Death’s Door is a new game from Acid Nerve, the developers behind Titan Souls, and it’s being published by Devolver Digital. For fans of the publisher, this game fits in with their wacky sensibilities. It is toned down from other over-the-top releases though like My Friend Pedro or even Shadow Warrior 3.
Death’s Door manages to be unique without being overly complicated. It can best be described as The Legend of Zelda plus Dark Souls with a little bit of Metroidvania magic. It’s getting high praise from reviewers so it seems to be the indie game to play right now. It can be tricky to master the ropes so be sure to take these tips into account when you play.
8 Not A Boss Rush Game
Acid Nerve’s last game was Titan Souls which was a boss rush-themed game. Even though Death’s Door begins with a boss, the two aren't all that similar.
There are still plenty of bosses but otherwise, it’s an action game at its core with light puzzle elements. This is a big step for the developer and proves just how much more capable they have become since Titan Souls launched in 2015.
7 Don’t Worry About Losing Souls
Like many Souls-like experiences, Death’s Door uses souls as an upgrade material. Players can get souls via random enemies, items, or bosses. They are used to upgrade the reaper crow in four altering categories.
The nice thing about this game is that these souls are never lost in death. While death is never a fun outcome, it's not all that bad since the currency is never lost. That can be one of the main reasons players quit on the Souls-like games.
6 Switch Between Melee And Ranged Combos
The reaper crow is armed with melee and ranged attacks. At first, players begin with a bow and sword but new projectile and melee weapons will be discovered in the adventures. From shooting balls of fire to slicing up enemies with twin daggers, there is a surprise around every corner. Using melee has no sort of cooldown effect but using ranged attacks does.
The meter recharges after a melee attack lands. So if the meter is completely reduced to zero, simply using a melee weapon four times will recharge it. Ranged attacks aren’t that powerful but they will keep the player safer. Try to use up all projectiles and then go in for four clean hits before repeating the process.
5 Enemies All Have Easy To Read Signs
Death’s Door can be challenging at times like the Dark Souls series, but it is easier to read enemy movements. From bosses to normal cannon fodder, every enemy will have a pattern and stick to it.
They will very rarely change course and be sporadic. This is true even for the main bosses in the game. If players are careful enough and pay attention to patterns, death may not be that certain after all. One just needs to have a little patience.
4 Life Seed And Healing Tips
There are two ways to heal in Death’s Door. The first is by heading back to the hub world. Going back and forth between dimensions is not the easiest solution to healing especially with load times but it is better than using the Life Seeds unnecessarily. Throughout the game, players will find these Life Seeds around.
They can be used at planting stations throughout dungeons. They will heal the player only once before dying. However, they will recharge if the player dies or they go back to HQ. Their availability is limited so it is best to save these for emergencies. It’s too bad there is nothing akin to a refillable flask as in other Souls-like games.
3 What To Upgrade First
There are four upgradable categories in Death’s Door. Each tier costs 400 souls at first going up from there until they are maxed. One focuses on melee power and another on projectile power which includes magic and weapons like bows. One category can increase the crow reaper’s movements while another will increase how fast they are at using weapons and recharging cooldowns.
Every gamer plays action games like these differently. There’s no right answer as they will all eventually be useful once leveled up to the max. The first step should be to put one point in each category to test the waters. From there, focus on the style one thinks will be most useful.
2 You Can Deflect Most Projectiles
This is never said in Death’s Door outright but most projectiles can be deflected. For example, there are green pots in the Urn Witch’s area that shoot green orbs.
These can be deflected with the sword. The same goes for the Urn Witch herself once she summons those fireballs inside her pot. If it's a projectile, then it can be deflected 75% of the time if not more. This works similar to some of the Zelda games which might be a nod to them.
1 Keep Notes On Areas You Can’t Get To
One big issue with the game is that there is no map. For such a sprawling game with multiple areas, it’s hard to keep track of everything. It’s not that long depending. This is especially true considering there are Metroidvania-like elements in Death’s Door such as gaining new tools or abilities to open up new paths.
Fireballs can light urns or burn through spider webs. That’s the first ability players will acquire. If something looks out of reach, make a note of it. It’s a pretty old-school way of taking notes, but it will save a lot of time. There is an NPC to give hints later on but it’s not perfect so that’s why this advice is important.