Barbearian

 Switch
Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 4 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. Pure Nintendo
    Nov 16, 2020
    95
    With over 100 levels to battle through, plenty of loot to collect, numerous bosses to take down and even some prisoners to rescue, Barbearian will keep even the most seasoned of adventurers very busy and highly entertained for quite some time. Besides, who doesn’t like hacking at sword-wielding skeletons?
  2. Video Chums
    Mar 10, 2021
    80
    Through its intuitive and fun-filled gameplay, Barbearian offers an excellent action-packed campaign that's surprisingly huge and varied.
  3. NintendoWorldReport
    Nov 3, 2020
    80
    Barbearian might be one of the more pleasant surprises of the year. Underneath the hack-and-slash simplicity in sending troops flying with a swing of your axe is robust strategizing and improvising on the fly when your best laid plans crumble. The mystery inherent in its story coupled with the bright and neat visual style adds an additional dimension to the experience. I can wholeheartedly recommend you add this to your Switch catalog.

User Reviews

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User Score
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No user score yet- Awaiting 3 more ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 1
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 1
  3. Negative: 0 out of 1
  1. CasualTap
    Oct 16, 2021
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. Story
    You are trapped in an unknown world, and the creatures that call themselves arbitrators tell you that you are the chosen one. They are testing your kind — Human being! And by testing, it means as a sample subject you have to kill hordes of enemies!

    Gameplay
    Barbearian focuses on satisfying hash and slash mechanics. Sometimes you are totally outnumbered, so dashing is kind of your survival skill. That said, you can recruit and upgrade a good number of minions. So you can also avoid direct battles if you want to and let your mates do the job. Also note that your minions can be killed, and to respawn them in battles, you need blue mana which is easy or sometimes a bit hard to find. This is how the game is balanced, I think.

    Usually a Hash and Slash game can be repetitive in one way or another. To avoid that, the game is designed for a good length of about 10 hours to beat, depending on how you choose to play it. That fits the game scale very well. You can adjust the ‘Accessibility’ to make it fit your play style, whether you want the game to be more challenging or lower the difficulty and play as an overpowered fighter. It’s also great that the game has a variety of enemies types and boss fights for you to experience.

    Watermelon is the in-game currency used to upgrade for example your health bar and minions as well as unlocking weapon types and resurrecting yourself from death. You might need to grind for it in order to be better equipped before confronting a difficult boss. But it’s totally your choice. As bosses have predictable patterns, you can also try your patience to bring them down.

    The game is area-based, meaning that after you have beaten down all enemies from different portals in an area, you have to kill a boss. By killing the boss, you will unlock a new area.

    Music/Graphics
    You will play the game in an isometric view. The environment is colorful, and the world looks so cartoonish. For music, it is quirky and yes in a good way.

    Conclusion
    The game is polished and smooth. And I didn’t encounter any performance issues. I must admit I have finished the game a few times on my iPad. And so far, as I nearly finish it again on my Switch, I still find it as enjoyable as the first time I played it. So I would say the game has a great replayability value, at least for me. it’s a 8.5/10 game.    … Full Review »