Sword of the Necromancer

 Switch
User Score
7.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 10 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 10
  3. Negative: 2 out of 10
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  1. BusinessCat
    Feb 1, 2021
    3
    TL;DR: GREAT A+ story but all the other failures in gameplay, and inventory/items make this a DON'T BUY unless heavily discounted game. Not worth the effort. Might be better to simply watch the story on youtube.

    I'll start by saying the story and voice acting in this game are SUPERB. Easily top 95% best story even though it was short. I'd compare the story to the cut scenes of Breath of    TL;DR: GREAT A+ story but all the other failures in gameplay, and inventory/items make this a DON'T BUY unless heavily discounted game. Not worth the effort. Might be better to simply watch the story on youtube.

    I'll start by saying the story and voice acting in this game are SUPERB. Easily top 95% best story even though it was short. I'd compare the story to the cut scenes of Breath of the Wild, and the narration felt very similar to Gone Home (recommended if you loved the story in Sword of the Necromancer).

    But the great story was the only thing this game had to offer that was any good and the great story could not have the rating. Like seriously, I didn't see all the story but I don't think I want to pick the game up again and will settle for watching a youtube video to finish the story for myself.

    What was so bad? I feel like this game is most similar to the elements from Enter the Gungeon (level layout and rogue-like). The problems are as follows:

    1) The monsters you control are crappy. Maybe you find a nice monster and level it up without it dying, but then it dies in a boss battle and the monster is gone. They are less companions and more "i hope they absorb bullets or kill something."

    2) The weapons are weak. You find a cool weapon and think "I should improve this at the forge" but then you die and it disappears. so much for that! And unless you fight a monster that has the opposite affinity, weak damage to monsters. You can try to store your weapon at your camp after you kill a boss (change to store items appears) but storing a cool weapon means you're not using it!

    3) The inventory is a joke. You can hold 4 items that are assigned to your main 4 buttons, but these are meant to hold you main necro sword that you can't unequip, and your weapons, monsters, and consumables. Right away you feel constrained in what you can carry. The switch has so many buttons that it would make sense to have 4 buttons for monsters and 4 for weapons and items. Doesn't matter I guess since you'll die and lose it all.

    4) The forge is almost useless. The requirements to upgrade weapons is high and I wasn't able to upgrade any weapons after playing for a couple of hours, and if I found an upgrade-worth weapon it was lost when I died.

    5) The levels are a chore. This is less rogue-like and more ROGUE game because you lose everything. Okay, you keep half your level and the items you managed to store and the materials needed to upgrade at the forge, but it's not like Enter the Gungeon that has you unlocking more and more to make the dungeon more manageable. Unlike the fast paced action of Gungeon, you're spending a lot of time walking around a room or walking to the next room. And of course when you die you start from square one. No portal or secret stairway to start midway, etc.

    I think the game only has 6 levels or so. It might have more content after you get further but I'm not willing to take that journey. Another overall dud by JanduSoft (I'm talking about the other game I played entitled Indiecalypse which felt like a large inside joke between 3 friends that I didn't get). The inclusion of "codes" to give you weapons seemed like it might be overpowered, but since you lose items when you die it doesn't matter.

    Oh, the game eventually goes you the ability to change some options (make it easier, don't lose weapons when you die) - feels like that may have been added after they realized full rogue was too much. It's like they sold out their own game.    … Expand
  2. Ritooon
    Mar 21, 2023
    4
    Story and voice acting cannot save this game. Even if the necromancy mechanic could appear to be a good feature, the inventory is a joke. You have 4 slot in which there is a sword you cannot change ( So in reality 3 slots), and monsters you revive, passive items and potions go into.
    It ridiculously made. Gameplay is frustrating as possible. This game was not a good surprise, very    Story and voice acting cannot save this game. Even if the necromancy mechanic could appear to be a good feature, the inventory is a joke. You have 4 slot in which there is a sword you cannot change ( So in reality 3 slots), and monsters you revive, passive items and potions go into.
    It ridiculously made. Gameplay is frustrating as possible. This game was not a good surprise, very annoyingly frustrating. rushed it to put it back on my shelf and never touch it again.    … Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
58

Mixed or average reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 8
  3. Negative: 2 out of 8
  1. Shindig
    Mar 10, 2021
    60
    Unfortunately, a cute and thoughtful story isn’t enough to distract from Sword of the Necromancer‘s other struggles. There’s a competent action RPG in there, but it’s lost beneath a misguided attempt at a roguelike experience that misses most of what makes roguelikes exciting. Even something as unique as a system of reviving slain enemies to fight alongside you gets lost in the narrow constraints of the game’s other systems, resulting in a largely forgettable experience.
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  2. TrueGaming
    Feb 21, 2021
    55
    Sword of the Necromancer isn't really a bad game, and if it was released during Gameboy days it would've probably received much better. There is a soul in this game and the care is obvious, but unfortunately the gameplay feels very limited and not really engaging. There are much better games out there.
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  3. COGconnected
    Feb 17, 2021
    66
    Sword of the Necromancer is a neat, engaging, and surprising rogue-like with some great ideas and a curiously deep narrative. The mechanic of reviving enemies to fight for you is a great concept, and general features like diverse weapons and effective combat maneuvers feel superb, however, this strange inventory design feels like a huge setback. The inclusion of the latest update which allows for a more customized experience is an improvement, but it did sour my enjoyment of the game just a little to not have it from launch. As it stands, you can’t really let yourself get attached to anything other than the titular sword which directly contradicts the key point of the narrative; that Tama has grown attached to Koko. If you are looking for a nice, light rogue-like to jump into that doesn’t feel mindless, this is the game for you.
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