Curse of the Dead Gods Review
Curse of the Dead Gods Review
The First 48. The idea comes from the television show The First 48, which is based on missing persons and the theory is basically if the detectives don’t find a lead within the first 48 hours, the chances of solving the case are cut in half. I don’t know if there is any actual data behind this theory and personally, I have never seen a single episode of the show but I think the premise does apply to reviewing games quite well.
In the first 48 minutes of a game, you should be able to know enough about the visuals of the game, the story, the mechanics, the gameplay loop and many other things. Even better, within the first 48 hours, you will know if the game has done enough to get its hooks into you whether or not you are going to come back, because we both know that if we don’t return or want to return to the game in the first two days, we likely aren’t coming back after that
Everyone leads busy lives and we can help you figure out if a game is going to click with you or abandoned after 48 minutes then hopefully you can save some money and you can spend more time doing what you love.
Is Curse of the Dead Gods on Game Pass?
When Curse of the Dead Gods initially released in February 2021 after nearly a year in early access, it had my interest piqued. However, as humans we only have limited amounts of time in our lives and for whatever reason, the game slipped through the cracks. Now that Curse of the Dead Gods has come to Xbox Game Pass, at the perfect time when there is a slight lull in game releases before the fall onslaught, the timing is perfect for this indie rogue like.
Is Curse of the Dead Gods like Dead Cells?
Curse of the Dead Gods on Game Pass includes the latest version of the game that features the Dead Cells crossover, Curse of the Dead Cells, which is implemented perfectly. Dead Cells is another rogue lite indie darling from a few years back that is very similar to Curse of the Dead Gods but also very different. If you don’t know what to look for then you might miss it completely as the elements from Dead Cells have been blended into Curse of the Dead almost seamlessly.
One major Dead Cells addition to Curse of the Dead Gods is the cursed chests. In Dead Cells they are comically large and sarcastically talk to you but their contents are usually worth the risk and you get the contents immediately but have to continue the game with negative effects until you have cleared the stipulations.
In Curse of the Dead gods, the chest looks very similar but it doesn’t antagonize you. You also don’t get the contents immediately but instead you need to survive an onslaught of enemies unscathed to reap the rewards in the chest. It doesn’t take the idea from Dead Cells just by copy and pasting but instead pays homage at the same time as making a smart addition to the game that fits in with the lore.
From Software Influence
The combat in Curse of the Dead Gods feels smooth and responsive and evokes BloodBorne to me with a melee weapon and a firearm type weapon in addition to being able to switch to a longer range and slower two handed weapon at the cost of speed. In another similarity to BloodBorne, you have a limited amount of stamina in which you can roll to evade attacks or use that stamina to attack forcing you to play a bit more meticulously as opposed to spamming the attack button like some other rogue lites.
Curse of the Dead Gods isn’t just about being on the attack. You also have the ability to deflect the enemies attack and parry them, in the same way you could in a game like Sekiro. A perfectly executed parry will cause the enemy to stagger becoming more vulnerable to attacks, but just like Sekiro, the timing needs to be perfect. You are encouraged to play smart by executing a perfect dodge at the time of attack and that will give you back some of your stamina.
Curse of the Dead Gods vs. Hades
Releasing a rogue like dungeon crawling game post Hades is impossible not to draw comparisons to the award winning title. However, when playing Curse of the Dead Gods, I don’t find myself drawing comparisons to Hades as it feels like a completely different game. If you’re going to compare this game to others you could easily list many other comparables including FROMSOFTWARE titles, Dead Cells, or even Slay the Spire because of how you can see the road head of you and choose your destiny. On the path ahead you can see different things from gold, weapons, relics and healing all of which allow you to fine tune each run to your preference.
Is Curse of the Dead Gods like Hades?
Unlike Hades, where you play as Zagreus, the son of Hades who is trying to escape the underworld and each run gives you another morsel of story which is your main catalyst for doing another run. Curse of the Dead Gods eschews character and story and points it attention elsewhere. You play as an unknown explorer who ventures into a temple only to find himself trapped. As much as I loved Hades, there is something nice about not having to track seventeen different story lines all at once.
If the story line was the main reason for doing run after run in Hades, then the main reason Curse of the Dead Gods keeps you coming back is because of how many elements are in play in any given run and how satisfying the combat is. Initially, the enemies start simple and weak like most games and it even teaches you how to parry perfectly. Early on, you don’t even need to parry or block because of how inferior the enemies are and how little the threat they pose to you is.
The deeper you get into the each run, along with the more curses you accrue, you realize that the only way that you are getting out of the temple alive is to master all elements of combat including defence. Combat isn’t the only technique you need to master as the environment also needs your attention as fires need to be lit to fiend of enemies, and traps need to be avoided or used to lure enemies.
The controls of Curse of the Dead Gods feel smart and responsive, the enemy variety keeps the encounters fresh and the different curses and boons you can find in the depths of the temple provide Curse of the Dead Gods with a unique feeling. Like any game worth its salt, there are a lot of systems at play and it takes a while to get accustomed.
Is Curse of the Dead Gods Hard?
As for the title of the game, Curse of the Dead Gods, not only shares a similar art style to Darkest Dungeon but also the main mechanic of the game is the curses. Each door you cross deeper into the temple increases your corruption level and every three doors you become cursed with each curse making the game even more challenging. This works similarly to Darkest Dungeon when players would lose their composure during long explorations without a proper torch to light the way and the horrors that were found along the way.
There are things that you will find along your journey that can help fend off the corruption and curses but it will all be at the cost of sacrificing something else along the way.
Of course it wouldn’t be a rogue lite without some aspects of the game carrying over from run to run. That is where jade rings and crystal skulls, the forms of currency in the Curse of the Dead Gods come into the equation. Jade rings can be used to unlock new gear which can be found throughout your run, similar to how blueprints in Dead Cells unlock the possibility of new gear during each run. Crystal skulls on the other hands allow you permanently unlock new upgrades that are assigned to your character during each run.
Is Curse of the Dead Gods Worth it?
Like many rogue likes, Curse of the Dead Gods can be punishing at times if things don’t line up in your favor. Curse of the Dead Gods is difficult but this challenge usually ramps up and Curse of the Dead Gods has a fantastic tutorial to get you started. With so much competition in the rogue genre over the past five years, there always seems like there isn’t room for more but we have seen with enough creativity, original ideas and proper execution there is always room for one more and Curse of the Dead Gods earns its spot alongside games like Dead Cells and Hades.
Also, if you have Game Pass and love rogue likes then Curse of the Dead Gods is a must.
