Bleak Sword

I can’t say I was surprised that this was a great game. I saw it and thought it would be action packed and fun to play. I was right. The controls are simple and easy to master. They’re even better with a Bluetooth-connected controller, but if you don’t have one, that doesn’t ruin the experience. I played the game through on the Hard difficulty, often stopping to grind for exp. and items. I beat it, then went back through on the Bleak difficulty, in which I’m already a level thirty-something and I’m on world five. It’s not impossible to beat if you don’t grind, though. There are nine worlds, and ten levels in each. There’s a neat storyline, but that’s where my suggestions come. I was impressed by gameplay and storyline, so I found myself longing for a twist or even more storyline. The beginning was great, but there was never a big twist or even more character development. This could be added in an update, I suppose, so I’m asking for one if it’s possible. I’ve always liked content updates and this game would do well with one. This is especially true because I wanted more levels. I beat the final boss and thought to myself, “Isn’t there more?” I love this game, and that’s why I want more. I recommend this game to anyone who sees it.

This game shows that Apple Arcade games can be done well. While most AA games I’ve played have been riddled with various problems, this one controls well, has text that is large enough to read on a phone, can be played for a short length of time if thats all you have, and doesn’t crash. The gameplay is basically a boiled down version of the masterpiece PS3 game Demon’s Souls (the predecessor to the very popular Dark Souls series). Like that game you fight with a weapon using normal and hard attacks and you can roll, block, and parry. You can’t typically heal and your health level carries over from area to area, but in rare instances you can find healing items (Although I have picked up healing items, I have never figured out how to use them... which is frustrating but it didn’t dramatically impact my impressions of the game). If you die you lose your experience and items but you can get them back if you redo the area and survive the next time. Unlike Dark Souls, the different areas are separate instances like in Demon’s Souls. You are free to go back and replay areas for more experience or item hunting if you like.

I was skeptical about mobile gaming, always have been. But this game is honestly my favorite. I’ve played a few mobile games but this by far is the first that I’ve ever written an actual review about. It all starts with Devolver making this game. I’ve been a huge fan of there’s and was pleasantly surprised to see their name on here. The gameplay is amazing and I genuinely think the combat goes so smoothly. It doesn’t hold your hand when you play, you’re just thrown out and told “go get em.” The music is actually fantastic and I listen to it regularly on streaming apps and such. Jim Guthrie did a great job mixing epic orchestras with synthwave. The story, while short, was enough to keep me engaged and really enjoy it. It told me who I was, what was going on, and what I had to do. The replay-ability of this game is wonderful too. I genuinely enjoy this game and will be keeping a lookout of games like it now! If anyone is looking to play a fun, quick, yet difficult game, this is the one!

This game is everything that should be in a game. It doesn’t have to have amazing graphics, but it does have to have amazing gameplay. Which it does. And a feel of achievement whenever you beat that one level that keeps completely destroying you. Quick tip you keep the hp from your previous fight, keeping this in mind if you have a lot of EXP and little health go kill yourself on the first level, when you die and lose EXP you have a chance to get it back if you beat the level you lost it on on the first try you get all your EXP back keep in mind you lose all your items so be prepared for that. Also master the counter it will help you infinitely. I know these tips are really beginner tips but they will help you forever. All in all this is the beat mobile game I have ever played and to be honest I wish even one fourth of other mobile games were half as good as this one thanks for reading and keep upgrading the game!

Great game, I loved the music and the dark style. My favorite area is the burning city in act IV… any Dark Souls, Bloodbourne, or Alden Ring fans will love this game. My only complaint is very small — you can’t skip the credits after the first time beating it, which means it takes a while between tries at beating the final boss without taking damage. It would be great to see a sequel or update with different classes, more than two equipment slots, and of course be longer. Arena is fun! If you added an endless option you could have upgrades and items drop randomly, and have the monster spawns and bosses also randomized and increase in amount the longer you stay alive. The original arena you could leave for rank and achievements. A++ for the game overall

This game is really fun to play. Let it be know that this is a challenging action game. It feels really unforgiving at first, but once you get used to the gameplay it’s not too challenging. I love how each level lasts about a minute, making it great for when you’ve got a minute or two to spare. A few suggestions: First, I’d love to see landscape support for iPad. Especially for when I want to play with a game controller. It’s landscape on Apple TV, so I know you can do it. Secondly, it’s kind of weird that some achievements (heavy hitter, scholar, collector, etc) have to be unlocked for each saved game slot (I’m taking about your in-game achievements, not Game Center). I would suggest replacing your achievements system with Game Center achievements entirely, using a Game Center access point.

