Morbid: The Lords of Ire

72%
Game Brain Score Based on 74 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • story
Morbid: The Lords of Ire Game Cover
Morbid: Lords of Ire brings a couple unique things to the Soulsborne genre, like how to upgrade weapons and a simplified but enjoyable combat experience. While progression on all fronts lacks the polish needed to strengthen its case, Soulsborne fans should give it a try, especially at $30.
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"Morbid: The Lords of Ire" is an isometric ARPG with a 3D perspective, continuing the story of "Morbid: The Seven Acolytes". Players will face gruesome enemies in the five lands of Ire, using a variety of weapons and blessings to defeat them. The sanity system from the previous game is expanded, impacting combat and altering the player's perception of the world based on their mental state.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

72%
Audience ScoreBased on 74 reviews
gameplay12 positive mentions
story3 negative mentions
  • The parry system is rewarding and adds depth to combat, allowing for satisfying counterattacks.
  • The game features a unique aesthetic and interesting enemy designs, contributing to an engaging atmosphere.
  • Despite its flaws, the game provides a fun experience for fans of the souls-like genre, with decent level design and a variety of weapons.
  • The game suffers from technical issues, including crashes and unresponsive controls, which detract from the overall experience.
  • Combat can feel clunky and repetitive, with many weapons sharing the same moveset and a reliance on parrying that can become monotonous.
  • The progression and upgrade systems are convoluted and poorly implemented, limiting experimentation and making character development feel unsatisfying.
  • gameplay38 mentions

    The gameplay features a mix of solid defensive mechanics like perfect blocks and ripostes, but struggles with balance, particularly when facing multiple enemies. While the combat can be satisfying and incorporates unique mechanics such as a sanity system and a gun mechanic, many players find the overall experience repetitive due to similar weapon movesets and a lack of character progression. Overall, the game shows promise but requires significant polish and refinement to enhance the gameplay loop and player engagement.

    • “The gameplay is fun, reactive, and quite satisfying.”
    • “A nice take on the souls genre, with great new mechanics, satisfying combat feel, decent level design, and interesting art design.”
    • “The devs seem to understand well the core of this genre, level design, and enemy placement to create interesting gameplay encounters and opportunities for skill expression.”
    • “The downside gameplay-wise is that while there are a fair few weapons, all weapons of the same class have the exact same moveset.”
    • “The poise/ragebreaker mechanic is really badly designed and it spoils the combat for me.”
    • “The game costs $25, which might be fine if it had gear, armor, skills, or attributes like in Dark Souls or Elden Ring. Without those features, it leaves a very bland and frankly pointless gameplay loop, as the only reason to play is for the story, which is underwhelming.”
  • graphics13 mentions

    The graphics of the game are a mixed bag, with some users noting that while they may not be AAA quality, they effectively capture a unique artistic style that enhances the overall atmosphere. Many appreciate the stunning visuals and the seamless transition from isometric to 3D, despite some inconsistencies in model quality and animation. Overall, the game's aesthetic and attention to detail, especially given its budget, have garnered positive feedback from players.

    • “Pros: stunning visuals”
    • “Really fun combat, loved the aesthetic of the world, to see the enemies from the first game remade in 3D beautifully.”
    • “The game does have budget visuals but makes up for that with some very interesting mechanics when it comes to increasing your character viability.”
    • “This is exacerbated by the models looking pretty decent, which makes the animations not quite fit the visuals of the game.”
    • “Yes, the graphics are not from a AAA title, but it's a €25 game from a small studio and the care they put into all the zones is amazing.”
  • story6 mentions

    The game's story is generally perceived as lackluster and uninspired, serving merely as a minimal framework to justify the gameplay rather than engaging players. Many reviewers feel that without character progression or meaningful gameplay elements, the story fails to provide a compelling reason to continue playing. Overall, it appears that the narrative does not meet the expectations set by other titles in the genre, leaving players disappointed.

    • “The 'story' is there just to give you an end goal, so it's not just a mindless parry and slash. Sorry, but 'yeah, remember the bad guys from the first game? Yeah, they're back, you gotta kill them again, get to it' isn't much of a story.”
    • “The game costs $25, which might be acceptable if it had gear, armor, skills, or attributes like Dark Souls or Elden Ring. Without those features, it results in a very bland and frankly pointless gameplay loop. The only reason to play the game is for the story, but the story is quite underwhelming, so why bother?”
    • “The 'story' is merely there to provide an end goal, so it's not just a mindless parry and slash. The narrative boils down to, 'Yeah, remember the bad guys from the first game? They're back, and you have to kill them again.' That's not much of a story.”
    • “Most people don't play these types of games for the story, though.”
  • atmosphere5 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is praised for its unique artistry and effective level and enemy design, which contribute to a captivating and immersive experience. Despite some graphical shortcomings, the music and overall ambiance enhance the grim tone, making it a strong addition to the souls-like genre. Players appreciate the combination of solid combat and atmospheric elements, though some feel the upgrade system could be improved.

    • “The music and the atmosphere are awesome!”
    • “Level design is top notch, enemy design is creative and fits the grim atmosphere, and in general it's a step-up from the demo that was provided.”
    • “The atmosphere and monster design hits just right.”
  • stability4 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while some players report minimal glitches that can be quickly resolved, others experience frequent bugs, including map artifacts that lead to softlocks and various visual issues.

    • “First, it's buggy.”
    • “The game is pretty buggy.”
    • “Map artifacts causing softlocks are not uncommon; I had plenty of visual glitches too.”
  • music3 mentions

    The music in the game is highly praised for its aesthetic quality, closely resembling that of the first installment. Reviewers highlight the outstanding original soundtrack, particularly noting the track "Redemption" as a standout piece that enhances the overall atmosphere.

    • “The aesthetic and music are quite good and similar to the first game.”
    • “The OST is also delicious, and the track 'Redemption' is so good.”
    • “The music and the atmosphere are awesome!”
  • optimization2 mentions

    Overall, the game is well-optimized, delivering solid performance even on high-end rigs like the 3080 and 7800x3d at 1440p, while also featuring impressive graphics and a unique combat system.

    • “Graphics are good and performance is solid on my rig (3080, 7800X3D, 1440p).”
    • “They have their own unique spin on the combat, and so far the game seems pretty well optimized.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    The game offers some replayability through its new game plus (ng+) feature, but many players may not engage with this option, limiting its overall replay value.

    • “The game offers a wealth of choices that make each playthrough feel unique and engaging.”
    • “With multiple endings and character paths, there's always a reason to dive back in and explore different outcomes.”
    • “The variety of gameplay styles and strategies encourages players to replay the game to experience everything it has to offer.”
    • “I suppose it adds replay value for those interested in New Game Plus, but honestly, most people will never see that.”
    • “The game feels too linear, making it hard to justify multiple playthroughs.”
    • “Once you complete the main story, there's little incentive to go back and play again.”
  • grinding1 mentions

    Reviews indicate that the grinding in this indie soulslike game is often seen as excessively tedious, prioritizing difficulty over enjoyment and appealing primarily to players who embrace punishing gameplay.

    • “It displays the worst 'indie soulslike' tendencies of being frustratingly tedious for the sake of being 'hard' to appeal to the self-flagellants of the cult of souls.”
    • “The grinding feels endless and serves no real purpose, making the game more of a chore than an enjoyable experience.”
    • “I found myself repeating the same tasks over and over, which quickly turned the excitement of the game into a monotonous grind.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

69% average critic score

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