![]() It’s a sequence peppered with anti-sex worker language and a threat of sexual violence that, in context, veers dangerously close to the implication of corrective rape. In addition, the art that accompanies these cutscenes may be a particular highlight of the game.įrustratingly though, a climactic moment of the game that reveals its core tension runs headlong into jarringly insensitive territory. Indeed, the relationship development unfolding between Tama and Koko is a good motivator to proceed through the dungeon levels. There’s plenty to enjoy in getting to know them both. Tama, a petty thief turned incidental bodyguard turned wannabe necromancer, embarks on a very particular version of the hero’s journey to save her fallen lover, Koko. However, the game conveys early on that it technically starts at the end of the story. Unfolding the story through flashbacks between each level of the dungeon might not be everyone’s thing and might create a slight disjoint between gameplay and narrative. There’s something endearing about watching their optimistic floundering. It makes the characters sound as clumsy and unsure of themselves as they clearly are, embarking on not just their first relationship but their first queer relationship. In some ways, the slightly clunky dialogue fits. There’s a self-awareness to the concept of “princess and the bodyguard but make it gay” that’s endearing and welcome, given how often this trope is exclusively made accessible to straight audiences. Still, the voice actors are a lot of fun and full of personality. The dialogue also feels a bit clunky in places. It can slow down what clearly wants to be tense and enjoyable combat in a slightly frustrating way at times. That said, some of the creatures’ hitboxes, as well as those of loot chests scattered throughout a given level, feel a little clunky. ![]() The boss fights in particular offer enjoyable creature designs and varied fighting styles. Equally, the variety of weapons and enemies you can discover in the game bring a level of fun to combat that could have started to feel repetitive if left on its own. These codes offer the player both items that can make your journey into the dungeon easier, and items that can make it harder for players looking to have a new experience of the game or just looking to challenge themselves further.Īnother strong point of the game is its soundtrack, and I was pleased to find that it changes with each dungeon level, offering a new sense of atmosphere each time. The developers will also be occasionally sharing IR codes through their social media platforms, usable on a variety of gaming hardware. Do you want to set it up so you lose items on death? lose levels? none of the above? All of these are options before you. That said, I love that you can adjust and customize the playability of the game Not just in difficulty level, but in “how roguelike” you want the game to be, to create a gameplay experience that suits your needs and interests. While I understand not wanting to overpower the player by offering them perfectly competent allies, it’s a little frustrating to summon a creature to assist in a difficult battle and then find that they spend most of the fight wandering aimlessly. Sadly, though, the AI of the creatures you can summon seems to need some work. It’s always a pleasure to see a mechanic that has roots in the narrative, and vice versa, rather than feeling like separate entities. It’s a weapon that bears both gameplay and story relevance. Indeed, a major selling point of Sword of the Necromancer is the capacity to wield a magically enhanced blade to summon slain enemies to fight for you, instead of against you. Additionally, it brings something to the table for people who almost exclusively pick necromancer classes in Diablo-like games. ![]() It’s not a perfect game and we’ll get into that later, but it has some promising ground to offer to fans of the genre. Sword of the Necromancer, the latest project released by Grimorio of Games, brings together a compelling story and an enjoyable core mechanic to freshen up the roguelike dungeon crawler landscape. Warning: This article contains slight spoilers for Sword of the Necromancer, and mention of sexual violence/harassment.
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