3000th Duel (2019)

3000th Duel is an amazing action-adventure game that pulls out all the stops to give us the experience of nostalgic gameplay with current videogame nuances. With a rich world to explore, visuals and audio hints that make you believe that the world is constantly evolving, and boss battles that shake you to the core, this is a must on the Switch.

3000th Duel blends metroidvania and souls-like, but this leads it to alternate between fun and annoying with how some bosses will seriously block your ability to make progress. If you aren’t into difficult games, then some of the bosses will likely spoil the experience for you. Some of them can feel incredibly cheap on your early attempts, killing you in seconds numerous times when you meet them. As you progress, you get to build out your character’s stats in the way of your choosing via the level up statues. Combine that with the myriad of weapons, occults, and items you’ll find, and you have a ton of options for how to build up your hero and play the game. You also can’t unlock the entire skill tree in one playthrough, since the the hero’s max level is capped at 99. So there is plenty of replay value here. I’ve spent over 15 hours in this labyrinthian world so far. 3000th Duel is priced at $14.99 on the Nintendo Switch eShop, and you can also find it on Steam. Are you tough enough to survive and uncover the shocking truth about your own identity?

I think that the combat can be really thrilling at times but there are areas that had me groaning. That said, I’m glad I pushed through to the end and I really hope that NEOPOPCORN takes what they’ve learned here for a new project, maybe even a more refined sequel.

Not only is 3000th Duel a fun game to play, it also looks beautiful graphically and it evokes a strong sense of nostalgia that can be lost in many indie games in today's gaming world.

3000th Duel is a great play through and truly a hidden gem on the Switch. The more time I put into it, the more I enjoyed it. Despite my one small complaint, I enjoyed seeing what I would discover next. Metroidvania fans should certainly give this game a playthrough.