Bard's Gold
- August 14, 2015
- Pixel Lantern
- 3h median play time
A scrappy but accomplished take on the whole Metroidvania shtick, Bard’s Gold marries tactical platforming action with great progression systems to create an effort that is highly worthwhile for fans of the genre.
Get on SteamBard's Gold is a challenging platformer inspired by 90's classics, where players explore eerie worlds to retrieve stolen gold from a goblin. With permadeath and procedurally generated levels, players must learn to avoid numerous enemies, traps, and projectiles. The game features rogue-lite elements, including character progression and the acquisition of new weapons and gear.
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
Linux
PlayStation
Playstation Vita
Xbox
Reviews
- Bard's Gold offers a challenging platforming experience with a high difficulty level that rewards patience and skill.
- The game features a variety of secrets, upgrades, and a solid progression system that keeps players engaged.
- The pixel art style and soundtrack enhance the nostalgic feel of the game, making it enjoyable for fans of classic platformers.
- The controls can feel stiff and unresponsive at times, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
- Some players find the difficulty curve to be inconsistent, with certain traps and enemies feeling unfair or poorly designed.
- The game lacks sufficient replay value due to its short length and the predictability of enemy patterns, especially in higher difficulties.
- gameplay19 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
Gameplay in this title is a mixed bag, featuring responsive controls and a standard double jump mechanic that allows for tactical play, but is marred by slow pacing and some frustrating mechanics. While it offers a straightforward platforming experience with various upgrades and challenges, players seeking a polished, modern feel may find it lacking. Overall, it provides a challenging yet enjoyable experience for fans of retro-inspired platformers.
“There is a standard double jump mechanic at play here, but it affords a great deal of tactical use and makes for some tense leaps of faith.”
“The mechanics are incredibly responsive and you get the hang of avoiding traps and things like that really quickly.”
“In terms of game design and mechanics, Bard's Gold offers a simple premise that is fun to play and is well executed.”
“Very bad and slow gameplay.”
“It gets quite hard and has a few annoying mechanics (for example, in a secret level).”
“If you play recent, retro-influenced platformers inspired by older games but with polished modern gameplay in a pixel art casing, you might want something else for this one; you'll likely find it too raw.”
- music19 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for being catchy and enjoyable, with some standout tracks that enhance the overall experience, particularly in the ice cave level. However, opinions vary, as some players find certain songs in the later levels annoying and describe the music as repetitive. Overall, while the soundtrack is considered a strong point, its atmospheric quality is debated, with some players finding it relaxing to the point of inducing sleepiness.
“The music is quite catchy, and I enjoyed the ice cave music so much that I bought the soundtrack.”
“The pixel graphics are well-done, and the soundtrack enhances the tone and feel of this game.”
“The soundtrack is simple yet great; the controls are great, the difficulty is high, and the joy you experience finding something interesting or completing a difficult level is a great feeling.”
“The music starts catchy and charming, but the last two worlds have slightly annoying songs.”
“Music taste is quite subjective, though, but if you ask me if it's atmospheric/immersive, not really.”
“The only criticisms I have for this game are the difficulty (too easy compared to other games in the genre) and repetitive music.”
- graphics10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The graphics are characterized by vibrant, cartoony pixel art that generally complements the game's retro style, though some players noted issues with visibility due to blending backgrounds. While the artwork may not be groundbreaking, it effectively supports the overall experience, enhanced by a strong soundtrack. Overall, the visuals are well-executed with a few minor drawbacks.
“Graphics are cartoony and vibrant.”
“The pixel graphics are well-done, and the soundtrack enhances the tone and feel of this game.”
“The pixel visuals have a few modern flairs like normal mapping for a nice touch of dynamic lighting juxtaposed against retro visuals.”
“But hey, I assume that if you play retro games, it's probably not the case that you're looking for fine-looking graphics, so that didn't have much bearing on my enjoyment.”
“Nothing to write home about, but not nearly as bad as the graphics.”
“The graphics worked well for the game, with a few minor exceptions where I would miss an enemy because he would be blending into the background.”
- story5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The story in this roguelike game is minimal, primarily serving as a backdrop for gameplay, with the central premise revolving around a quest to retrieve a stolen family treasure. While some players appreciate the lack of a deep narrative, noting that it aligns with the genre's expectations, others feel that the bosses lack any storytelling elements. Overall, the story is functional but not a focal point of the experience.
“The downside is that bosses (including secret ones) don't have a story to tell.”
“I'm ignoring the story because this is meant to be a roguelike, which I expect to have little or no story. This game meets that expectation, and I am not disappointed since this is not the main selling factor for a roguelike.”
“As the title itself states, your family treasure has been stolen, forcing you to embark on a quest to get it back.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while it offers a satisfying challenge and varied enemy strategies that encourage different approaches, the inverse difficulty curve may diminish long-term engagement. Players suggest that additional achievements could enhance replay value, making it particularly appealing for rogue-lite enthusiasts.
“Highly recommend it to rogue-lite/like gamers who enjoy platformers with replay value.”
“Enemies have different ways of attacking you, causing you to change your strategy all the time. Even as you progress further through the game, it keeps getting harder, adding more replay value.”
“I do think that this game could use some extra achievements to improve its replayability; it's definitely a great game for its price.”
“Scratches the platformer itch for a while, but the inverse difficulty curve means that the replay value isn't great.”
“Enemies have different ways of attacking you, causing you to change your strategy all the time. However, as you progress further through the game, it keeps getting harder, which diminishes the replay value.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is generally perceived as lacking in immersion, with music being a subjective element that does not significantly enhance the overall experience.
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessive, indicating that it requires a significant time investment to progress.
“It's extremely grindy, and it feels like a never-ending chore.”
“The grinding aspect is just too much; it takes away from the enjoyment of the game.”
“I found the grinding to be tedious and repetitive, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express frustration with the emotional impact of the game, noting that deaths can feel unfair and disconnected from the gameplay, leading to a sense of frustration rather than engagement.
Critic Reviews
Bard's Gold PS4 Review
A scrappy but accomplished take on the whole Metroidvania shtick, Bard’s Gold marries tactical platforming action with great progression systems to create an effort that is highly worthwhile for fans of the genre.
75%Bard's Gold Review
Bard’s Gold comes off largely as a homage to tricky hardcore dungeon crawlers. But it is solid enough in its own right, proving to be fun, addictive, and rewarding, despite its somewhat simplistic concept and the often grueling gameplay that can lead to some frustrating moments.
70%Bard’s Gold Review
Still, hardcore fans of the 2D adventure style of game may get more out of it than I did, and the fact that it all works as intended is a point in its favor.
40%
