Why Hades players should be excited for the release of SWORN
After literally killing a pad playing Hades, I was delighted to come across the Sworn demo. I've discovered a new adventure that, while familiar, has a lot of new features.
It only takes a few minutes on Sworn to feel ‘at home’. The gameplay is fast-paced and responsive, with dash-based movement. The enemies and their patterns may change, but there's still that exhilarating feeling of controlling an agile character who's at ease in small spaces and capable of a succession of attacks. Visually, the cel shading doesn't take long to get used to either, and makes the action easy to read.
As in Hades, every run in Sworn is an opportunity to learn and improve. There's the same safety net of metaprogression that turns every failure into an integral part of the learning process.
Where Hades immersed us in Greek mythology, Sworn transports us to a dark and corrupt version of Camelot. References to Arthurian legends are omnipresent, providing both a familiar setting and an original twist. The gods have been swapped for the fairies, but their nudges allow the quick attack, slow attack, spell, dash, companion and ultimate to evolve. It's all there.
These possibilities are further enhanced by the presence of 4 different classes, each with 4 weapons. There's plenty to do, not to mention the traditional difficulty levels to spice up your runs and assess your progress.
One of the great new features of Sworn is the ability to play cooperatively with up to four players. And it works! Zagreus might have felt a bit lonely at times, but here you can cordially spread the word to Lancelot among your companions. It's a refreshing experience that has already offered some memorable situations.
If, like me, you loved Hades for its addictive gameplay and atmosphere, Sworn has something to delight you. It manages to take the recipe of the action game Roguelike and add its own touch, notably with cooperation, the blessings of the fairies and the Arthurian universe. See you on February 6th to farm the Knights of the Round Table.
- Originally written by Lucas, Gamesplanet, adapted by Craig into English.