Death's Gambit

Death's Gambit is a side-scrolling action role-playing game developed by White Rabbit and published by Adult Swim Games.[3] It was released for Windows and PlayStation 4 in August 2018. An expanded edition of the game titled Death’s Gambit: Afterlife released in September 2021 for Windows and Nintendo Switch, in November 2021 for PlayStation 4 and in May 2022 for Xbox One.

Death's Gambit
Developer(s)White Rabbit
Publisher(s)Adult Swim Games[lower-alpha 1]
Designer(s)Jean Canellas[1]
Programmer(s)Jean Canellas[1]
Artist(s)Alex Kubodera[2]
Platform(s)Windows
PlayStation 4
Afterlife
Microsoft Windows
Nintendo Switch
PlayStation 4
Xbox One
Release14 August 2018
Afterlife
Windows, Nintendo Switch
30 September 2021
PlayStation 4
30 November 2021
Xbox One
26 May 2022
Genre(s)Action role-playing, Metroidvania

Gameplay

Death's Gambit is a side-scrolling action role-playing game featuring Soulslike and Metroidvania elements. The game is presented from a 2D perspective with a pixel art aesthetic.[3]

Development and release

Death's Gambit was developed by independent studio White Rabbit.[1] The primary inspiration for the gameplay of Death's Gambit was Metroidvania games.[1] The development team also wanted to integrate systems from games and series they enjoyed playing such as Castlevania, Dark Souls, and Shadow of the Colossus.[1] Castlevania games were also an influence for game's art direction, as well as Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP.[1]

The game was published by Adult Swim Games[4] and was released for Windows and PlayStation 4 on 14 August 2018.[3][2]

Death's Gambit: Afterlife

An expanded and revised edition of the game titled Death's Gambit: Afterlife was released on 30 September 2021 for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, and on 30 November 2021 for PlayStation 4, with a version for Xbox One currently in development.[5][6] Afterlife featured new content including 10 new levels, over 30 weapons, 5 new bosses, and mechanical overhauls. White Rabbit released the expansion for free to new users upon receiving community feedback.[1]

Reception

Death's Gambit received "mixed or average" reviews, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[13]

GameSpot's James Swinbanks praised the exploration and the story, but criticized the game's combat as being clunky.[9] Writing for PC Gamer, Samuel Horti enjoyed the game's story, but disliked the stamina system.[4] In a mixed review, Mike Epstein at IGN wrote, "Death’s Gambit is a very blunt attempt to fuse two beloved games, Dark Souls and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, into one challenging 2D action-platformer. Developer White Rabbit shows a strong understanding of what made each of them great but glosses over fundamentals that all great games need, such as responsive controls and an understandable game world, and falls short of its promise."[10]

Death's Gambit: Afterlife received greater critical acclaim than the original game, with critics citing that the game made a number of quality additions and improvements to the base game while retaining its unique qualities.[11][14][15] Noisy Pixel reviewed the game positively, stating, "Death’s Gambit: Afterlife is the product of a dedicated team that wants to provide the best action experience possible. This revamped version offers plenty of new systems for returning fans and puts its best foot forward for new players. There’s great attention to balance in this soulslike Metroidvania that supplies enough challenging encounters and deep customization for all players to enjoy. It looks like the Afterlife ain’t so bad after all."[16]

Notes
  1. Afterlife version published by Serenity Forge.

References
  1. Thurmond, Joey (29 July 2018). "Interview: Uncovering the Soul and Giant Aspirations Behind Death's Gambit on PS4". Push Square. Archived from the original on 27 May 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  2. Kubodera, Alex (17 July 2018). "Breaking Down Death and Other Features in Death's Gambit, Out August 14". PlayStation Blog. Archived from the original on 25 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  3. Prescott, Shaun (2 August 2018). "Death's Gambit is a lush 2D fantasy RPG releasing this month". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 25 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  4. Horti, Samuel (22 August 2018). "Death's Gambit review". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 25 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  5. "Death's Gambit: Afterlife for PS4 now available". Gematsu. 2021-11-30. Archived from the original on 2022-08-08. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
  6. "Death's Gambit: Afterlife coming to Xbox One this spring, DLC 'Ashes of Vados' announced". Gematsu. 2022-01-25. Archived from the original on 2022-07-27. Retrieved 2022-07-27.
  7. "Death's Gambit for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 21 July 2020. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  8. "Death's Gambit for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 1 February 2020. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  9. "Death's Gambit Review - A Maddening Mission". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2021-01-12. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  10. Epstein, Mike (24 August 2018). "Death's Gambit Review". IGN. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  11. "Death's Gambit Afterlife for PC Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 27 July 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  12. "Death's Gambit: Afterlife for Nintendo Switch Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 7 October 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  13. "Death's Gambit". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 2021-03-10. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  14. "Death's Gambit Afterlife for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 30 June 2022. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  15. "SwitchArcade Round-Up: Reviews Featuring 'Super Monkey Ball' and 'Hot Wheels', Plus the Latest News, Releases, and Sales – TouchArcade". 5 October 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-11-25. Retrieved 2021-10-07.
  16. "Death's Gambit: Afterlife Review - Noisy Pixel". 30 September 2021. Archived from the original on 7 October 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
  17. Yu, Henry (30 September 2021). "Death's Gambit: Afterlife Review – Relics of Undying Passion". Noisy Pixel. Archived from the original on 30 September 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  18. "Death's Gambit Afterlife Review: Is it Worth It? Should You Play it? Gameplay Impressions". Fextralife. 30 September 2021. Archived from the original on 7 October 2021. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
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