sword DX has small and short levels, which take a few minutes at most to play. The gamer’s avatar will gain experience to improve stats and might get a few usable items. On death, players have to beat the level on the second try.

Apart from moving slowly through the small levels, which is crucial because it regenerates stamina, there are three core actions players can perform: attacking, blocking, and rolling. The first one is self-explanatory, with an option to hold down a button to try a heavy attack that will deliver more damage but leave the hero exposed for a longer time. Blocking requires practice to get right for each enemy type but is important when facing powerful opponents.

Rolling is arguably the most important move in this game and the entire Souls-like genre. The arenas in Bleak Sword DX aren’t too large but it’s still the best way to avoid taking damage. Enemies might be little more than white drawings but they do signal when they plan to attack. Pay attention and dive out of the way at the right time. Try to aim so that it puts your character in a position to then strike someone.

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Bleak Sword was a mobile game first. The DX version adds more levels for the campaign, as well as a Randomizer mode, designed to keep new runs varied. For players good enough to complete the game, there’s also a new Boss Rush, which challenges players to battle all 12 special enemies in one go.

The game also offers an Arena mode, in which waves of enemies assault the player, with no items to help him and only a small amount of health recovered after each battle. The developer says it best reflects what the original vision for Bleak Sword was before the campaign structure was introduced.

The game’s best feature is its simplicity. Combat mechanics are sharp and encounters are challenging. Keeping track of the stamina meter and making snap judgements on when to roll and when to strike is fun. The titles’s biggest weakness is that it makes no effort to draw in players that find it hard to deal with the difficulty. At a minimum, it should offer an option to give players extra health or defense if they fail to finish a level after a certain amount of attempts.

Bleak Sword DX is one of the most stylized video games I have played recently. Our hero is a stick figure with a sword and shield, with no added detail to create a connection or convey anything about his world. Battlespaces are equally sparse, presented in black and white and red, with lightning and rain offering some atmosphere but not enough to make them unique. Thankfully, the enemy design, while also very stylized, is a little more interesting and makes it easy for players to recognize who they are facing and what kind of attacks they can expect. But often white enemies in white environments can make them hard to spot and impossible to avoid their strikes.

The simplicity of the graphics does match the general tone of the core mechanics. The sound design is less successful because it’s a little more generic. Combat effects are decent, although I would have liked more audio cues suggesting what enemies might do. The soundtrack is repetitive and fails to enhance the atmosphere and I found that turning it off made it easier to focus on the combat.

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The Good

The Bad

Conclusion