Curse of the Dead Gods

 Switch
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 14 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14

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  1. JohnSmithreg
    Mar 1, 2021
    9
    I really liked this game. Atmospheric levels, sound, play of light and shadows. Action points that you see in real time. The only thing I didn't like was that the text on the Nintendo Switch was too small. The text in the dialogs is very small. Even when I play on a big TV, I still have to sit a little closer than usual. This is a big disadvantage for me. But I hope the developersI really liked this game. Atmospheric levels, sound, play of light and shadows. Action points that you see in real time. The only thing I didn't like was that the text on the Nintendo Switch was too small. The text in the dialogs is very small. Even when I play on a big TV, I still have to sit a little closer than usual. This is a big disadvantage for me. But I hope the developers fix it soon.… Expand
  2. gnadenlos
    Mar 1, 2021
    9
    This is not Hades! This game will get a lot of negative reviews from people that expected the casual experience and the mirror-upgrade + story loop of Hades.

    The core game play of Curse of the Dead Gods is much deeper, but it doesn't have story content or that many rougue-lite elements. You have to improve your skills instead of mirror upgrades in this game - it's much more skill based    This is not Hades! This game will get a lot of negative reviews from people that expected the casual experience and the mirror-upgrade + story loop of Hades.

    The core game play of Curse of the Dead Gods is much deeper, but it doesn't have story content or that many rougue-lite elements. You have to improve your skills instead of mirror upgrades in this game - it's much more skill based and if you know how to play and how to handle the controls and enemy attack patterns you could easily win without any permanent upgrades.

    If you're looking for a great rogue-lite dungeon crawler with game play focus instead of Hades 2.0, you can't go wrong.    … Expand
  3. Marcelaoo
    Mar 3, 2021
    10
    At this point in time, there is a massive heap of masterfully crafted roguelikes out there, and somehow, some developers manage to make even more near-immaculate games tied to this genre. Curse of the Dead Gods is one of those games, not only due to its beautiful art style reminiscent of Darkest Dungeon but also having some of the best combat systems the genre has seen, rivaling the likesAt this point in time, there is a massive heap of masterfully crafted roguelikes out there, and somehow, some developers manage to make even more near-immaculate games tied to this genre. Curse of the Dead Gods is one of those games, not only due to its beautiful art style reminiscent of Darkest Dungeon but also having some of the best combat systems the genre has seen, rivaling the likes of Dead Cells and Hades. Adding the clever corruption and curse systems on top of this deep combat loop make for an incredible, tense and exhilarating experience with risk/reward situations behind every corner. This game has already solidified itself and one of the best roguelikes ever made, and the team at Passtech Games should be very proud of their work. If you enjoy roguelikes or simply good games in general, your chances of not falling in love for Curse of the Dead Gods are about a million to none.… Expand
  4. Ewas228
    Dec 28, 2021
    8
    Interesting game, but it feels very monotonously. And big part in gameplay play random from weapons and amulets which you find on your way. Very good way to practise your skills. Works fine on Switch. 30fps
  5. Vash0125
    Feb 27, 2021
    5
    This is another roguelite that masks its shallow content by having you constantly dying and repeating. If you have no life or prospect of losing your virginity then this is a game to waste all that free time you have. If you want to play a roguelite with varied gameplay then pick up Dead Cells, Hades , Binding of Isaac or Risk of Rain 1 and 2. Indie developers need to step up their gameThis is another roguelite that masks its shallow content by having you constantly dying and repeating. If you have no life or prospect of losing your virginity then this is a game to waste all that free time you have. If you want to play a roguelite with varied gameplay then pick up Dead Cells, Hades , Binding of Isaac or Risk of Rain 1 and 2. Indie developers need to step up their game if they want to put oit another roguwlite aince the genre is becoming prettu crowded… Expand
  6. FelixDraconis
    Sep 11, 2023
    6
    The look and feel of the game is initially quite good. Great animations, atmospheric, interesting premise, and so on.

    It falls apart quickly with a combat system that defeats all of the potential for differing gameplay and play styles by forcing you into a very limited dodge / block system and constantly having to manage the light sources around you. Somehow, nearly every action you    The look and feel of the game is initially quite good. Great animations, atmospheric, interesting premise, and so on.

    It falls apart quickly with a combat system that defeats all of the potential for differing gameplay and play styles by forcing you into a very limited dodge / block system and constantly having to manage the light sources around you. Somehow, nearly every action you do costs these limited stamina points and when you run out you just get hit by enemies. Not just dodging, but attacks, too! I constantly am trying to attack and then someone goes to swing at me and I find to my dismay I'm already out of stamina and get hit. Stupid.

    The game developers expect you to enjoy this tight timing-based combat system. If you don't want to play like that, for example like me, since I hate parry-based combat systems, you will have a terrible time. The game will escalate to being unbeatable and you will rage quit.

    Although the curse system is somewhat interesting, it essentially discourages you from doing anything, which feels like a bizarre choice to make, especially when most of your choices aren't very meaningful.

