I'm not saying this game is bad. It's fun, it's a fine game. But that's all it really is to me, fine. I'm about 50 % in of total game completion atm, and let's go down the list.
The bosses? Really nothing special.
The difficulty? Apparently some people really struggle, but to me it's super easy. I have 24 seeds that I haven't planted because I don't really need the health going through the levels. Just don't attack when it's obviously a bad idea, stick and move a little, and use a lot of magic arrows. Being easy isn't a problem, of course though, but it's a very simple action game.
You have a simple few-hit combo, a charge, and a hard to use dodge-roll attack, plus the magic. And all the upgrades this game gives you either stat-wise or through new magic and weapons won't radically change anything. I wish it had couple of different combos ala DMC 1 with diff timings. Or charging your weapon with diff timings does something else. Or the weapons actually changed your attack more.
You don't have any bullet-hell kind of action so your spatial awareness or positioning doesn't actually have to be that good. The game doesn't really pressure you with too many enemies. And the bosses aren't gonna be aggressive or fast like Dark Souls or Hollow-Knight (and there's only been 2 bosses so far, and the frog guy kinda just sits there and throws bombs at you.). The biggest curve-ball is that some enemies have some delayed attacks, or poor tells between their 1 and 2 hit combos.

The music is fine, but isn't the best you've heard, and the style of the game is nice, but not ground-breaking. The writing doesn't have a lot to it. Just like in terms of design, Urn Witch has a much better story than the Frog King.
And lastly, the dungeon: Most of the puzzles in this game involves finding your way to a vertical spot in a room from which you can light a torch from afar, and things like that. They aren't exactly high-tier puzzles, but I like them, keeps the flow going. The layouts are fine though, and the enemies are good.

I really wish this game at least had better movement. You spend so much of this game just dodge-rolling just like you would in 3D Zelda. Your new abilities just boil down to new barriers you can unlock now, sometimes through back-tracking. And you can't go out of order in the game either because harder areas are blocked by things you can't open yet, like not being able to bomb a cracked wall.


I was really really looking forward to the game, but it's just kind of alright. I'd recommend some cooler action games instead of Death's Door, and I'm just kind of confused why there's such a big love for this game now that I've had gotten around to it.
(Review copy-pasted from my steam, lol)

Reviewed on Oct 15, 2023


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