Dark Scrolls

Dark Scrolls may not be the merciless challenge its name suggests, but it is a cleverly designed, charming and highly entertaining action game that makes it hard to put the controller down.

As a co-op game, Dark Scrolls offers a whole heck of a lot of fun so make sure you bring a chum along for the ride to get the most out of it.

Dark Scrolls does a good job of balancing the cosy repetitiveness of a roguelike with the challenge inherent to the Soulslike genre. There are so many different ways to play, with six characters unlockable on top of the original three, all with their own unique abilities, movement and attack patterns. For the price, there’s very little reason to not give this a shot, especially for those who gravitate towards pixel art or any of the genres encompassed within Dark Scrolls.

While there are multiple paths through the game, it does feel like an experience that's best enjoyed with a friend given that the minute-to-minute gameplay doesn't feel overly fresh or really pop aesthetically. It was never clear if what I had accomplished or spent coins on was going to carry over to the next run. A bit too much is left up to the player to figure out, and I would have welcomed a bit more transparency while I struggled through my first couple hours with the game. By the time I hit my stride, I was bored of fighting the same enemies and bosses over and over. Short bursts and co-op play feel like the best ways to enjoy Dark Scrolls. Even then, there's really not enough charm or polish to shine through an experience that references the classics without containing what gives them staying power.