    Everything I dislike about this game is reversed in Hades. Where this feels punishing me for moving around and doing anything, that one gives me insane freedom of movement. Just go play that, even if you're on your 50th session, and skip this unless you really need to slum for a while in something a bit different. Or, well, you really love gaming timing-based combat systems. Which, admittedly, completely defeats this for me. It's not bad, exactly, but more of a frustratingly sad waste of potential.    … Expand
  7. Tiank
    Aug 8, 2021
    7
    For me the art style and overall dark atmosphere of the game are amazing! That and the fact you should be able to squeeze at least 20 hours of gameplay out of it are the main reasons to buy this game, I'd say. Keep in mind it's quite hard, especially at the beginning and it takes some time to learn to parry properly, but once you do that, it's really satisfying.

    I unlocked three    For me the art style and overall dark atmosphere of the game are amazing! That and the fact you should be able to squeeze at least 20 hours of gameplay out of it are the main reasons to buy this game, I'd say. Keep in mind it's quite hard, especially at the beginning and it takes some time to learn to parry properly, but once you do that, it's really satisfying.

    I unlocked three "levels" of temples - On all of those levels, you can choose from three temples. On the first level, there's one boss, runs take around 20 minutes, fairly easy. The second one has 2 bosses, runs take around 30-40 minutes and are a bit harder. The third one has 3 bosses and is really hard, mostly because you have to manage your Corruption and Curses (not to get too many) and enemies are getting harder after defeating each boss. Runs there take around 40-50 minutes.

    There's the final level to unlock, but I wasn't able to do it - I wasn't motivated enough to progress further, as the fighting and levels got quite boring and repetitive for me.

    I'd recommend it on sale. It's a good game, worth playing, but not something that would take your breath away and the replay value is low.

    Pros:
    - beautiful, dark art style
    - atmosphere of mystery and danger
    - huge satisfaction when successfully parring as it's not easy
    - plays smoothly on Switch
    - 20-50 minutes per run, can save at the beginning of each new room
    - very good gameplay balance - need to properly manage resources, health and corruption during long runs

    Neutral:
    - no story, but it's a rogue-lite so it's not that needed imo

    Cons:
    - fighting is slow and repetitive
    - gets boring after a while (around 20 hours)
    - quite difficult - can get frustrating at times
    - text hard to read while playing in handheld mode    … Expand
  8. cstoddart
    Mar 7, 2021
    5
    I like the way you can pick up randomized weapons at the start of the game. Overall, too difficult for me to enjoy.
  9. tonyozhelev
    Oct 18, 2022
    8
    IT'S HARD! The game is awesome and really good looking, but it definitely requires you to put a decent amount of time in it in order to progress. The developers also made it extremely hard to unlock all achievements for this game. You have to beat all bosses without taking damage 10 freaking times and the last boss 2 times in a ROW. There is an easy mode but if you turn it on it corruptsIT'S HARD! The game is awesome and really good looking, but it definitely requires you to put a decent amount of time in it in order to progress. The developers also made it extremely hard to unlock all achievements for this game. You have to beat all bosses without taking damage 10 freaking times and the last boss 2 times in a ROW. There is an easy mode but if you turn it on it corrupts your save and you can no longer progress towards achievements which I found really annoying. There is also an issue with balance. There are weapons and relics that are waaaay to stronger than some of the other and some that are plain unusable. All in all I'd say it is worth it if you like these types of games. It is hard, but also rewarding once you put in the time to hone your skills. It took me 20 tries to defeat one of the bosses for the first time. Now I can defeat it 20 times without getting hit. It definitely is a game of patience and not much of action. The stamina system keeps you in check and it takes a while to realize you can't go in all guns blazing and kill everyone. You should always consider your stamina level if you want to be able to dodge the next enemy. Also it's a bit grindy towards the end if you want to collect all bestiary entries. It took me about 100 hours to Platinum the game, but it was a time well spent.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

89
#89 Best Switch Game of 2021

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 12 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 12
  3. Negative: 0 out of 12
  1. Starbit
    Mar 29, 2021
    80
    Curse of the Dead Gods serves us the experience of a long, enveloping roguelite with a combat and exploration mechanic that puts the player at the centre of crucial decision-making that will affect the course of action in significant ways. With its emphasis on risk/reward and the need to pay close attention to what's happening, it's easy to forget that the surroundings could use a bit more visual variety. In the end, Curse of the Dead Gods joins the elite of roguelite games for the Nintendo Switch, and undoubtedly deserves a big deal of attention from the players.
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  2. Gaming Nexus
    Mar 22, 2021
    90
    Curse of the Dead Gods is a finely polished roguelike that embodies the best elements of the genre. It has a battle scheme that is simple to grasp but requires skill to master. It balances the progression of each run with penalties to maintain a steady, yet shifting, challenge. It brings a few elements over that a roguelike purist might scoff at, but does so purely to the benefit of the game, and aids a progression system that feels meaningful while not demeaning the overall challenge. It nails that hallmark of the roguelike where you always feel like maybe dipping in for one more run.
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  3. GameSpace
    Mar 18, 2021
    90
    Curse Of The Dead Gods will bear plenty of comparisons to the excellent Hades game. But in its own right, Curse Of The Dead Gods has a lot of unique features to offer in the ARPG rogue-lite play space. The game is challenging without being frustrating. The artwork is pleasing and the game mechanics are engaging. Curse Of The Dead Gods has a lot to offer and is positioned to be the rogue-lite game of 2021!
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