Bloodless

About

Bloodless is a single player role playing game. It was developed by AntonioHR and was released on August 29, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

Stylish, action-adventure game featuring counter-based, non-lethal combat centered around ronin Tomoe's signature dash-counter mechanic, fighting with nothing but her bare fists to disarm her former allies, the samurai army of Shogun Akechi.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 116 reviews

gameplay36 positive mentions

stability2 negative mentions

Bloodless features a unique parry-based combat system that is both challenging and rewarding, encouraging players to learn enemy patterns and timing.
The game's art style and soundtrack are beautifully crafted, enhancing the overall atmosphere and immersion of the experience.
The story, while not groundbreaking, is engaging and complements the gameplay, with well-developed characters and a meaningful narrative about violence and its consequences.

The game suffers from significant difficulty spikes, particularly in encounters with multiple enemies, which can feel overwhelming and unfair.
Some gameplay mechanics, such as the stamina system and healing, are poorly implemented, leading to frustrating moments where players feel limited in their actions.
There are issues with hitbox detection and animation timing, which can result in unfair deaths and disrupt the flow of combat.

gameplay
88 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
56%
3%
The gameplay of Bloodless is characterized by its challenging and engaging parry-based combat system, which rewards timing and strategy, though some players find it clunky and less responsive than expected. While the game features a beautiful art style and a variety of mechanics that enhance combat, it can also feel unfair at times, reminiscent of classic NES/SNES games. Overall, the gameplay is praised for its depth and fluidity, making it a standout experience despite some criticisms regarding its pacing and mechanics.
- “Bloodless engaged me with its fluid combat gameplay, rewarding exploration and progression, manageable collectibles, and witty writing.”
- “The gameplay is very well designed; the counter-based gameplay goes beyond the standard design and rewards timing, pattern recognition, positioning, and crowd control, while the chi attack gives the option for a more proactive playstyle.”
- “Bloodless boasts the best parry-centric combat system of any indie game I've played, which is especially high praise considering Nine Sols released recently and also thoroughly blew me away with its mechanics.”
- “The primary mechanics don't constantly work; it uses randomness in all the worst ways and thinks hard = filling the screen until you can't move.”
- “The gameplay, though, is where it's a bit clunky.”
- “Gameplay: this area is where all my problems lie and where I just had to stop since I wasn't having fun.”
story
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
52%
5%
The story is generally well-received, with many praising its engaging characters, intriguing twists, and effective integration with gameplay, though some find it a bit rushed or unremarkable. The art style and music complement the narrative, enhancing the overall experience, while the slow reveal of the protagonist's past adds depth. Despite some frustrations with combat mechanics, the story's mature themes and emotional impact resonate with players, making it a rewarding journey.
- “The characters are believable, and neither does the story overstay its welcome nor does it try to be at the center of your attention, anyway.”
- “Absolutely gorgeous presentation, with some beautiful backgrounds, use of colour and dithering, great score and quite an engaging story, this is a demanding, but rewarding experience that has been criminally overlooked.”
- “The story really gets the point across about how hard it is to point guilties once a cycle of violence begins.”
- “The story is overall not that mindblowing, but the characters and dialogues are quite nice.”
- “It's not that often and the main story is mostly clear of these things, but in trials and some long battles it's quite frustrating and infuriating.”
- “The story is about what one would expect given the premise and it is executed well enough to serve the gameplay, with the finale being a high point.”
graphics
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
45%
7%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful art style, innovative use of color, and nostalgic pixel art that enhances the overall experience. Many reviewers highlight the aesthetic appeal, noting that the visuals effectively complement the story and gameplay, despite some initial reservations about their simplicity. Overall, the art direction is considered one of the game's strongest aspects, contributing significantly to its charm and atmosphere.
- “Graphics: gorgeous, the art style is beautiful; it's one of the best aspects of this game.”
- “The art style works really well, especially the use of color filters that add to each area's identity.”
- “Amazing game with very challenging gameplay and pixel art visuals that make you nostalgic about old school games.”
- “To be clear, this is purely aesthetic; it does nothing and it took me an embarrassingly long time to suss this out.”
- “I love the art style, music, characters, and story, but it's just such a broken mess.”
- “At first, I was put off by the simplistic graphics from the screenshots, but after playing the demo a whole bunch of times, I immediately purchased the game when it released.”
music
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
37%
13%
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the overall experience, fitting seamlessly with the game's art style and narrative. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as fantastic, effectively setting the mood for different regions and combat scenarios, with dynamic changes that elevate encounters. While some mention that the music is not a standout feature, it is consistently described as competent and enjoyable, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere.
- “The music fit very well: it drew you into the world of the game, set the mood of the regions and combat, and never got tiring.”
- “Soundtrack: very well done too, the tones fit the areas and encounters quite well, boss themes getting faster tempo with how deep in the fight you get makes for a thrilling encounter.”
- “It's a real meaningful and enjoyable gaming experience in a beautifully crafted environment and with a killer soundtrack.”
- “I love the art-style, music, characters, and story, but it's just such a broken mess.”
- “The writing and music, while not standouts, are competent and do not detract from the rest of the game, which is a win in my book.”
- “The story, visuals, and music are all well presented and flow together perfectly.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its beautiful pixel art and immersive locations, which enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the balance of challenging combat and light exploration, complemented by engaging NPC dialogue that enriches the environment.
- “The parry/dashing focused combat is tough but very fun; light exploration of the very atmospheric locations and dialogue with NPCs breaks up the pace just right.”
- “The pixel art is beautiful, and I love the atmosphere.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report a high level of stability, with multiple reviewers noting the absence of glitches during gameplay.
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find "Bloodless" to be a deeply heartwarming experience, evoking strong emotional responses and connections throughout the gameplay.
- “Bloodless is such a heartwarming game.”