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0 The reason I initially decided to pick up Sworn by Windwalk was the similarities to Hades. As a top down rogue-like with co-op capabilities and an Arthurian twist, it was right up my street. A part of me was worried that I would be too busy comparing Sworn to Hades to really enjoy it. However, it would honestly be a disservice to this game.
If you’re looking to expand your PC library, you can grab Sworn on Steam for £24.99
You’ve Sworn an oath to keep dying
Gameplay
Sworn plays like a standard rouge-like game with various encounters and battles as you make your way through different areas. It’s best to play with a controller, as recommended when you load up, and plays really well on the Deck. As you make your way through Arthurian inspired areas, you will meet mythical beasts and dangerous foes that will try to stop you from advancing. You’ll also encounter powerful mythological gods that will offer you different power ups that will aid you on your quest.
Fans of the Arthur legend will notice some very familiar names as they make their way through the game. Honestly, I think this makes it a bit more accessible to people that are looking to get into gaming. Most people at least know the story of Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. When fighting Gawain the Butcher and then going back to the hub to talk to Merlin and Guinevere the names are recognisable enough that you will have a very basic understanding of who is who.
Difficulty
The one thing that did throw me off was the inconsistency between the rooms. Sometimes you would be swarmed with enemies and there were some with only two enemies inside. Also, the difficulty curve between normal rooms and then the final boss felt way too steep, especially Gawain. I know as bosses they’re meant to be harder but it went from slight difficulty to extreme difficulty, especially as the bosses could summon minions.
It wasn’t game breaking as ultimately the point is to play over and over again and level up but walking into my first Gawain fight was a bit of a shock.
Levelling Up
As you play through the various levels you will find different items that will allow you to increase aspects of your character. Moonstone will add troves and challenges into the dungeons whilst fairy embers will allow you to upgrade your stats. The first skill tree you have access to allows you to increase how much health you start with and how much health you regain as you enter a new room.
This then expands to strength and other attributes as you get further through the game. It feels like there’s a lot more in this game that wants to help you get to the end. That being said, I felt like I very rarely came across moonstone treasures or thread when I eventually unlocked that.
Character Customisation
As you clear chambers, you unlock additional features and characters. You start as the Vigilante class then progress and unlock the Rook, Spectre and Monk, all of which have different specialties. The vigilante is your standard sword character then you unlock the Monk that is a heavier hitter and so on. The character selection option makes Sworn stand out amongst the other roguelikes. As well as choosing your character, there are multiple weapons and spells that you can unlock as you play. It really allows you to define your play style and find something that you’re comfortable with.
Graphics & Audio
Sworn’s art style is one of my favourite things about it. Every god/goddess that you meat has such a nice design with such intricate designs that you can tell a lot of love went into it. Character design is really strong and I the game ran really well without any issues. Even the attacks had special designs dedicated to them which flowed seamlessly. The audio was immersive more than anything else but you don’t lose anything but having the volume turned down.
Longevity
The perfect compatibility that Sworn has with the deck makes it so easy to just pick up and play. As with every rogue-like, a run is never the same so it very rarely gets tiring. Especially in the early game, there is so much to unlock an so many new things to try that the game feels like it is constantly changing, even if you don’t make it past the first boss. I’ve sank a good few hours in this game and I’m still loading it up on my deck when I have nothing to do. It’s easy to pick up and put down which is one of the reasons that I find myself enjoying it so much. I don’t feel like I’m lost or confused when I jump back into it after not playing for a couple of days.
Final Thoughts
Sworn is a rogue-like that stands out in the crowd for me due the sheer amount of customisation options and the diversity of the play styles. I can’t stop picking this game up when I want something quick to play.
I’ve had so much fun playing and previewing this game, and I’m going to keep playing it until I finally beat it.
If you’re looking for more PC games to add to your library, check out our reviews here.
Disclaimer: A code was received to write this review.
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