First Cut: Samurai Duel

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"First Cut: Samurai Duel" is an arcade-style sword-fighting game set in feudal Japan, where every strike is lethal. Master the refined combat system, customize your character's appearance, and engage in intense battles against friends or AI opponents. Experience the thrill of decapitations and dismemberment, or opt for a wooden sword to spare your foes. Survive waves of enemies in Survival mode and explore additional game modes.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Local Multi-Player Play with friends in the same physical space using split-screen or multiple screens
2-Players Play with one other player, either online or locally, in a cooperative or competitive game mode
Multi-Player Compete or cooperate with other players online
Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo
PvP Player versus Player - Fight against other players in real-time, often in arena-style combat
Split Screen Play with multiple players on the same screen, often with divided or shared screen real estate

Reviews

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,016 reviews

gameplay60 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

The game features satisfying and fluid swordplay mechanics that are easy to learn but hard to master.
The pixel art and gore effects are beautifully executed, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the game.
The game offers a variety of modes, including a challenging campaign and local multiplayer options, making it fun to play with friends.

The AI can feel unfair, often reading player inputs and reacting faster than the player can, leading to frustrating encounters.
The game can become repetitive, especially in scenarios where players are overwhelmed by multiple enemies at once.
There is currently no online multiplayer mode, limiting the ability to play with friends remotely.