This is such a good game and it is really hard to find a truly fun game on mobile. From my experience it’s glitch free. It’s very well made, and the story is simple but very well done. It’s so challenging and as you play it more you learn more strategies and just ways to take out each enemy in the most efficient way. Truly amazing. I really recommend this game to everyone unless you really don’t like blood. Devolver (I think I spelled that right) makes soo many good games that just make you happy and make you want to play more. And that last update was great. Thank you for the joy over quarantine and the fun I will always have from your games.

While the gameplay, graphics and idea of the game are worth noting, the overall needs a lot of polish. The controls are loose at best with the monsters getting priority for their attacks and animations over the hero’s. The direction control is flawed and often non-responsive. The game will do its best to “cheat” to win with not respecting player controls like blocking and moving. (Please fix the blocking implementation as it’s wildly frustrating and seems to not work most of the time unless the user is perfect and I mean perfect with their timing.) The inventory system was confusing and not covered in the tutorial or any of the documentation included with the game. That’s a huge oversight. Finally, after one play through the sound no longer works and since a good portion of your gameplay largely rests on the inclusion of sound (a big problem with mobile games) this is a quick uninstall. I probably won’t return to this game as this seems rushed and incomplete. Sad. Wanted this to be better.

This game is a tight little gem. The game patiently explains the limited move set your little character can use as you fight your way through a series of fixed dioramas. The game has a welcome variety of enemies who will require different timings and strategies to fell, and there is a surprising amount of environmental variety, too (wind, fire, fog, crushing walls). The music and presentation is deliberately clunky and simple, but the animations and timing of the game is very smooth. This game plays fair and is exactly the type of challenge that makes you ALMOST quit in frustration, but you keep coming back for more because you know you’re just a hair away from beating the stage you’re on. The graphical simplicity does present some minor problems. Your character can easily be confused with onscreen enemies, and keeping track of the action on screen can become a little tough...tougher than it should be. Also, the riding sequences aren’t nearly as fun as other parts of the game. However, I am being tougher on this game than the majority of reviews. If you love twitch-based action play, like Mega Man, Dark Souls or any game that requires battle strategy and quick reflexes, Bleak Sword is an awesome low-fi treat for you.

I downloaded this just because it looked quite interesting. It definitely is, but I just had to delete it because it made me extremely frustrated. I get that a lot of people will like this but it’s not worth the stress for me. I’m a 30 year old male and I need as little stress as I can get. If you like stuff like Dark Souls, give this a go, but I couldn’t get past the first world. It starts off easy, yeah, but the controls are kinda awkward and it makes me feel like I mess up a lot whenever I shouldn’t. The difficulty spikes around level 1-8 so get ready. I couldn’t beat the first boss at 1-10 and I just gave up. Maybe one day I’ll try this again. It’s a gorgeous game. Side note: Apple Arcade is genius.

This game really surprised me. It reminds me a lot of Witcher 3 combat, where the pitch and roll are a must. When you dodge attacks and deliver your own in perfect harmony.. It’s is a great feeling. Every fight feels like it’s earned and I didn’t think I could experience that core feeling in a mobile game. They really just took the basic principles of what makes combat great in AAA and applied it to mobile use. This game is mind blowing, once you get use to the controls, the rest is a wrap. I also like that if you loose, you actually loose something, which has you a little more focused. Lol you have to play this game!

I want to thank the developers for making such a fun game. I don’t know what it is with most games now a days, especially mobile games. But they are not as fun as they use to be. The creators did a good job of making this game not only simple, but genuinely enjoyable. Im also glad that they added different difficulties to account for the preferences of different players. I can’t tell you how many times I have dropped a game simply for treating me like a baby and putting me on super easy mode. It’s like some developers are afraid making a more difficult mode will drive away their players. So I’m glad these devs added different difficulties. Did I talk about the fun controls and mechanics? The gameplay is just so good, I’m finding myself taking 10min breaks to relax and play the game when I’m working on something. Thank you devs for creating a great game and I can’t wait to buy this when it comes out on steam.

Pay close attention to losing experience. Don’t just advance to the next screen. I definitely hit a wall midway through act 4 this way. (Hate fuel. LOL!) Go back and grind levels. You might even find ‘permanent’ upgrade items. When you finish a tough level with low health, drop down to an easier level and intentionally die so you can recover your health bar and regain experience with the next fight. Good luck! Nice job, devs! (Any thoughts about character classes? I.E. - Cleric: lower damage, heal self…Wizard: High range damage, low armor…etc?)

