Over the last few months, I’ve been chipping away at that sullen mistress that is Dark Souls. You may have noticed I often brought it up with unenviable frequency. I mentioned it to the point that even I had become uncomfortable with the manner of which I would yell into the void that I had found something people will be quick to dismiss; yet I could enjoy. It was and still is a strange relationship, I’m the naive one who has just discovered leather, letting my hair down. Dark Souls wears high heels, smokes, and likes standing on sensitive sections of me. I think my point is, I’ve never seen or read Fifty Shades of Grey but I think I’m in one of those relationships with a game.

With that, I have several suitors lined up behind Dark Souls looking to get in my metaphorical gaming pants. Specifically in the 2D realm of Dark Souls-clones sits Hollow Knight and Dead Cells, two completely different games that capture different sections of Dark Souls just right. While I enjoy Dead Cells, I am atrocious at playing it, so much so that I play for the luck of the draw. Even then I still have great difficulty getting past the first boss. Then there is Hollow Knight, perfectly balancing the more simplified Dark Souls-esque gameplay, yet retaining the major themes of a world on the brink of destruction.

I’m not going to turn this into a review of any of those three games, however, I am here to review Dark Devotion. A game which is devoted to giving a Dark Souls feel while not adding anything of its own to the formula. From the art style being pixel Dark Souls to the heavily stamina-based combat, there’s nothing being done in a new or more efficient way from the games before it. However, I can’t only compare Dark Devotion to Dark Souls, as that would make it too easy to say, “It’s not the same game, it is trying to be. It’s trying to the 2D Dark Souls, period.” So with that, I’m going to draw the comparisons between the 2D Dark Souls-like games we have already established my devotion too.

First, let’s run through the level design. Dark Devotion offers a set of 2D platforming hallways that look like they came straight out of Harry Potter. This would be leaning back on the Hollow Knight resemblance, however, unlike Hollow Knight, the lighting is poor for a reason. There are some traps in the ceiling or walls, some of which you will most likely only find after it has blasted you in the face. While it is easy to map out in your head and remember where these traps are, it doesn’t make it any less dull. On the subject of design, there is nothing that accentuates the map other than the BDSM Freddy Krueger, or zombie-like skeletons with swords. You only learn locations because you turn left at the third dominatrix.

With that said, death is more of a curse than a new beginning. This would be a Dead Cells comparison, where you die, respawn, and have to pick up your weapons. In Dead Cells, it is as quick as your running to the right, picking up the weapons, and you’re into battle straight away. In Dark Devotion you have three tiers in the dungeon-esque library, where you can move left to pick up a stat boost, head right to go down ladders, speak to the man that holds your weapons to the left, pick out of the weapons you’ll have accrued, and so on. My point is, this aspect drags on. For Dead Cells, I’ll say, “Oh, one more go at it then!” In Dark Devotion, I keep saying, “ugh, fine,” with a long and exhausted sigh.

However, I do enjoy the boss design over both Dead Cells and Hollow Knight. The only solace I have found is the way one would approach a boss with knowledge rather than, “How does one bang their head on this monstrosity?” Unlike the former two, Dark Devotion gives you a boss fight where you take on what got you to this point in the first place. You’ll take on two archers, BDSM Kruegers, and disheveled knights the size of a 70’s British wrestler.

This still doesn’t take away from the flat attempt at Dark Souls stamina management in the combat. The only way to survive comes from stabbing your enemy or rolling through their attacks, which neither improves on Dark Souls or continues the simplified nature of Dead Cells and Hollow Knight. With the ability to only take four hits, in the beginning, you can’t brute force your way through an obstacle. The wonderful thing about Dark Souls (and its offspring), is how versatile the combat is by allowing you to take whatever path you want to get there, providing you kill what is in front of you.

Moving forward I have to say we have contacted The Arcade Crew, developer of Dark Devotion, to point out an issue. If you are that of a mentally sane human being, you would rather play a Dark Souls or Souls-like game with a controller, as it is the only way to properly play them. With that, my controller of choice tends to be the Xbox One Elite controller, which is nothing more than a heavier Xbox One controller. Neither of these will connect properly to Dark Devotion without a known bug occurring. We (I) reported this bug back in early May, and we were told: “We’re planning on releasing this patch on the week of the 20th May,” It’s now the 20th of June.

Fortunately, there has been an alternative to playing with a keyboard and mouse, as support for the PS4 controller works fine. This means that while waiting for this update, I have been playing with that. The sad part is, that still, I had a disinterest in continuing to play, partially because of the choice of the controller and partly the game itself.

What made me come back so often? Well, it was my job to play the game for this review (which was delayed waiting for a patch), as well as a bit of morbid curiosity I guess. It may also have been my own thought of – “I can kill bosses in Dark Souls, I could finally enjoy Dark Souls, and I will make you bow down to my every command!” With that, I can honestly say I want to love Dark Devotion, and I will say in parts it is endearing. However, it is ultimately not enjoyable.

In conclusion, do I recommend Dark Devotion? No. It is a flat imitator lacking the substance to let me get deep into its every pore. I have to say I can’t understand enjoying Dark Devotion, especially when viewing what it is imitating and its’ already established imitators. I guess if you want a game that actively hates you for playing it, Dark Devotion may fill that void.

A PC Review Copy of Dark Devotion was provided by The Arcade Crew for this Review.

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Dark Devotion

$19.99

4

Score

4.0/10

Pros

• Bosses are the final test
• BDSM Freddy Krueger

Cons

• It is a poor Imitation of other franchises
• Clunky and temperamental controls