Doomblade (2023)

DOOMBLADE offers fantastic combat, lore, and art direction which propel it to greatness. Despite progressing and backtracking being confusing and tedious at times, and a few lackluster boss fights, the occasional dullness was alleviated by great music and worldbuilding that spurs intrigue. The devs created a world that I was continuously getting lost in, both literally and figuratively.

I really hate dunking on a cute, creative Metroidvania like DOOMBLADE, but I feel it just fails to make the game approachable and enjoyable. Much as I wanted to get lost in this dark, humorous world, the core mechanics never got more intuitive or fun, making the entire experience a slog. That said, there’s definitely a great game in here somewhere for those willing to push through the pain to find it.

DOOMBLADE is a fast-paced metroidvania title that blends twin-stick shooter mechanics. With tons of enemies and challenging boss battles, it puts your skills to the test. If you enjoy games with minimal hand-holding, this is the perfect choice for you!

Doomblade has a strong hook and an engaging core gameplay loop. The idea of attack-as-movement transforms how players see environments and approach the world. All Metroidvania systems are implemented well, especially the escalating upgrades that allow Gloom Girl to basically break the rules of this universe as she searches for the Dread Lords.

Doomblade is a pretty kinetic and satisfying experience of 2D platforming and combat, managing to be fast-paced without overwhelming the player with its speed. It’s unfortunate that its second half is almost unplayable due to how unfun the level design is.