I’m not saying the game is illegal I’m saying after the first campaign boss you could get to level 20-30 if you spend like an hour or two playing. You should make it so the ex goes down every time you replay a mission. so even if you play the game regularly and continue the campaign regularly you will be that level (20-30) in 3 campaign bosses. ALSO PLEASE IF YOU CAN ADD PVP OR A gamemode where fight a boss and level up your character . nothing against the love it so far. (used the glitch or intentional glitch)

This game is amazing and super challenging but also amazingly fair. I personally love this game and want it to be updated more often. Also if developers respond to reviews I have a question, in the bonus content section you can play the svargull mines and it shows to more locked worlds. How do I unlock those worlds? I want to play more of the game so I would like to know please. Also please register enemies that are from svargull mines to the beastiary. Thank you for making such an amazing game.

This game lives up to everything it says it does. Good graphics with style, really find gameplay and challenging on the hard difficulty. I recommend playing on hard while the easier difficulty is too easy. My problem with the save issues it has. The first time I had an issue was when I was on the very last area to beat and the game deleted my save entirely. I went back through and beat the game, but when I opened it back up later, it went all the way back to where I was halfway through. It’s actually very annoying.

I’d actually like to see more from you guys with games like this. It’s wonderful, it’s the Cuphead/Darksouls of mobile gaming. I find it funny someone gave this a one star because they got salty and didn’t know how to play the game- the internet is funny, dunno why the thought getting the game was a good idea in the first place. It’s MEANT to be challenging, and I like that. This is literally my first apple review, and honestly, I’m glad I put it here. Practice makes perfect, and most of all, patience. 5/5

This game is fun, and challenging at the exact same time! Some games in arcade feel rushed and broken. But this is a breath of fresh air! It’s so weird how people think this is a bad game as this game can be endlessly re-playable if there was more content. That’s my only problem, the only problem is that there is not much content… but besides that, the game is amazing and people say the controls are not good. But for a mobile game this is pretty good! Totally recommended for all!

Trying to play was a pain, I tolerated the poor controls for the first area, but there was no learning curve to be had. The “defend” mechanic doesn’t work on half of the enemies, so why have it at all? A moving camera and objects in the playing area were in the way of seeing enemies most of the time. For a game that is in black and white pixel graphics, these things should not be a nuisance, but there they are. The only effective battle strategy is to dance around your enemies and try to hit their backs. Hardly engaging gameplay if you could call it that. If you are looking for a game that frustrates you with the loss of your items and experience every time you die, then this is surely the game for you. Not worthy of Apple Arcade.

So I have played the heck out of this game for several days in a row. I have gotten all the way to the start of chapter 3 and have enjoyed every moment. EXCEPT when I close the game to do something else. When I come back some or ALL of my save data has been deleted. WHAT THE HECK!!! This is a major flaw and I don’t understand what the heck is going on. Like I said I have played three game all the way to chapter 3 but this morning when I opened up the game to try and progress some more and see some cool new monsters the games says I am on mission 2-1 which is wrong. Please fix this issue I really wanna love your game.

This is honestly probably the best mobile game I've ever played, there isn't much else to it. Smooth combat controls, not super grindy, but also not easy, and high quality animations and cutscenes. The only real criticism I have is that the base game (9 worlds with 10 levels each) doesn't have enough content. I got through the whole thing in probably less than five hours of game time, and it left me wanting new and harder monsters to kill.

Simplistic games are a personal favorite of mine when it comes to mobile gaming. Challenging simple games are hard to come by but Bleak Sword does it perfectly. Very easy to learn controls make trying to puzzle out the timing of the enemies a fun challenge. And the permanent health and choices of the campaign make for an excellent Rogue like experience. This game manages to be highly addictive and also something you can play for just a few seconds making it the perfect flavor of mobile game to me.

I play Bleak Sword with a bluetooth controller, so I don't need to use on-screen controls. I also prefer to play games on my iPad while attached to my Magic Keyboard - but Bleak Sword is ONLY in portrait orientation. When I play it via Apple TV, it is setup for landscape orientation, so it just makes me wish that was available for the iPad and iPhone, too. Almost costs a star for the rating, but I'm feeling generous and optimistic! Such a good game.

when you compare all the too kid friendly and p2w games in the Apple Arcade, this game stands out. this game is free to download, has no in app purchases, has no ads, and most importantly has actually decent controls and gameplay. There are no absurd difficulty spikes, but there are still hard parts, which makes it fun. The lore is a little bad, but who really cares about the lore? watch yo tone when the big wooden things with shields come

this game is amazing, I cant stop playing it. I love how you can kill monsters, collect items, and beat bosses. I think this game is very challenging but fun, it takes a while to get good at, but eventually you get the hand of it. You can also level up your charachters strength, health, and attack. The only problem I see with this game is your inventory. It's just too small. At the beggining you can only fit 2 items in it. But overall, I totally think you should get this game.

