Death’s Door
A couple of days ago, I made a list of all the new 2021 games I have tried. By the time I was done creating the list, the game count was over 30. Out of those 30 games that I have tried, only a handful left me thinking and wanting more as Death’s Door did. I’ll cut to the chase; Death’s Door is amazing and is easily one of the best games to come out this year and one of the best games I have played in years! But let me tell you what makes Death’s Door special.
Published by: Devolver Digital
Developed by: Acid Nerve
Released on: November 23, 2021 (Playstation, Switch)
In Death’s Door, you play as a crow reaper, and your mission is to conquer three giant souls to open a giant door and uncover the mystery behind it. One of the things that captivated me about this story and the way that Death’s Door is in how the game handles death. Every time you beat one of the three major bosses, you sit there and mourn them for a little bit. By doing this, you feel for the characters. A conversation happened after the first boss almost broke me, and I was not expecting that kind of emotion in this kind of game. Every piece of dialogue between NPCs and you is smartly written and hilarious at times. But let’s get to the meat and bones of this game, the gameplay.
Death’s Door can be best described as a Dark Souls, Zelda-like game. I could not help but see the similarities between these two games. At times I felt like I was playing Link’s awakening, whereas other times, I could have easily confused this for a From Software game. All of this happened to be excellent, and it just made Death’s Door feel nostalgic and comforting. The combat mechanics are tight and when you die is not because some enemy cheap shot you, but rather because you made a mistake or didn’t dodge at the right time. Death’s Door invites you to mix it up in combat by combining magic and melee attacks. Your magic is limited, and once you run out, you have to get in close and get a couple of shots in to refill your magic stock. I love how Death’s Door doesn’t rely too heavily on just one combat mechanic, and you can’t make your way through the game by just casting spells.
If you like collecting new abilities, solving perfectly designed puzzles, and going through dungeons, you have got to try Death’s Door. My only big gripe with this game, which in my opinion is almost perfect, is the fact that after a while rooms and gameplay begin to feel a little too samey. I knew that after “beating” a dungeon, I would get a new ability that and that ability would help me open up the boss area, but none of that made me want to play the game any less. Combat and story are very important, but a bad art style or bad music can completely ruin a game experience. Luckily, Death’s Door passes this category with flying colors.
If I had to describe its art style, I would have to say it’s like a watercolor painting and a beautiful one at that. I was mesmerized by the areas and the amount of detail in these small sections. When I first walked into the witch’s intro area, the fall color completely took me away. Unlike many other games where every area begins to feel like you have been there before, Death’s Door makes each place you visit feel different. Your eyes are going to be glued to your TV, and your ears are going to beg for you to keep listening to this amazing game score. Death’s Door is only the third soundtrack that I have ever downloaded to listen to in my own time. Only two other games made that list, Hollow Knight and Cuphead. Yes, Death’s door music is up there with these two giants.
If I haven’t made this clear, you need to play Death’s Door. This game will keep you entertained all the way through. By the end, you’ll wish there was more of this game left, trust me. When 2021 finally comes to an end, and I look back at my favorite games of this year, Death’s Door will be in my top 5, if not top 1.