Geek Review: Death’s Door

With the long history of gaming as an entertainment medium, there have been countless classics that helped create staple mechanics that fans know and love. With plenty of inspiration to draw from, developer Acid Nerve, with the help of Devolver Digital, has perhaps created the best package of the action-adventure genre in modern times with Death’s Door.

From the start, the setup is already designed to hook with intrigue, having players step into the role of a crow. Your job is to reap the souls of the dead, and when your assigned soul is stolen, a normal job becomes a dangerous trek to track down the thief, and the discovery of a realm untouched by death. What that means for the Reaping Commission will be but one of the many mysteries we will find ourselves in.

With time running out and your assignment unfulfilled, our crow’s only solution to enter this undying realm is to scour the lands for three powerful souls. Getting to these creatures is but no means a walk in the park, paving the way for one of the best elements of Death’s Door.

Exploration is a key part of the game, and what a delight it is as players step into a variety of haunting lands full of worthy foes, hidden secrets, and a visual style that may appear dull, but adds to the atmospheric feel of places that have seen better times. 

In between finding the right path forward, the game throws plenty of puzzles to spice things up. Even if it usually involves unlocking gates or hitting switches, there is enough diversity in how Death’s Door sets them up to keep things moving at a brisk pace. Every area seemingly dwarves our hero, and the clever use of shortcuts, winding paths, and heights help to expand the scale even more impressively. 

While one can certainly take the golden path and speed through everything, the setup of these regions will definitely pique the interest of any would-be explorer. Curiosity is the name of the game here, with Death’s Door smartly teasing players about collectables, healing seeds, or health/magic shrines as progress is made. Save for those gated behind obstacles that require specific magic to overcome, you are always going to get rewarded for venturing off the beaten path.

Such commitment to constantly surprising the player also extends to the game’s supposed ending, which draws favourable comparison with the likes of the reverse castle reveal in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. It might not be that substantial, but the true ending for Death’s Door is well worth spending a couple more hours to experience. 

Of course, to get to the end, there is much combat to engage in, and the combat system in Death’s Door is a combination of speediness and strategic timing. With no means of blocking damage, the only hope is to take advantage of the slower enemies to get some hits in, before dodging out of harm’s way. 

Things only get more hectic as more daunting enemies join the fray, all with their own patterns of attacks and quirks that a smart crow can exploit. There is unquestionably a slant towards being more aggressive, especially when the numbers pile up, but there is room for a preferred playstyle when it comes to vanquishing foes. 

Depending on how you want to approach combat, the different weapons you find on your travels will come in handy. Twin daggers hit fast but for lower damage, while the gigantic hammer sacrifices speed for stopping power. There is even an umbrella that deals half damage if you are looking to test yourself. 

Although the weapons are set in terms of their strengths and weaknesses, Death’s Door also mixes in a levelling system for the hero to become stronger. Harvested souls from enemies can be turned in for stat increases for strength, speed, dexterity, and magic, and provides even more flexibility in how players might want to progress.

Speaking of magic, there are four essential magic spells that are added to the arsenal as the game progresses, giving more combat options but also a vital component of puzzle-solving in Death’s Door. The more complex puzzles will require deft use of each of the spells, and the way the game limits the uses make for a more focused affair whether you are fighting enemies or figuring out a puzzle. Secret upgrades can also be obtained to make your spells more powerful.

Mastery of all these elements will stand you in good stead, particularly when the bosses roll up to admonish you for having the nerve to reap them. These bosses are powerhouses with damaging attacks, and they almost always look great visually while posing a danger. Players can expect some nasty surprises when engaging these titanic foes, and it is a great example of combat that is both entertaining and challenging. 

Between jumping through the realms and the offices of the Reaping Commission, Death’s Door weaves a tale that goes beyond just a hero’s journey, albeit in strange circumstances. It provides a commentary about the dangers of seeking unending life, and how acceptance, even of death, can be freeing and a worthwhile endeavour. 

Taking the lead of the classics before its time, Death’s Door delivers on many fronts when it comes to enjoyable gameplay. The excellent dungeon-crawling and exploration, smooth combat against a nice roster of foes, puzzles and collectables for a rewarding distraction, and even side characters that are charming in short bursts, it is an utterly gratifying journey worth dying for, and as the game would tell you, that is most certainly worth it.

Death’s Door is available via the PSN Store for $27.90.