En Garde!

En Garde! is a playable cartoon, with a charming heroine, hilarious gags, and colorful visuals. The combat and platforming are simple yet fun, with the former being quick yet deadly. While it is very short, it has enough replayability to keep you coming back for more.

A superb bite-sized experience with an excellent combat system, enchanting graphics, and fantastic flamenco-infused music. En Garde! oozes humor, its fencing duels are action-packed and truly satisfying. Regrettably, it falls short in terms of its relative brevity, simplistic platforming, and uninteresting storyline.

Arkham-esque combat and lovely platforming combine in this joyous and colourful game.

En Garde! Reminds me of classic hack-and-slash games but with the charm of Monkey Island and plenty of modern refinements. It’s genuinely funny, genuinely enjoyable, and full of charm. You will smile and cheer as you dance around the room, duelling with waves upon waves of dim-witted guards. While there is variety in the foes you face, the game only has four chapters, and you will have reached the end in around 4 hours. It’s a shame, but I think it works for fear of ‘too much of the same thing’ if it goes on longer.

En Garde! is the perfect example of a game that does not seek to be perfect, but still comes very close. With some minor flaws and a setting as pleasant as its combat, it is the perfect game to have a good time without worries.

Out of nowhere, En Garde! is a surprise hit and a swashbuckling tale well worth playing. Engaging in fights, whether that’s one-on-one or being outnumbered as you navigate an environment, using many obstacles and contraptions is immensely fun. Complimenting all of this is a painterly world, backed with a strong soundtrack, clever dialogue quips and a lot of heart. My biggest gripe with En Garde! is that there isn’t more of it, something I so desperately need. As iron and steel collide in tense frantic battles or as you send your hundredth mook careening down a flight of stairs, one thing becomes apparent: Fireplace Games have made a hell of an unbelievably charming and special game.

Despite wishing there was more to do in En Garde!, I understand how a short title can be frustrating. Hopefully, with time, more will be added to this title to make it worth the twenty-dollar price tag. Thanks to En Garde!, I was able to play this wonderful story, no matter how short it was! It has a story worth telling. Maybe we’ll see more of our new favorite swash-buckling protagonist, maybe not; but I for one hope so!

En Garde! focuses the whole experience on the charismatic protagonist and the spectacularity of the fights, which are truly reminiscent of the swashbuckling films that were so popular in the last century. It therefore offers a lot, but at the same time it offers only this: a hack and slash that in the end is little more than a beat'em up. Definitely a welcome surprise for those who enjoy action-packed games with a light and fun story in the background, but those looking for depth in gameplay, exploration or character growth will find this game too simple. In any case, I'm sure we will hear the name of Adalia de Volador again.

En Garde is a tantalizing first outing from new studio Fireplace Games, thanks to its slick combat and wonderful sense of humor. It’s in some ways so strong that it leaves you wondering what this team could do with more time and money behind them.

With a swish of the sword and a bit of improvisation, En Garde! is a fantastically fun action-packed adventure with a distinctive flair. Sure, it's a little bit short, but that doesn't make it any less sweet.

En Garde! is a perfect little capsule of engaging action, a well-refined aesthetic, and appealing characters. Like an expert duelist, it doesn’t waste a single strike.

En Garde! is a fun and compelling experience, and its best part surely is found in the unforgiving combat system, that hardcore players and casual gamers will enjoy alike: you can freely change the difficulty level in every moment, so that your new life as a swashbuckler can easily adapt to the kind of experience you are looking for.

En Garde! is a charming adventure that fans of the genre will love, although it lacks a bit of depth.

En Garde! is a delightful action title boasting strong enemy and combat design, a likable cast, and a stellar soundtrack. Still, the adventure felt a little too brief, resulting in the gameplay mechanics not feeling like they had reached their greatest potential. While you do unlock an Arena mode that offers additional opportunities to experience the combat system thanks to modifiers, it’s not as substantial as I would have hoped. Regardless, casual and diehard action lovers will undoubtedly have a memorable time with En Garde!, as I believe it elegantly manages to be worthwhile for both general audiences.

En Garde! is a small game that manages to be fun in every moment. It is not very varied, but fortunately it does not try to last too long. The combat system works and the comic approach is enjoyable. It is not a memorable game, but if you like the style and want something to refresh you between one 300-hour RPG and the next, we recommend it.

En Garde! is a fun, humorous and stylish frolic through a colourful 17th century Spain that pays homage to Zorro and the golden age of swashbuckling adventures.

En Garde! flares brightly with its slick, slapstick combat, for a while at least.

En Garde’s intense sword fights and infectious atmosphere make it a fun, if fleeting, indie action game.

If it doesn't always satisfy the more animal parts of our brain, En Garde! keeps the higher functions entertained, and provides some solid laughs. [Issue#389, p.114]

As is, En Garde! doesn’t overstay its welcome, and its strong combat will carry players through its rather short playtime. While the rest of the game isn’t as compelling, and the characters and story, while fine, feel like a missed opportunity, I still enjoyed my time with it. A more fleshed-out sequel, however, could be something truly special.

I applaud the insistent focus on combat, but En Garde! deserves more; a plot, environments waiting to be explored, real progression. None of that is here, so while the game's core is well-designed and robust, it's a bit too slim an experience to get a wholehearted recommendation from me.