Dark Devotion Reviews
While Dark Devotion is in no way a perfect Souls-like or metroidvania, it's definitely a pleasant mix of those two "genres." Some of the design choices at hand can make the experience feel a bit repetitive, and even annoying at times, but, as a whole, this is a pretty solid recommendation for lovers of challenging action-adventures with a dreadful atmosphere.
Dark Devotion takes some very important cues from the Souls formula (artstyle, combat) but forgets the most prevalent one: Designing a game just to be punishing isn’t engaging. Punishing should be a learning tool, not a way to increase its length.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Dark Devotion is not the little two-dimensional sister of Dark Souls, but could be the illegitimate daughter of Demon's Souls. If the developers don't want to handle the term Souls-like themselves, others have to. Who has a problem with the term should also think about where the term Rouge-like comes from. Well, it's a Souls-like title! The game story is rudimentary. The focus is on the ungracious gameplay. The title not only manages to break down the typical Souls fighting mechanics to the 2D level, but also lets you get into this feeling mode to have respect for every opponent and every new level section. The wonderfully dark atmosphere does the rest and lets you dive into this two-dimensional, merciless world, especially with the extremely harmonious sound scenery.
Review in German | Read full review
Take a somewhat gothic setting with various lethal monsters, traps, and perils, then add in a variety of weapons and power-ups you can slowly grind to acquire and you have Dark Devotion...
A borderline unusable map and generally difficult combat combined with traps that kill you immediately could definitely turn people off, but those who choose to persevere will likely enjoy this game enough to see it through to its obtuse, confusing ending.
Dark Devotion is intriguing, but design problems and cumbersome combat do their best to keep it from reaching its full potential.
Dark Devotion looks good and clearly has a lot of imagination behind it, but the systems that keep repeating throughout the game don't do much except getting you lost, confused, or frustrated.
It can be downright crushing, and more than a few people will probably be turned off by it. For those who stick with it though, or go into the experience fully prepared for a challenging experience, there are elements seeing and getting lost in.
This souls-inspired roguelite frustrates just as often as it entertains.
Dark Devotion is one of the most brutally challenging 2D action RPGs and the controls definitely don't complement its tough gameplay.
Dark Devotion was a game I didn’t think I’d like at first, but then it drew me in. Still, I think that overall it’s not really a game for me. A lot of players will have a hard time with it because of it being a Souls-like with rogue-like elements. So many players might get stuck unable to make progress, or eventually quit as the game wears down their desire to keep playing. I definitely like the dark story, though. I’ve got well over 30 hours in the game at this point, but there is a lot more gameplay than that if you try to unlock everything in the forge or go for all the achievements! Dark Devotion is available on Steam and the Humble Store for $19.99. It is also coming to Nintendo Switch and PS4 this year. Do you have what it takes to make it to the deepest depths of the fallen temple, or will its dangers and secrets be too much for you?
Sitting somewhere between Dead Cells and Blasphemous in terms of structure and gameplay, Dark Devotion lurks in their shadows, failing to stand out. It’s simply inferior to both, and while some ardent players may eke some grim enjoyment out of it, it’s hard to recommend, especially on Switch.
There’s nothing that elevates it above its competition.
Dark Devotion is a pretty decent game. It just doesn't do a whole lot to set itself apart in a field that already has some very good and polished entries. If you're a fan of the genre and looking for more of that, go for it, otherwise maybe pick-up a more polished title like Hollow Knight or Salt and Sanctuary.
Dark Devotion has a lot going for it. Sadly, the cons outweigh the pros and drop in several systems that really need to be fleshed out before the game can shine. Until that happens, this game will leave you frustrated and lost, which isn't a good feeling.