Curse of the Dead Gods Review
By their very nature, roguelike games are meant to be challenging. Players are faced with an insurmountable task, but their gradual progress with each run will help make the impossible possible. Passtech Games’ roguelike Curse of the Dead Gods streamlines a lot of that development in a smart way, but it also tries to challenge the player on their deeper temple adventures. The idea behind Curse of the Dead Gods is pretty familiar territory for a roguelike. Players must venture through four different segments of a temple, each punctuated by a boss fight at their end, before finally reaching a final confrontation. As players acquire new weapons (the player character has a primary melee weapon, a secondary weapon, and a heavy weapon), relics that provide buffs, and gold to spend on purchasing and upgrading those items. The further away players are, the stronger they should be thanks to those upgrades and relics, but so are the enemies inside the temple. Unlike most roguelikes where each run is mostly random, Curse of the Dead Gods presents players with a roadmap for each segment. Players will see a map with different pathways similar to the Slay the Spire map, showing what each room offers as a reward. So, if players need a weapon upgrade or more gold, they can target paths that lead in that direction.
The combat takes on a rhythm that is more deliberate than some of the other melee roguelikes out there. Players are given five pips of stamina to use for various actions including dodge rolls, mele finishers at the end of a combo, ranged weapon use, and heavy weapon attacks. Getting in swinging can work early but players are better served when they think about their stamina pips and learn enemy attack patterns. Parries require precise timing, but they also open up enemies to greater damage. It’s an engaging system that combines the thoughtfulness of a Dark Souls-style battle with something different like Hades. Comparisons to Hades are inevitable for Curse of the Dead Gods. The top-down viewpoint, some of the tactile touches, the loot system, and the overall approach as a melee-focused roguelike will remind players of the popular 2020 title. But the game still stands on its own thanks to its curse system, which serves to tire the player as they progress. For each room players complete, they will earn some amount of Corruption. This Corruption fills a meter which, when full, will place a curse on the player. Each of the curses aims to make the game more difficult than before, by forcing players to change their play style or simply punishing them. One of the more tolerable curses, for example, makes gold disappear after it sits on the ground for a few seconds. While a more punishing one takes a bunch of gold from the player every time they complete a room. And if they don’t have gold, they lose HP. As the name suggests, Curse of the Dead Gods is about these curses and they cannot be avoided in any run. Players can mitigate the Corruption build-up or even eliminate some altogether, but they will eventually have some curses on them at any given time. Only defeating a boss removes the curse, but the player chooses only one. The curse system puts a unique twist on the run-based strategy of a roguelike and while it’s challenging, it adds to the excitement. For many roguelikes, players can lock into a groove and complete a run. Curses make everything unpredictable and run deeper into potential nightmares.
But while curses make running difficult, they are fun to play with. If players don’t have enough gold to buy a powerful weapon or relic, they can deal with corruption instead. The game also uses a light and dark mechanic (players can light up rooms by lighting torches) that buffs shadow enemy damage, but can also buff player damage on the right build. The game still feels overwhelming when it comes to obstacles, but it will keep players on their toes. Curse of the Dead Gods cleverly gives players some way to feel like they’ve made progress even when they fail. For starters, players only unlock one room at a time. First, they unlock three different “starting segments” before they unlock a selection of secondary segments. Each starter segment returns the player to the temple entrance once the end boss is defeated, so players cannot immediately jump into the game and complete a run. Instead, they’ll slowly unlock and feel the rhythm of a run, starting with one segment, then two back-to-back, and so on. This strategy also allows players to choose the bosses they want to face on their path to the end, as each segment features a different theme, enemy selection, and boss.
Boss battles in Curse of the Dead Gods are frantic, fun-filled affairs where players have to balance avoiding various attacks and obstacles, while trying to get damage on any way they can. There’s a general template for boss fights in Curse of the Dead Gods that require patience and quick reflexes, and completing each one is both relaxing and rewarding. There’s a lot about Curse of the Dead Gods that ticks the familiar boxes of a solid roguelike. A cool art style, engaging combat, some fun twists on the genre, and a sense of progression are key to making it engaging and addictive. However, without a meaty story driving the experience, Curse of the Dead Gods relies heavily on its gameplay to keep players coming back for more. Motivation will ultimately be the driving factor for players. If they believe they can overcome seemingly insurmountable odds, Curse of the Dead Gods will be a rewarding experience once they complete a full run. Curse of the Dead Gods is now available. Today Technology was provided a PC code for this review.