Bloodless

Ultimately, Bloodless is an interesting, straightforward kind of game that is exactly what it says it is on the box. There’s a central premise, and the gameplay revolves (almost) entirely around it, even if it wavers a little out of an apparent necessity. And even then, takes the care to justify the shift in a way that lines up in the fiction. The non-lethal combat is fun to engage with, and doesn’t simply feel like another samurai game about parrying. There also isn’t a ton more to Bloodless than that, which is totally fine. There’s a target, the game lines up its shot, and hits it dead center. Good stuff.

Bloodless' unique counter-based approach to combat not only helps it come off as rather unique in a crowded genre, but the beautiful simplicity it creates with its non-lethal approach eventually gives way to a deeper layer of complexity as you face off against trickier foes in stellar showdowns. The world of Bakugawa is a delight to interact with and an absolute feast for the eyes, but the duels it contains are what make this a truly special game, and one not to be missed out on. It's the most fun you can have in a Sekiro-style game without drawing a single drop.

Bloodless is a bold action game that requires the player to pay attention to the enemy patterns and master their character's reaction options. Within an eastern ambiance presented through unique aesthetics, the game is an easy recommendation to any player who likes a good challenge.

If you want to transport yourself to the parts of good old 8-bit for a while, this game is for you.

The attention of Bloodless to details is surprising, not only aesthetically, but also in terms of story, map design and level design. Unfortunately the gaming part shows its side a bit. Both sometimes due to the imprecision in the commands, and in certain combinations of enemies that become unfair towards the player. Net of all this, the feeling of pleasure in deflecting a blow or overcoming a boss fight is truly enormous and repays the efforts made. Thanks also to a well-measured and never frustrating use of checkpoints. The story is not trivial and the player must pay attention and observe carefully if he wants to discover the secrets scattered throughout the game and complete the secondary quests. The characters are well characterized and interesting, the dialogues are good and the artistic direction makes the game a nice look.

An unusual adventure that has plenty of combat where you’ll need to win through careful defense

Bloodless mixes some of the combat mechanics inspired by Sekiro, with a strong emphasis on dodges, precision movements and countermoves. Not everything works perfectly, the pacing is a bit slow at times and there is a feeling that the whole adventure is a bit too drawn out.

Bloodless approaches the idea of a brawler with a unique spin featuring its non-lethal combat, but feels like it can be pulling its punches in some areas. Parrying your way through waves of enemies is novel, yet the implementation can lead to some overwhelming moments in an otherwise engaging experience. The path of mercy was never going to be easy though, and Bloodless still manages to be an overall fun journey of finding an end to violence.

Bloodless was an interesting game to play as its unique look and concept largely works well. The moments of frustration are brief but can dominate your time spent with it. While my biggest criticism are the enemy waves, largely because I feel the game is not truly balanced around them, I still have smaller annoyances, like Tomoe being lost in the action, or the stiff movement or auto-game that are frustrating to a lesser degree. Regardless, if you are up for the challenge and want a different type of experience, Bloodless might just offer you that, should you be able to look past its noticeable blemishes.

Bloodless might just be an indie game, but it was enjoyable most of the time and thought out nicely. The game has a great design and well-thought-out mechanics to entice players who miss the retro era of beat ’em ups. With a few kinks ironed out, it can definitely become a certified banger for the atmosphere alone. Some work is needed on some settings and optimization, but that can be overlooked.