Guild of Darksteel
- July 15, 2021
- Igor Sandman
Get on SteamIn Guild of Darksteel, play as the immortal Sellsword and join the Guild of Darksteel to investigate mysterious tunnels beneath Ravenrock city in this side-scrolling, story-driven adventure. Engage in strategic combat with combos, level up attacks, and explore a rich, dark fantasy world filled with intricate details and intriguing characters.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The pixel art is stunning, with well-proportioned and beautifully animated characters, creating a unique atmosphere.
- The combat system is engaging and allows for the development of personal play styles through combo mechanics.
- The story, while short, is intriguing and keeps players invested in the narrative throughout the gameplay.
- The gameplay is repetitive and lacks depth, with many battles feeling similar and little variation in enemy types.
- There is significant backtracking and no real exploration, leading to a lack of replay value and a feeling of wasted time.
- The game is quite short, taking only about 3-4 hours to complete, which may leave players wanting more content.
- story28 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The story has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it simple yet engaging, while others criticize it for being shallow and lacking originality in its themes. Although the game is short, lasting around three hours, it offers a complete narrative experience that some found intriguing despite its generic references. Overall, while the writing may be overhyped, it still manages to weave an interesting world, though it could benefit from deeper world-building and a quest log.
“Come for the rhythm action, stay for the story.”
“The graphics are superb and very stylish, the story is simple but engaging, and it weaves a pretty neat world in the short time you're in it.”
“The plot was intriguing and the world building could have been dense, but it was easy to follow.”
“I wanted to quit partway through because it's boring to play after the first few fights (of many), but could tell it would be short (it was ~3 hrs) so I stuck it out for the story, which unfortunately didn't deliver, either.”
“Instead, the story turns into a shallow collision of medieval Christian and Cthulhu tentacle cult themes, but the references are generic and there aren't any compellingly unique spins on the standard tropes of either.”
“[--the story: 2, maybe 3/5--]”
- gameplay16 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Guild of Darksteel" is primarily focused on one-on-one battles, lacking exploration and platforming elements, which leads to repetitive backtracking and simplistic combat mechanics. While some players appreciate the combo system and find it easy to learn, many criticize the overall engagement and depth, suggesting that the mechanics do not evolve significantly throughout the game. Overall, the gameplay experience is mixed, with some finding it enjoyable for a short session, while others feel it falls short in terms of variety and challenge.
“The gameplay reminds me of Faxanadu for NES, but with more depth because of the combo system.”
“Easy to pick up and get good at it, interesting short story and good gameplay.”
“"Guild of Darksteel" is a good game for a single evening: mechanically it copies the old "Prince of Persia", while adding a simple progression system, fighting combos, a linear dark plot, and bleak graphics to match the narrative.”
“Mechanically, there's no real exploration of the map and no platforming: the game is a series of one-on-one battles with enemies.”
“Unfortunately, there is a lot of boring backtracking, the combat mechanic is mind-numbingly simple and barely evolves at all, and the lack of information about which order the options at a juncture should be tried in is just disrespectful of your time.”
“Unfortunately, neither the story writing nor the mechanics do anything to engage or answer that question.”
- graphics10 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Guild of Darksteel" are described as stylish and fitting for its dark narrative, though they are heavily pixelated, which can obscure details like character gender. While the art style is appreciated, some players wish for more distinctiveness between areas. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's engaging atmosphere.
“The graphics are superb and very stylish, the story is simple but engaging, and it weaves a pretty neat world in the short time you're in it.”
“I really enjoy the artwork and dark fantasy setting a lot.”
“I like the art style, although I wish some of the areas had been a little more distinct from each other.”
“Guild of Darksteel is a good game for a single evening: mechanically it copies the old 'Prince of Persia', while adding a simple progression system, fighting combos, a linear dark plot, and bleak graphics to match the narrative.”
“Guild of Darksteel is a good game for a single evening: mechanically it copies the old 'Prince of Persia', while adding a simple progression system, fighting combos, a linear dark plot, and bleak graphics to match the narrative.”
- music4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's soundtrack is noted for its catchy battle music, which stands out as a highlight. However, overall, it suffers from a lack of variety and tends to drag, making it less memorable.
“The best part is probably the battle music; it's very catchy!”
“However, the soundtrack lacks a lot of variety and drags too much to be memorable.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviewers indicate that the game's limited branching paths lead to tedious backtracking, significantly diminishing its replayability. Many feel that this lack of meaningful choices results in a virtually nonexistent incentive to replay the game.
“The few times the path branches mean more boring backtracking and may cost you achievements -- tragically so, because the replay value of the game is nonexistent.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of "Guild of Darksteel" is characterized by its unique and immersive dark-fantasy setting, enhanced by intriguing worldbuilding that captivates players.
“Guild of Darksteel is a short dark-fantasy adventure by a solo developer, featuring a captivating and unique atmosphere along with intriguing worldbuilding.”
“Guild of Darksteel is a short dark-fantasy adventure by a solo developer, showcasing a distinctive atmosphere and compelling worldbuilding.”
“Guild of Darksteel offers a rich dark-fantasy atmosphere that immerses players in its intriguing world.”
