Doomblade

Up until the Dread Lords, Doomblade is easily one of the best metroidvanias I've played in a long time.

DOOMBLADE offers fantastic combat, lore, and art direction which propel it to greatness. Despite progressing and backtracking being confusing and tedious at times, and a few lackluster boss fights, the occasional dullness was alleviated by great music and worldbuilding that spurs intrigue. The devs created a world that I was continuously getting lost in, both literally and figuratively.

I really hate dunking on a cute, creative Metroidvania like DOOMBLADE, but I feel it just fails to make the game approachable and enjoyable. Much as I wanted to get lost in this dark, humorous world, the core mechanics never got more intuitive or fun, making the entire experience a slog. That said, there’s definitely a great game in here somewhere for those willing to push through the pain to find it.

DOOMBLADE is a fast-paced metroidvania title that blends twin-stick shooter mechanics. With tons of enemies and challenging boss battles, it puts your skills to the test. If you enjoy games with minimal hand-holding, this is the perfect choice for you!

Doomblade has a strong hook and an engaging core gameplay loop. The idea of attack-as-movement transforms how players see environments and approach the world. All Metroidvania systems are implemented well, especially the escalating upgrades that allow Gloom Girl to basically break the rules of this universe as she searches for the Dread Lords.

With wonderful locomotion and loads of cool abilities to unlock, Doomblade is a Metroidvania unlike any other that is well worth playing.

All in all, DOOMBLADE excels as a Metroidvania and is worth your attention. I was incredibly addicted to its control scheme and its combat despite its few faults. By the time I reached the final boss, I felt challenged in all the right ways. Considering its disruptiveness, I highly recommend DOOMBLADE for Metroidvania fans who desire something new, especially those who're playing with a controller.

Doomblade is a pretty kinetic and satisfying experience of 2D platforming and combat, managing to be fast-paced without overwhelming the player with its speed. It’s unfortunate that its second half is almost unplayable due to how unfun the level design is.

DOOMBLADE is a fast-paced quirky Metroidvania game that nails any and all expectations set for it and, at the same time, blows them away. From an amazing soundtrack to incredible lore and easy-to-use controls, DOOMBLADE is definitely a hit worth playing, even if you do have to battle the same boss multiple times due to dying every time.

In terms of time, it’s also worth noting that the game can take about twelve to sixteen hours to complete based on how you play it. Additionally, once more of the abilities and fast travel points have been unlocked, the traversal issues stop being a problem. This means that there’s really only one disappointing thing about this game once you get used to it: it eventually comes to an end. However, it's got some great endings. No spoilers though! So, check out DOOMBLADE!