Death's Door

With a name like Death's Door, you know this game is going to be shrouded in darkness. But what direction is it going to take? Will it be an emotional journey of a protagonist dealing with loss? Could it be the story of someone's final days? You'd be surprised to discover the undertones of this game. It's about a bunch of birds.

You probably would think of our avian friends when associating the gameplay with a title, but here we are. This isometric RPG will have players taking on the role of a crow. It's his job it is to collect the souls of the dead. But what's this - the soul you're taking has been stolen?! This looks like a job for the birds of fate.

Don't Mess With The Blackbird.

You've probably figured right away that the universe of Death's Door is bizarre. It's a macabre setting mixed with humor, satire, and downright oddities. However, it's not that outlandish concept commonly found in indie games - Death's Door seems to make sense right off the bat. Narrative, mechanics, and visuals are very cleverly welded together.

You'll take on the role of a crow, tasked with your everyday duties of collecting souls of the dead. One of your souls has been stolen by a power-hungry thief who takes it to a deathless realm. Your job is to head there, track him down, and battle everything in-between. Exciting, fast-paced combat, intricate character detail, and stemming narratives are rife.

Although the objectives are straightforward, players will feel astounded by the level of detail that's gone into this game. It's almost like developers have poured their dreams into the world of design and streamlined it with engaging characters, stimulating concepts, and refined mechanics. Every part of Death's Door feels as relevant as the next and honestly is hard to put down.

The sheer strangeness of the game is always apparent. However, putting all the emotion, humor, and storytelling behind it all justifies everything it's doing. It's been a while since such a bizarre notion has felt so relatable - but Death's Door is designed brilliantly. Gameplay, narrative, and intuition all strike a resounding balance.

Long Live The Crow

It's worth saying that as brilliant as Death's Door is - the game isn't accessible to every player base. The difficulty curve tests cognitive abilities that some players will struggle with. Failures are punished pretty hard. However, when you're not in a fierce battle, there is an incredible world to explore out there.

Pros:

• A well-designed world that is breaming with life and lore
• Combat mechanics make every battle exciting
• The strange concepts of the story tap into a host of entertaining values

Cons:

• Combat takes the approach of rewarding cognitive response and punishing mistakes