Dead or School

For some, the technical jank may be enough to put them off engaging with Dead or School fully. That'd be a real shame, though; allow yourself to get wrapped up in the narrative, the mechanics, the piles of loot, the beautifully designed stages and the game's wonderful sense of style, and there's something truly special to enjoy here; an honest-to-goodness hidden gem if ever there was one.

If you can make it past some of the surface issues with the visuals and the combat being repetitive, there is a pretty interesting story to be told here.

Dead or School on the Nintendo Switch is more ambitious than it suggests. This RPG with hack and slash elements has a very interesting story line and a combat that is fun and engaging. It does less well when it comes to its technical performance, which is where its limitations stand out the most, but this a work that is certain to appeal to RPG fans.

Does this paradoxical, naive-yet-suggestive Metroidvania stick the landing as a potential best indie of early 2020?

Dead or School is a pretty good game with a strange and artisanal design, but quite deducive after all.

While light on the platforming, Dead Or School is an indie gem that leans on hack n slash combat and loot to pull you in and keep you.

Despite some concessions, the game is fun and humorous and packed with varied, satisfying combat. If that's your jam and appreciate an original plot, Dead or School belongs in your collection.

Dead or School provides a surprisingly long side-scrolling action campaign that's sure to please fans of Castlevania-style games, especially those who've grown tired of countless retro-graphic homages. The action is tight, the story is fun, and the rewards are big.

Dead or School is a bit of a hidden and unpolished gem on the Nintendo Switch, but we found that its pros (battle system, level design and loads of contents) far outweigh the cons.

Dead or School offers an enjoyable and action-packed adventure, but some technical issues and a strong focus on grinding do hold it back a little. The variety of weapons and deep levelling up mechanics will certainly do enough to keep you invested in the game though, and there it certainly has a lot more pros than cons – it’s just a shame that the (sometimes repetitive) action can be a little bit too janky to fully appreciate on the Nintendo Switch at times.