Death's Gambit
Death's Gambit is a side-scrolling action role-playing game developed by White Rabbit and published by Adult Swim Games.[3] It was released for Windows and PlayStation 4 in August 2018. An expanded edition of the game titled Death’s Gambit: Afterlife released in September 2021 for Windows and Nintendo Switch, in November 2021 for PlayStation 4 and in May 2022 for Xbox One.
| Death's Gambit | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | White Rabbit |
| Publisher(s) | Adult Swim Games[a] |
| Designer(s) | Jean Canellas[1] |
| Programmer(s) | Jean Canellas[1] |
| Artist(s) | Alex Kubodera[2] |
| Platform(s) | Windows PlayStation 4 Afterlife Microsoft Windows Nintendo Switch PlayStation 4 Xbox One |
| Release | 14 August 2018 Afterlife Windows, Nintendo Switch 30 September 2021 PlayStation 4 30 November 2021 Xbox One 26 May 2022 |
| Genre(s) | Action role-playing, Metroidvania |
Gameplay edit
Death's Gambit is a side-scrolling action role-playing game featuring Soulslike and Metroidvania elements. The game is presented from a 2D perspective with a pixel art aesthetic.[3]
Development and release edit
Death's Gambit was developed by independent studio White Rabbit.[1] The primary inspiration for the gameplay of Death's Gambit was Metroidvania games.[1] The development team also wanted to integrate systems from games and series they enjoyed playing such as Castlevania, Dark Souls, and Shadow of the Colossus.[1] Castlevania games were also an influence for game's art direction, as well as Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP.[1]
The game was published by Adult Swim Games[4] and was released for Windows and PlayStation 4 on 14 August 2018.[3][2]
Death's Gambit: Afterlife edit
An expanded and revised edition of the game titled Death's Gambit: Afterlife was released on 30 September 2021 for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, and on 30 November 2021 for PlayStation 4, with a version for Xbox One currently in development.[5][6] Afterlife featured new content including 10 new levels, over 30 weapons, 5 new bosses, and mechanical overhauls. White Rabbit released the expansion for free to new users upon receiving community feedback.[1]
Reception edit
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | PC: 71/100[7] PS4: 72/100[8] |
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | PC: 81/100[11] NS: 78/100[12] |
Death's Gambit received "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[15]
GameSpot's James Swinbanks praised the exploration and the story, but criticized the game's combat as being clunky.[10] Writing for PC Gamer, Samuel Horti enjoyed the game's story, but disliked the stamina system.[4] In a mixed review, Mike Epstein at IGN wrote, "Death’s Gambit is a very blunt attempt to fuse two beloved games, Dark Souls and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, into one challenging 2D action-platformer. Developer White Rabbit shows a strong understanding of what made each of them great but glosses over fundamentals that all great games need, such as responsive controls and an understandable game world, and falls short of its promise."[9]
Death's Gambit: Afterlife received greater critical acclaim than the original game, with critics citing that the game made a number of quality additions and improvements to the base game while retaining its unique qualities.[11][16][17] Noisy Pixel reviewed the game positively, stating, "Death’s Gambit: Afterlife is the product of a dedicated team that wants to provide the best action experience possible. This revamped version offers plenty of new systems for returning fans and puts its best foot forward for new players. There’s great attention to balance in this soulslike Metroidvania that supplies enough challenging encounters and deep customization for all players to enjoy. It looks like the Afterlife ain’t so bad after all."[18]
Notes edit
- ^ Afterlife version published by Serenity Forge.
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g Thurmond, Joey (29 July 2018). "Interview: Uncovering the Soul and Giant Aspirations Behind Death's Gambit on PS4". Push Square. from the original on 27 May 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
- ^ a b Kubodera, Alex (17 July 2018). "Breaking Down Death and Other Features in Death's Gambit, Out August 14". PlayStation Blog. from the original on 25 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
- ^ a b c Prescott, Shaun (2 August 2018). "Death's Gambit is a lush 2D fantasy RPG releasing this month". PC Gamer. from the original on 25 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
- ^ a b c Horti, Samuel (22 August 2018). "Death's Gambit review". PC Gamer. from the original on 25 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
- ^ "Death's Gambit: Afterlife for PS4 now available". Gematsu. 2021-11-30. from the original on 2022-08-08. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
- ^ "Death's Gambit: Afterlife coming to Xbox One this spring, DLC 'Ashes of Vados' announced". Gematsu. 2022-01-25. from the original on 2022-07-27. Retrieved 2022-07-27.
- ^ "Death's Gambit for PC Reviews". Metacritic. from the original on 21 July 2020. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
- ^ "Death's Gambit for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. from the original on 1 February 2020. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
- ^ a b Epstein, Mike (24 August 2018). "Death's Gambit Review". IGN. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
- ^ a b "Death's Gambit Review - A Maddening Mission". GameSpot. from the original on 2021-01-12. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
- ^ a b "Death's Gambit Afterlife for PC Reviews". Metacritic. from the original on 27 July 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
- ^ "Death's Gambit: Afterlife for Nintendo Switch Reviews". Metacritic. from the original on 7 October 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
- ^ Yu, Henry (30 September 2021). "Death's Gambit: Afterlife Review – Relics of Undying Passion". Noisy Pixel. from the original on 30 September 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
- ^ "Death's Gambit Afterlife Review: Is it Worth It? Should You Play it? Gameplay Impressions". Fextralife. 30 September 2021. from the original on 7 October 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
- ^ "Death's Gambit". Metacritic. from the original on 2021-03-10. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
- ^ "Death's Gambit Afterlife for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. from the original on 30 June 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
- ^ "SwitchArcade Round-Up: Reviews Featuring 'Super Monkey Ball' and 'Hot Wheels', Plus the Latest News, Releases, and Sales – TouchArcade". 5 October 2021. from the original on 2021-11-25. Retrieved 2021-10-07.
- ^ "Death's Gambit: Afterlife Review - Noisy Pixel". 30 September 2021. from the original on 7 October 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
External links edit
- Official website