First Cut: Samurai Duel

88%
Game Brain Score Based on 909 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • story
First Cut: Samurai Duel Game Cover
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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.

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Reviews

88%
Audience ScoreBased on 909 reviews
gameplay55 positive mentions
grinding2 negative mentions
  • The game features beautiful pixel art and impressive attention to detail, making the visuals stunning.
  • Combat is simple to learn but hard to master, providing a satisfying challenge that keeps players engaged.
  • The game includes fun mechanics like flinging blood to blind enemies and a variety of game modes, enhancing replayability.
  • The AI can feel unfair, often reading player inputs and reacting faster, leading to frustrating encounters.
  • The game can become repetitive, especially in scenarios with multiple enemies attacking from both sides.
  • There is currently no online multiplayer, limiting the ability to play with friends outside of local co-op.
  • gameplay141 mentions

    The gameplay of this title is characterized by its simple yet challenging mechanics, which blend beautifully with its stunning pixel art and sound design. While many players appreciate the depth and fluidity of the combat, some express frustration with certain mechanics, such as the dodge and shove systems, which can feel unbalanced or unintuitive. Overall, the game offers an engaging experience that rewards mastery of its mechanics, though it may require patience due to its steep learning curve and occasional AI issues.

    • “The gameplay is extremely simple, but that's good in this case; it makes the combat very tight and satisfying. No matter how many times I fight, it's always intense and fun, blocking, dodging, countering, and then finally landing a hit after going back and forth is just so satisfying.”
    • “The depth of these very simple mechanics never ceases to shine even hours into the game. It's a simple game with simple gameplay, and it's perfect just the way it is, because it executes all of it almost perfectly in my opinion.”
    • “This game is literally a hidden gem, 10/10 sword gameplay and 10/10 satisfaction on each kill.”
    • “The dodge mechanic is literally useless in the game when you just die half the time when you try to dodge.”
    • “A frustrating level of difficulty, where it feels far more of an issue with the AI and gameplay mechanics than a particular skill issue.”
    • “The shove mechanic is borked and not fun at all - a straight removal of it would be good in my opinion.”
  • graphics56 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning pixel art style, intricate details, and impressive blood effects, creating a visually captivating experience. Reviewers highlight the beautiful backdrops and the balance between stylized and realistic elements, which enhance the overall gameplay without overwhelming players. The attention to detail, including fluid animations and satisfying combat visuals, contributes to the game's reputation as a must-play for fans of retro aesthetics and brutal combat.

    • “The backdrops are gorgeous and the graphics and animation themselves are well done.”
    • “Art style is amazing, attention to detail is incredible.”
    • “One other thing that deserves immense praise is the art; the pixel artwork 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. The blood physics are just so cool to look at, splashing everywhere, staining your clothes and sword, and the death animations are all so cool, showcasing the amount of love put into all of it.”
    • “Don't let the graphics fool you, it really showcases the simplicity/complexity.”
    • “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.”
  • story51 mentions

    The game's story mode is described as enjoyable but challenging, with a mix of beautiful level designs and frustrating difficulty spikes that can lead to player frustration. While some players appreciate the campaign's narrative elements and the adventure it brings, others feel that the game lacks a substantial story, suggesting that it could benefit from more narrative depth or text between missions. Overall, the story mode is seen as a fun addition, albeit with significant challenges that may deter some 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.”
    • “My main problems with it are in the story mode, which is kind of off in a few ways.”
    • “I wish there was some kind of adventure/story mode, but I see why it would be hard to implement since you can only take one hit.”
    • “It begs for a story though, at least some text between levels or something.”
  • music30 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its unique and engaging soundtrack, which complements the pixel art visuals and enhances the overall gameplay experience. Reviewers highlight the blend of ambient and lo-fi tracks that fit well with the game's atmosphere, making it enjoyable and immersive, even prompting some players to prefer listening to other soundtracks while playing. Overall, the soundtrack is described as incredible, adding to the game's appeal alongside its stunning visuals and fluid combat mechanics.

    • “It's packed with unique, satisfying combat, downright beautiful visuals, and groovy music, plus a fun little story as well as a handful of other game modes.”
    • “The pixel art and soundtrack are beautiful and complement each other nicely.”
    • “The soundtrack of this game is absolutely incredible, as is the scenery and aesthetic.”
    • “I really suck at this game, I recommend playing the Samurai Champloo soundtrack to maximize performance.”
    • “Who knew that I like to slash people to pieces while listening to calm Japanese music?....”
    • “It reminds me very much of OlliOlli in terms of both aesthetic, synthwave soundtrack, and general vibe: punishing, but infinitely rewarding as you learn its mechanics.”
  • atmosphere10 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beauty, attention to detail, and immersive qualities, featuring richly detailed backgrounds and a fitting soundtrack. Reviewers highlight the combination of charm and intensity, creating a captivating environment that enhances the overall gameplay experience. Despite some gameplay challenges, the atmospheric elements remain a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.

    • “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 way better than in GOT too.”
    • “The game lacks a cohesive atmosphere, making it feel disjointed and uninspired.”
    • “Despite the visuals, the atmosphere feels flat and fails to immerse the player.”
  • humor3 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 quick in duel mode.”
    • “Achievement which is funny.”
    • “Funny katana.”
  • replayability2 mentions

    While some players find the game highly replayable due to the challenge of higher difficulty levels requiring skill and strategy, others feel that overall replayability is limited.

    • “At higher difficulty levels, you need an instinctive proficiency and a deep understanding of the combat to break through, making it very replayable.”
    • “But seriously, the game doesn't have that much replayability.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be frustrating, with AI enemies often feeling unfair and the difficulty levels either being too easy or excessively tedious. Many users express that the grinding required can be overwhelming, suggesting it may detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.

    • “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.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
  • monetization1 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.

  • optimization1 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.”
  • stability1 mentions

    Overall, the game is enjoyable and offers fun extras, but players have noted the presence of some bugs and odd features that affect stability.

    • “The game has a lot of fun extras, but there are some buggy and weird features that affect stability.”
    • “I encountered frequent crashes that made it hard to enjoy the game.”
    • “The game is enjoyable, but the stability issues really detract from the overall experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Buy First Cut: Samurai Duel

Play time

16hMedian play time
41hAverage play time
3-20hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

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