When you are talking about dungeon crawler and rogue like we inevitably speak ofcommitment, study, perseverance and patience. These are all characteristics that also draw the adventure of Sword of the Necromancer, chatted out title on 28st January on Steam, PS4 and Xbox One (later it will also arrive on PS5 and Xbox Series X), and developed by Grimoire of Games. The title, while starting from a design that clearly refers to something else, goes deep into a story that deserves to be discovery little by little, even if its continuation will be linked to a whole series of attempts by the player himself.
An indissoluble bond
Sword of the Necromancer opens, from the point of view narrative, with a plot apparently already seen, already addressed in the past or even discussed by fans of the medium. Events start with Tama, of which we have no explanation, introduction or in-depth study, intent on saving Koko, now lifeless. To do this he leads his dead body into the depths of some mountains, in a legendary place forgotten by the world, if it were not for the legends that hover around him. Its goal is to bring it back to life through the legendary sword of the necromancer, presumably kept on site. However, everything soon changes when Tama realizes that the sword can do nothing by itself, thus finally deciding to go deeper and deeper into the meanders of that place, a journey during which she will be guided by a strange presence, by a kind of indefinite entity (which is very reminiscent of i Dormin di Shadow of the Colossus).
All this, of course, is very reminiscent of Smoking Ueda e Kow Otani mentioned above, always speaking of its narrative construction. The substantial difference lies in the fact that Sword of the Necromancer, unlike Shadow of the Colossus, presses much more on the relationship between the two women, leading to one extremely richer writing and a framing of the characters, not only from the point of view emotional, but also from that politician, also enriching the dispute in which the two are inserted. It all happens through various flashback of the protagonist, fleeting flashbacks that can only be obtained at certain times following the completion of a level, effectively leading to a fusion of storytelling and action, which advance together hand in hand with the skills of the player himself.
A faithful companion
Speaking of the gameplay, we are faced with a classic dungeon crawler with marked characteristics from rogue like. To advance within the game you will have to face a whole series of random dungueon that will put a strain on the player. Enemies remain a key factor, both as they will be the only way to get experience points, designed to increase the general statistics of the protagonist (life points represented by the hearts, dexterity, defense, magic, etc.), both due to the fact that through our legendary blade these can be awakened from death, becoming our trusts companions travel (although it would be more correct to speak of pawns). This playful dynamic turns out to be the most in the long run interesting, soon becoming one of the most dynamic mechanisms available. Obviously the dungeons offer a whole plurality of objects e weaponry to collect, so as to transform each run into a different experience. To further increase this feeling of dynamism, however, i monsters at our side.
Each of these will in fact be equipped with features ed specific skills that can be exploited to our advantage. It is possible to carry a maximum of 3 at a time, with a whole series of implications during the various battles that also impact on the strategy that one wants to adopt to advance. Hence, the title not only offers the possibility of to write a new character at each run, but to shape a real one party, always in relation to what is found along the way. By completing a level, then, not only will you have the opportunity to advance, but also that of keep with him the monsters and objects collected, placing them in a special Inventory for the future.
Speaking of inventories, the title also offers the player a whole series of papers present at the altar, ready to offer us information on the game world, on the beasts faced, on the flashbacks collected and on the various secrets scattered far and wide. From the point of view of level design we have very little to say. In-game we find ourselves projected into a context that all fans of the aforementioned genres they will recognize immediately, even if after a few hours of play you feel a certain background repetitiveness, which however fades very quickly thanks to fluidity of the fighting, at animations and a whole series of sound goodies that can easily entertain even the less accustomed.
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