Death of a Wish

A tormented action fantasy that has heart, imagination and style in spades.

I have no doubt that this is going to be — and in many cases likely already is — a runaway 2024 favorite for many. It didn’t quite land there for me, personally, but I won’t soon forget the satisfaction of a deft parry and the shrieks of those who sacrificed themselves throughout Christian’s harrowing journey. Hell, I may even dive back in and see how it holds up to a return trip, just not anytime too soon; the wounds are still fresh.

Death of a Wish's combat is fantastically design on all fronts, and will leave an impact on you thanks to its strong set pieces. It's something different and yet familiar, and is something you need to put in your library.

With striking visuals and satisfyingly smooth combat, Death of a Wish is an action-packed RPG that you won't want to miss.

Death of a Wish is a game where simplicity has its own sense of being. Despite its apparent simplicity, it hides a depth of interesting mechanics both in the combat system and in the general gameplay. It is certainly a game that expects the player to learn its mechanics quickly. The visual style, although fascinating and original, sometimes works against the player and the combat system, creating confusion during some battles and when viewing the character menu. If you love an original style and a good challenge, Death of a Wish is definitely made for you.

Stylish and challenging, it has some appeal, but its distinct art style isn’t without some issues

Overall, would I recommend Death of a Wish? Yes, unless you deal with motion sickness in any way shape or form. I didn’t feel like I did, but Death of a Wish certainly proved me wrong. It’s a fun game to play, but I had to take a break more often than I do in most games. Hopefully with future updates screen shake and motion can be adjusted and that will make it a nice simple and straight yes, absolutely pick up Death of a Wish.

The sequel to the excellent Lucah: Born of a Dream is a stylish action game that’s as heartfelt as it is intense.

Death of a Wish is a great moody action game that's worth adding to your list of must-play 2024 indies. It's a narrative with textbook Catholic guilt, a heartfelt journey of self-discovery, and the exploration of queer acceptance. With its pulsating chalk-like line work that makes the images and action leap off the page, a diverse combat system, and an oh-so-satisfying parry to boot-style and substance are at the forefront of the game at all times. Though you can occasionally get lost in the weeds of the prose-like writing and confusing map design, it's hard to stay mad long at Death of a Wish. It's a damn cool video game.