Blade of Darkness

Blade of Darkness is a classic homage to its origins. It is nostalgic, violent, powerful, and memorable. SNEG’s remastered succeeds in almost everything it sets out to do, introducing noteworthy innovations to the technical and graphical aspects while preserving the original work’s identity. The gameplay and story remain unchanged, faithful, and untarnished since the 2001 release. While there may be some minor technical limitations and slightly dated graphics compared to contemporary standards, Blade of Darkness shines with numerous strengths and only a few minor weaknesses. It is a must-have for anyone seeking action, blood, and a bit of wholesome fun.

It's definitely a good thing that Blade of Darkness exists, therefore its 2021 update is more than welcome, despite the fact that it is an extremely conservative remaster that hasn't really "fixed" the game. Flaws put aside, though, this is not one of those titles that belong in the past and are best left there to collect dust. It's not a title to recommend to just anyone, especially to those with an aversion to its heavy "retro" sensibilities, but those who can get past the clunky and slightly unreliable controls, and stomach the occasionally repetitive gameplay, will immediately get immersed to the strong atmosphere of this Conan the Barbarian-meets-Dark Souls fantasy land of sword and sorcery. And death. Plenty, and plenty of bloody death.