The second I turned the game on and saw it was made by devolver digital I knew it would be amazing like all the other games they made and it was. it’s amazing. easy to understand control I mastered them after level three. It’s one of the best games to play and is worth the monthly subscription to play it. This is a game I will be playing for years because of all the content it has like multiple difficulty’s

This is a very good game. Like Downwell, the controls seem simple at first, but the gameplay is actually quite deep. This would easily be a five-star review if it wasn’t for the fact that my save file disappeared seemingly out of nowhere. I was about halfway through the campaign when I opened the app and found the “Continue” option grayed out, forcing me to start over. I have no idea why this happened; it’s like the game forgot I’d been playing it at all. This is a very serious bug that needs to be fixed, and I’m pretty annoyed that I lost all my progress. Played on iPhone 11

first of all, this game has some incredibly satisfying melee combat, as well as a unique artstyle that usually looks really good. however, this game almost feels like a demo in some ways, and i feel like it had way more potential. there are a couple frustrating design choices, such as losing your items and having to grind for a chance to get decent ones again. the big thing for me, however, is the items you get couldve been way more interesting instead of just increasing your stats. for example, you could have an item that increases your attack range, makes your charge attack charge faster, makes you heal a tiny bit when you get a kill, that kind of thing. i think having unique items would add a ton of variety and replayability to an otherwise pretty solid game

This and what the golf are my favorite games on Apple Arcade. Unfortunately there is a major frustrating bug in this game due to the controls mechanism. On iPhone X and later you might accidentally swipe the game away to the home screen, and when you re-enter the game it will take you to the pause screen. Once you re-enter the game from pause, the controls no longer work. I have “died” countless times due to the unavailing to evade enemies after accidentally swiping the game away. PLEASE fix this!

I really dig this game in a lot of ways. Visuals are cool, sound is great, concept is new and interesting. I think the controls are frustrating. There were a lot of times my character was just not doing what I was trying to do. That’s never fun for any game. I realize they needed to make the game work for mobile, and it’s a cool attempt, but I didn’t find it successful. Also, losing items and experience when you die. Did you really need to join the Dark Souls copy crowd? How does that make the game better? I didn’t really mind it, but do your own thing.

Im really enjoying this one! Not to many games that aren’t in landscape mode and play either one handed or both. Having a blast with this one. The only complaint I have is the automatic save. I actually made it into world two and upgraded my guy pretty well so fad. Just to come back later to it not saved at all and starting around level two of the first world. Hopefully, thats a but fixed soon. I hope it doesn't happen again or to others because this is a great game.

I’m not a person who is seriously invested in video games, but it’s not because I don’t like them. This was probably one of the most addictive games I have ever played and it was so good I had to write a review which I also don’t do very often. It has such a well written plot line and fun old school graphics that are so easy to follow. I tried out Apple Arcade and this is the main game that will keep me going on it!

I love this game because it’s basically a prime fantasy game. It has the whole package: unique gameplay, good story, fun fights, diverse enemies, and the stereotypical character system (HP, defense, damage) that everyone loves. However, sometimes I spawn in levels with half or less health, even before any enemy spawns, which usually costs me the level. Other than that, amazing game.

So this game’s touch and hold mechanic works really well for parrying, quick attack and strong attacks. The game gets really interesting in the middle chapters then starts to plateau in terms of difficulty and repetitiveness toward the end. Might have benefitted from introducing a new mechanic or challenge in late game. But it was super fun the whole play through and highly recommended. Art style and sound design were perfect for this kind of game. Loved it.

I don’t like playing games in which I’m killed over and over again several times each level, especially not in the beginning of the game. It’s unnecessarily difficult and the “challenge” isn’t fun. The graphics and motif are cool and all, but the 8-bit style doesn’t save this game. It’s too similar to “Only One”, which pretty much has the same idea, motif, and playable area. The difference is that you can use the map to your advantage and power-ups actually make a difference. Sorry, but Bleak Sword is extremely frustrating and not a fun game.