gameplay
158 mentions
38 % positive mentions
58 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is characterized by a mix of simple yet challenging mechanics, with a focus on one-hit kills that create a tense and rewarding experience. While many players appreciate the fluidity and depth of the combat, criticisms arise regarding the effectiveness of certain mechanics, such as dodging and the shove mechanic, which can feel unbalanced and frustrating. Overall, the game offers a visually appealing and engaging experience, though some players find the AI's input reading and combat dynamics to be overly punishing.
- “Fun game with really good mechanics and cool visuals!”
- “Great game with nice, fluid gameplay and a great soundtrack that sets the mood.”
- “The gameplay is extremely simple, but that's good in this case; it makes the combat very tight and satisfying. Blocking, dodging, countering, and then finally landing a hit after going back and forth is just so satisfying.”
- “The dodge mechanic is literally useless in the game when you just die half the time when you try to dodge.”
- “The gameplay loop is very simple, leaving not a lot of room for variety in battles.”
- “The ai can read your input unbelievably well, changing it from a difficult game to simply an unfair game with janky mechanics.”
graphics
63 mentions
73 % positive mentions
22 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning pixel art style, impressive attention to detail, and dynamic blood effects that enhance the combat experience. Many reviewers highlighted the beautiful visuals and animations, which contribute to an engaging aesthetic that complements the gameplay. Overall, the game's graphics are considered a standout feature, showcasing a blend of retro charm and modern design elements.
- “The game's art style is fantastic, everything from the blood flinging from your blade when you slash to the animations of fighting looks good.”
- “The backdrops are gorgeous, and the graphics and animation themselves are well done.”
- “One other thing that deserves immense praise is the art; the pixel art work in this game is absolutely beautiful, from the cloth physics on the clothes to the lighting, to the little details like the straw hats being cut if you barely miss someone or the water splashing everywhere when you swing on it.”
- “Also it's very pumped up with this all 'samurai' katana sword duel fantasy vibe. It's so much fantasy that you could imagine some dude jerking off to this game, cutting entire waists with single slashes. Yeah, this game just ain't it, lol. Refund time.”
- “70% of this game's budget went into creating the most realistic gore system a 2D low graphical fidelity game can possibly achieve; the other 29% went into making the game itself.”
- “Brutal visuals for a pixel game, but if you're looking for an easy game, I can't recommend it.”
story
62 mentions
24 % positive mentions
66 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimal, with many players noting a lack of substantial narrative content, often describing it as simplistic or non-existent. However, some reviews highlight that the campaign mode adds a storytelling dimension that enhances the overall experience, despite the missions being challenging and sometimes frustrating. Overall, while the combat and visuals are praised, the desire for a more developed story is a common sentiment among players.
- “The campaign mode, by adding a storytelling dimension, brings more adventure and makes the experience even more powerful.”
- “I like the campaign and the small story it tells, and the level designs are beautiful.”
- “It does a lot with so little: there’s not a line of text anywhere to be found outside of single-sentence pre-mission descriptions, and yet the game speaks for itself with its mechanics and visuals.”
- “Other than that, the story mode was why I played it, and it is just not fun.”
- “I think they should include some sort of 'story'.”
- “It begs for a story though, at least some text between levels or something.”
music
36 mentions
64 % positive mentions
28 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its quality and ability to enhance the overall experience, featuring a mix of unique, groovy, and ambient tracks that complement the gameplay and visuals beautifully. Many players find the soundtrack to be a standout element, often comparing it favorably to other notable soundtracks and expressing a desire for an official release. While some note the juxtaposition of gentle music during intense combat, the overall consensus is that the soundtrack significantly contributes to the game's atmosphere and enjoyment.
- “Great game with nice, fluid gameplay and a great soundtrack that sets the mood.”
- “The soundtrack of this game is absolutely incredible, as is the scenery and aesthetic.”
- “The pixel art and soundtrack are beautiful and complement each other nicely.”
- “The music in the background is really weirdly gentle for the combat happening in duel mode, but this is just kind of an odd thing I noticed.”
- “However, this does not take away from the main game, which holds stunning visuals, amazing effects, and a calm and relaxing soundtrack to settle down with.”
- “Who knew that I like to slash people to pieces while listening to calm Japanese music?...”
atmosphere
10 mentions
90 % positive mentions
-20 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beauty, attention to detail, and immersive qualities, featuring lavish visuals and a fitting soundtrack that enhance the overall experience. Players find it both fun and atmospheric, although some note that technical issues can detract from fully appreciating it. Overall, the game's atmosphere is considered a standout element, contributing significantly to its charm and enjoyment.
- “So first cut: samurai duel has a lot of beauty, atmosphere, and charm... no doubt about it, and the fighting mechanics seem fairly easy to grasp albeit hard to master.”
- “Nicely detailed backgrounds, a fitting soundtrack, and an overall cool atmosphere.”
- “Lavishly violent, beautiful atmosphere, and reflective sound and ambience.”
- “The atmosphere and attention to detail are significantly better than in 'Game of Thrones'.”
- “The game lacks any real sense of immersion, making it hard to feel connected to the world.”
- “The environments feel empty and lifeless, which detracts from the overall experience.”
grinding
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
33 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
Players express that grinding in the game can be excessively time-consuming, often requiring a significant investment of effort to progress. Many find the difficulty levels unbalanced, with easy modes lacking challenge and higher difficulties becoming tedious rather than engaging.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “However, from how I felt playing the game, the AI enemies did not only feel 'unfair' at times, but after playing a couple of matches, the easy difficulty was barely a challenge at all, and any other difficulty just felt tedious.”
replayability
3 mentions
67 % positive mentions
-67 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game offers a mix of replayability, particularly at higher difficulty levels that require skill and strategy, but some players feel it lacks depth for multiple playthroughs. Its arcade campaign and engaging sword combat provide a nostalgic experience reminiscent of 90s classics, yet opinions vary on its overall replay value.
- “At higher difficulty levels, you need an instinctive proficiency and a deep understanding of the combat to break through, making it very replayable.”
- “Its replayable arcade campaign, its beautifully moody pixel art, and its simple-yet-deep sword combat coalesce into a lost 90’s classic that’s as elegant as its preferred weaponry.”
- “But seriously, the game doesn't have that much replayability.”
- “Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to play again.”
- “The lack of varied endings makes it hard to justify multiple playthroughs.”
humor
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by amusing achievements and entertaining extras in the options menu, such as zombies and blood physics. Players find the multiplayer modes, particularly the hectic scenario missions and fast-paced duel mode, to be both fun and humorous, with elements like a funny katana adding to the overall comedic experience.
- “The extras in the options menu are funny and cool (zombies, blood physics, lightsabers, etc), and the multiplayer is hectic but fun in scenario missions, and very, very quick in duel mode.”
- “Achievement which is funny.”
- “Funny katana.”
monetization
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Reviewers suggest that improving the advertising art, particularly the Steam thumbnail, could enhance the game's visibility and attract more players, as the current design does not reflect the quality of the game.
optimization
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players suggest that while personal skill may vary, enhancing the gaming experience with the Samurai Champloo soundtrack can improve overall performance and enjoyment.
- “I really suck at this game; I recommend playing the Samurai Champloo soundtrack to maximize performance.”
stability
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is enjoyable and offers fun extras, but it does have some buggy and odd features that affect its stability.
- “The game has a lot of fun extras, but there are some buggy and weird features that detract from the overall experience.”
- “I encountered frequent crashes that made it hard to enjoy the game.”
- “The stability issues are frustrating; I often find myself getting kicked out during crucial moments.”