Death’s Door is the latest from Acid Nerve and Devolver Digital. Acid Nerve’s last game was boss rush game Titan Souls. While it got good reviews, they were nowhere near as high as this latest installment. Death’s Door is doing so well that some are even calling it one of the best indie games of 2021 so far.
Will that remain true by the end of 2021? Only time will tell. There isn't very much fault with the core experience, but that's not to say that the game is perfect. Let’s see where this Dark Souls meets The Legend of Zelda adventure exceeds expectations and where it falters.
10 Best: Art Style
Death’s Door has sort of a claymation style to it. Since it's top-down it also has a diorama-like effect, as if players are controlling toys.
It’s not as obvious as the Link’s Awakening remake but it is a pretty close match. However, it exactly looks isn’t the point. It’s the art itself that truly breaths life into this world. Even if the gameplay isn't for everyone, the art should be.
9 Worst: Level Design
Not all levels in Death’s Door were created equal. While some have beautiful art, like the Witch of Urn’s garden, there are plenty of drab uninspired dungeons.
There may be cool enemies or objects in these areas but overall the game is uneven in its level design. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as the art aesthetic itself helps carry the experience. It just would have been nice for more variety.
8 Best: Boss Fights
Acid Nerve proved themselves very capable of crafting interesting bosses when they made Titan Souls. The same is true for Death’s Door. While challenging, these bosses feel more balanced.
If one pays attention to enemy triggers, it is quite possible to defeat them in a single try. All it takes is a little patience which is fine because watching these bosses is half the fun.
7 Worst: No Map
Death’s Door is not terribly long, coming in at around 8-10 hours. It’s not a huge world but it is big enough where a map would have been appreciated.
There are tons of items that cannot be acquired until a certain ability or item is unlocked. For example, the fire spell can burn through cobwebs. If there was a map it would have made backtracking so much easier.
6 Best: Music
The music sets the perfect mood for the actions going on in Death’s Door. If the player is simply exploring, the music matches that chill tone.
If players are in a boss fight, the tempo increases and the music matches the intensity of the situation. It’s one of the more surprising attributes of the game as music in Souls-like games is usually there only as a backdrop. This game’s score instead seems essential to fully enjoying the experience, so be sure to pop in those headphones.
5 Worst: Broken Healing System
Unlike most Souls-like games, there aren’t many ways to heal. Players can do so if they travel back to the hub world or if they use a Life Seed. These items are disposable but can only be used at certain planting stations in the environment.
This can make boss encounters tougher whenthere aren’t any. Thankfully Death’s Door is nicely balanced but more ways to heal would have been great.
4 Best: New Items
Every time a new item is acquired it's an invigorating feeling. From magic like fireballs to weapons like twin daggers, players can find all sorts of things throughout the game.
It’s that same sort of rush one gets in a Metroidvania when they realize so many previous sealed pathways are now open. A map would make getting these new powers better, but that’s where good old-fashioned note-taking comes into play.
3 Worst: Level Up System
As great as the new powers and weapons are, leveling up isn’t as great. For one thing, every increase in one of the four slots has very little impact on gameplay at first. The more one levels up, the more obvious it will become which is great.
The downside is that the souls one requires increases while the amount the game dishes out is very little. It's a grind, to say the least, but isn't completely necessary if one knows how to time their attacks and dodges right.
2 Best: Low Key, But Entertaining Story
As is common in a Souls-like adventure, the story isn’t that present. It is not as obscure as something like Dark Souls though.
It’s easy to understand and is often quite charming thanks to characters like Pothead. His jokes may be corny but they are a good time regardless. It would have been better if characters talked, but that is only a small gripe in an otherwise interesting mystery.
1 Worst: Puzzle Sections
Death’s Door is primarily a top-down action game like most old-school Zelda games. However, like that series, there is also quite a bit of puzzle solving.
While not obtrusive, they aren’t interesting or particularly well designed. Solving something never creates that eureka moment. As it stands now they feel like unnecessary padding in an otherwise tight adventure.