I think that it could be a better game I like it allot I think that you should work on it more I think you should give the character some what of a head and I think that you should come out with a another game because I truly think that it could be a better game if you worked on it more but I also like the pixilated idea to oh and make the bosses harder I found that the levels where way harder pleas take note apple-Atreyu

This is easily the coolest game on Apple Arcade, I have downloaded them all and I haven’t played them all yet but my goodness this games is amazing. Seriously good job most fun I’ve had playing a mobile game in years!! I looked up to see who devolved this game cause I just had to know and of course it’s the same team who delivered the amazing reign games you are amazingly talented and I love everything you have made so far!!!!

Yesterday I beat the last level of the game. I have to say I’m very impressed with everything. The pacing is good, the gameplay feels really smooth, and while it gets frustrating sometimes, it’s so worth sticking with the game. I’m playing on an iPhone XR and the controls feel just fine. I’m excited to try arena mode and whatever else comes after the main campaign!

This game is challenging and the control scheme is awesome. I also love the atmosphere and feel of it. It is amazing how much the developers can convey with a few pixels. It feels like a much more graphically intense game. I also love that you can play it with one hand, since it makes the game a ton more accessible for disabled people. Thank you!

This is arguably one of the best, if not THE best, iPhone game I’ve experienced. It’s easy to pick up, difficult to master, and a ton of fun. It’s punishing in the best possible way and rewards skilled play in a motivating way. I love this kind of art style too because it leaves so much to the imagination while still creating the perfect atmosphere. I am looking forward to playing more games by this developer!

It’s a very good game overall, my adrenaline really pumped while I play it. But overall it’s just too hard to play. I don’t find it too hard as I have beaten easy difficulty so far, but other people might find it irritating. There should be a friendlier mode which you have more inventory slots and less threatening monsters for those people.

Let me start by saying im probably one of the few people who enjoy the use of Chromatic Aberration in games... something about it just looks cool to me... However, using it here in a 2 color pixel game (black/white) makes a cool effect look awful. It makes everything look blurry in a bad way, like "i need glasses" blurry which made it hard to focus on enemies within the environment. I did a super quick glance in options but didnt see an option to turn off the effect. But after a bit more looking... turns out at the very bottom of settings... (it scrolls down) there is an option to turn it off... i suggest doing this. The controls feel sluggish and lack response and given the style of gameplay, this is unacceptable. I really wanted to like it, since i like the 2d pixels in a quasi-3d arena. But it just didnt hit the mark with me.

Just started playing but am really enjoying the challenge and risk. Has a heroic rpg element I like. unforgiving with deaths but challenges you to get good. A rarity for mobile games that try to make games as easy as possible. Give it a try if you like a good challenge. Apple this is the type of games you should be releasing!

This game was a blast to play but I felt something lacking in the game itself. Although the levels were and enemies were done, more enemies at one one time would have made the game a bit more challenging for the intermediate to advanced gameplay. Overall the game handled very nice with the phone and paired with a controller. I wanna give this game a five star rating but those gameplay fixes would make the game a little less stale.

I’ve been playing this for a little while, so I can say with confidence that basically, this game is great! It’s not the scale of a West of Loathing or something, but it’s really fun with a Bluetooth controller! The art style is super simple, and mechanics are easy to grasp. I highly recommend this game!

I really enjoyed it. I don’t think a game with precise controls and close timings would be doable on a phone, much less enjoyable, but I was pleasantly surprised. The only issue I found is that the credits replay every time you beat the boss. Especially if you’re trying to no hit win, or can get annoying. You could let us skip the credits after they’ve been viewed for the first time.

I love this game, it’s like a pocket dark souls. The combat is fun, fair, and snappy. The levels are simple in their design but give off a perfect medieval fantasy atmosphere. My reasoning for giving the game a three star rating is because twice now I have been set back more than three levels after I return to the app. I really enjoy the game play and it would be the perfect game if I didn’t have to replay three levels to continue from where I left off.

The game has great gameplay and I could play this for hours, the one problem is I have found myself just getting off the game like I would any other game, but when I get back on later I come to find that I have to start an entirely new game because I forgot to save before I got off. Insanely annoying I got late into world 2 and now I have to restart because apparently I didn’t save.

It’s a brutal action game that is dripping with style and atmosphere. The controls are a little awkward to get used to (and sometimes misfire), but with a little determination you can master them pretty quickly. I’d give the game a higher rating, but after completing the main game and starting the bonus content, my main game character information got overwritten. At least I had already beaten it...

At first I was turned off by the simple gameplay.... 4 hours later I was still playing. A simple storyline leads you on the way as you slash through various enemies, with only 2 attacks, block, and move, bleak sword is easy to learn, hard to master, and you’ll get sucked into it. Make more levels and a new storyline!