Death’s Door First Impressions – Don’t Fear the Reaper

I recently got a chance to check out Acid Nerve’s upcoming action-adventure Death’s Door, in which you take on the role of a winged (but relatively flightless) Reaper, tasked with sending souls to wherever it is they go when they die. The game melds familiar mechanics with a refreshingly unique fantasy world, to excellent results, and the few hours I spent playing as Death’s Door’s cute (but deadly) little Crow left me wanting more.

Acid Nerve’s previous title was Titan Souls, a boss-fight focused pixel-art game that was very well received back in 2015. But whereas Titan Souls was basically a boss-rush, Death’s Door is a full-fledged adventure game, with plenty of NPC dialogue, varied environments and enemies, and a well developed plot that tantalizingly unfolds as you play.

deaths door screenshot swamp action — *The action is fairly fast-paced, but readable*

Combat is tight — the Crow is responsive and feels satisfying to control. Deaths that occur feel like player error, and the enemies I encountered in the preview build I played always felt fair to face. If anything, I was slightly underwhelmed by the challenge foes presented: I beat the first big boss without dying, which honestly felt like a bit of a let-down after an exciting lead up to the encounter. I did still find myself staring at the DEATH screen on more than one occasion, and most players will find plenty to challenge them here.

deaths door first impressions death screen — *Thanks, I can see that*

The game is also pretty darn funny. Most of the interactions with NPCs gave me a good chuckle or two, and the drab, gray 9-5 vibe of the game’s hub world is almost too accurate. Unlike some games where I sometimes find myself ignoring opportunities for dialogue, I was always eager to see what the denizens of Death’s Door had to say for themselves.

deaths door first impressions secret giving NPC — *Some NPCs give you hints about where secrets can be found*

I said in a previous article on Death’s Door that it looks a lot like a cross between A Link to the Past and Dark Souls, and after playing it, I have to humbly admit that I was right. It’s got the timing-based combat of the Soulsborne games, and it also has the exploration and secret-hunting of classic SNES adventure titles. Death’s Door releases July 20th, with 15% off until the release date. Anyone whose enjoys similar isometric action-adventure games ought to keep an eye on this one.