Review - Curse of the Dead Gods... Runnin' Up that hill

 

Image courtesy of Passtech Games

We all have extra time to throw willy-nilly anywhere we want, right?

    Maybe we don't. I don't know.

    But if we do, then games like Curse of the Dead Gods can certainly serve as the time-wasters we're all looking for. There's not all that much you're going to get out of playing a similar-yet-not version of Hades, but if you're just looking to zone out and slash baddies then maybe this game is for you.

    Curse of the Dead Gods does have a story, despite it seeming like it has skipped one altogether. You play as a spelunking adventurer extraordinaire. His name is Caradog McCallister but I only know that thanks to Google. It's McCallister's thirst for knowledge that has brought him to an immense temple belonging to some ancient deities in the vein of the Mayans or Aztecs. Dodging traps and ancient monsters spawned by the temple's internal maze, McCallister must find a way out or seal his fate as a permanent fixture in the temple itself.

The Good

The combat is truly fun. And it has to be because that's pretty much 99% of the game. There won't be any NPCs that McCallister is interacting with in any capacity, so choosing weapons for the run and getting down to it becomes crucial. There are dozens upon dozens of weapons with their own perks and downsides. From shooting arrows from afar to clubbing demonic beasts in the face, there's a tool for every tradesman. This is where Curse of the Dead Gods shines brightest.

    The gameplay is also another weight on the scale towards entertainment. Managing curses by ensuring that you don't overplay your hand with what you trade for becomes an integral part of Curse's management. There are a plethora of curses that act as double-edged swords (this bad shit will happen to you, but look at the good it can do too! - kinda thing) but the real nasty one you have to watch out for is the fifth curse. The fifth, every time no matter what, will drain your HP down to 1 for the remainder of the run. Curse of the Dead Gods relies heavily on a risk vs. reward type of thinking for its players in the mindset of, yes I can upgrade this weapon now for a big chunk of the corruption leading to my next curse... but will I be able to stave off enough corruption before the end boss this way?

    The art is another piece of Curse's labyrinthine puzzle that serves it well. There's an interesting cell-shading technique used in the designs that separates this game from others in the genre. At first glance it does look similar to Hades in a lot of respects, but after playing it for a bit you'll see it has its own flavor that makes it special.

The Bad

The lore that Passtech goes for is oddly placed. It all ties in to how many of what kind of enemy you have killed. The more you kill, the more lore will unlock. That's not what I have a problem with, however. The lore itself is generic, explaining why certain screaming banshees are down in this temple or whatever, but there is always a quote on the bottom to accompany it. I had to look up what these quotes pertained to, and apparently they're supposed to be pieces of journals and diaries that McCallister is picking up throughout his dungeon diving. That's news to me. It's never explained, nor are any of the journals' authors of any relatable relevance in McCallister's life that I can tell. It comes off as a clumsy attempt at building out the lore in a game where the story and lore are not even secondary but somewhere off in the void of space.

    Cheese can get pretty bad in this game as well. Depending on the weaponry that you pick in the beginning, or trade out through a run, the enemies can either be handled with ease or take some time to die. More often than not, a decent bow and arrow will take you all the way through a run with minimal changing out. I don't think that's what Passtech had in mind.

    Audio is negligible. I can't recall a single piece of music or the sounds of much of anything besides swinging weapons and McCallister's grunting. There could have been more done here to tie it all in together. Perhaps there really was dungeon music of some kind playing... but it stands firmly in The Bad if I can't recall it at all.

My Ruling

Curse of the Dead Gods is not a bad way to spend your time, just keep in mind what you're getting. The combat is about as fun as Hades, but if you're looking for something that will thrill you as much as that particular action roguelike... it's not here.

7/10

Good Enough