Crow’s awakening

Borrowing from the greats is one of gaming’s most rewarding and challenging scenarios. Death’s Door manages to walk a fine line between being compared to other titles, while also carving out its own legacy. This is a game that will receive a lot of discussion and praise, and for good reason, it is a stellar mix of popular game types that meshes them together perfectly. Taking inspiration from Souls-like games while tossing in a blueprint of Zelda is not something I thought I needed. After trudging through this dank adventure though one thing is clear: Death’s Door is easily in my running for the best experience of 2021.

The story plays out like a morbid Monsters Inc. where the player (a crow) is tasked with collecting souls through a series of doors that lead to new areas. These dungeons are filled to the brim with combat, exploration, and of course a massive boss at the end. What makes Death’s Door work so well though is its macabre humor and characters. While not plentiful, these dark souls (see what I did there?) add a twisted take on the world. The first example is a gravekeeper who simply cannot die, and as I strike him he reminisces about his eternal fate. The game is packed with characters like this and it leads to the mystery of the world.

MSRP: $19.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PC
Price I’d Pay: $19.99

The Zelda inspirations are bountiful. Each door leads to a dungeon area that rewards exploration. Each area also contains a new ability akin to Link’s adventures. I quickly found myself exploring each branching path and wanting to scour every inch of the area for all the goodies. There are also shortcuts a la the Souls games that make traversal that much simpler to return to. Every dungeon ends with a boss that is both whimsical and dark. Learning the patterns and utilizing what I had learned was paramount and each one reminded me of big bads from the likes of Zelda.

Combat feels sublime. The crow has both a melee and ranged attack that can be wielded and each one serves a purpose. I also learned new abilities along the way such as fire spells and more. These are used in puzzle solving. The best part of Death’s Door is its pacing. When combat started to grow old, the game switched up and focused on puzzle-solving. There was rarely an instance in my ten hour playthrough where I felt bogged down by what the game had me doing. This is a hard thing to achieve in modern games. There are usually sections that drag the experience down, but Death’s Door manages to circumvent all those issues and wraps up nicely.

Upgrades are handled like a Souls game. As I defeated enemies I collected currency that allowed me to increase attack power or movement speed. The game also respawns enemies anytime I left an area and returned. The shortcuts allowed me to speed through completed sections and I never once felt like I was being gated to my progress. The game isn’t overly difficult but will challenge you if you get complacent. Combat feels great and when I died, I knew it was on me. The health system uses a unique mechanic where instead of potions I would find seeds that I could plant to regenerate my health. These can only be used once, so I had to plan out my chance to use them wisely. There are also health upgrades hidden away in the world. The game does an exceptional job of forcing the player to explore while also keeping it interesting.

The look of the game keeps a sort of simplified color palette that suits its dark nature. You are a reaper collecting souls so it is fitting that the grey tone is present. Worlds feel dank and void of life and I adored it. The biggest selling point in the presentation though is the ambience of the music. It sets a mood that so few games nail. I loved the dulcet tones scattered throughout the world. This is a game that relies on its aesthetic while simultaneously nailing every piece of it.

Death’s Door is a wonderful experience that should not be missed. Don’t be scared off by the comparison to the Souls games. Sure it shares a few mechanics from those, but it feels more like a macabre interpretation of Zelda with some Souls twists. I simply adore this title and cannot wait for others to experience it. It is one of the best games I have played this year and it will likely be top of mind when the awards of 2021 come up. Do not sleep on this title.

Review copy of game provided by publisher.