It’s been awhile since the last indie game got as much praise as Death’s Door. It hasn’t exploded the streaming scene like Among Us since it is only single player. However, it’s still getting a lot of press due to how well it is being reviewed. The developer, Acid Nerve, and the publisher, Devolver Digital, are assuredly thrilled by this news.
It can best be described as The Legend of Zelda meets Dark Souls which is a very blunt description. It’s so much more than that and manages to create a unique experience all its own. There isn’t much to fault with it technically but there are definitely things that could be added to make it a smoother experience.
6 Life Seed Upgrades
The healing system can make Death’s Door harder than it needs to be. Overall it is nicely balanced but only for veterans of Souls-like games like this. For more casual gamers that need healing, it can be a challenge. Right now there are two ways to heal: going back to the hub world or using a Life Seed.
The latter item has players plant these seeds in pots scattered around dungeons. This will heal the player once and will not respawn until the player dies or goes back to the hub world. There are no planting pots in boss arenas meaning however much life one gets before going in, that’s it. There are two solutions Death’s Door could add.
One, give the player healing items like an Estus Flask from Dark Souls. This may make the game too easy so there is another solution. When the player heals some dancing flowers will emerge. Sometimes they follow the reaper crow and sometimes they don’t. These could be used as a one-time healing aide. One bud heals one point of damage. It would make sense in the way Death’s Door is designed now.
5 Special Meter Tweaks
Death’s Door begins with the player having four health bars and four special meter bars. The special meter can be recharged by hitting enemies or objects. One point will be recovered for every point of contact made (like with a sword). It’s pretty simple.
The downside is that the weapons and powers that use the special meter are also used for puzzle solving. If the meter is empty and there are no objects or enemies around, it can be a hassle to try and find something to whack. If the game changed it to a rechargeable meter then that may make Death’s Door too easy just like the healing predicament in Souls-like games.
There is a solution though. It should be okay if Death’s Door instead allowed players to use these special moves without decreasing the meter so long as the power itself doesn’t make contact with an enemy. If it did then it would tick one markdown. That may be too complicated to program in now but something should be done.
4 Add Difficulties Levels
If there is one thing that is divisive in the world of Souls-like games, it is the difficulty. Some gamers aren’t that good at action games but still want to experience games like Dark Souls to see what everyone is talking about. Difficulty modes would be more inviting.
Hardcore players seem to think this would diminish Death’s Door’s intent which might be right but what really is the harm? While this game in particular is fairly balanced for most, it can be challenging for others. That’s why some difficulty settings or assist modes would be appreciated.
3 Increase Soul Experience
There are several ways to upgrade the crow reaper in Death’s Door. There are fragments hidden in the world that can increase health and the special meter. These act like Heart Pieces in the Zelda games.
The other way is through good old-fashioned leveling up through soul collecting. Kill an enemy. Get a soul. These are then used in the hub world to increase various stats such as increased melee weapon damage. The only issue is that Death’s Door can be a real grind as monsters don’t carry a lot of souls. Increasing the output would go a long way.
2 Needs A Map
Finding gems to increase the health meter, for example, can be tricky because there is no in-game map. There will inevitably be a lot of backtracking in Death’s Door with the more weapons and abilities one gathers. This is good in a sense because it makes the game feel like an open-ended Metroidvania.
The problem is remembering where all of these once out-of-reach items were. In a 2021 game, it seems unacceptable to launch without a map of some sort.
1 Add A Boss Rush Mode
One of Death’s Door’s strengths is its bosses. This is only natural as Acid Nerve’s last game, Titan Souls, was a boss rush game. Thankfully this new project evolved more into an adventure game. However, it would be nice to see them add in a way to replay bosses in an extra mode.
Once this relatively short game is complete, it does offer extras but not a boss rush. Not many games do this which is a shame for a title like Death’s Door wherein part of the charm comes with the boss fights. It’s not a must but it would be a plus.