Dark Deity 2 Nintendo Switch Review 9.5/10 "Sword & Axe LLC Shine Once More!" ⚔️🪓 @DarkDeityGame #GameDev #IndieGame

I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to cover the original Dark Deity on Switch back in 2022 when I awarded the game 9/10, having thoroughly enjoyed the experience… with the exception of the downtime between the turn-based skirmishes in which a light visual novel element crept in, and I found myself mindlessly skipping through paragraphs of seemingly endless dialogue and banter between the characters in my party. 

With this sequel, Sword & Axe LLC have found a way to tighten this aspect, blending in the more dialogue-heavy sections into the actual plot itself, making it a much more seamless experience, that makes the game feel more cohesive, and much more inviting and playable, with these scenes feeling as important in terms of unveiling the expanding tale as the core combat sections themselves.

The story feels much pacier and more involved this time around, with the focus very much on the moment-to-moment action, giving a sense of kineticism to your progress. Whilst the anime styled character portraits return from the previous game, this time they have more emotional scope in their presentation, and the rich voice acting brings the characters and world to life. Juxtaposed with this anime style are the more pixel-driven combat scenarios which offer a fair challenge, requiring careful strategizing and planning - you can’t just churn through the enemies, so your grey matter will get a workout!

Character animations in combat are fluid and glorious to behold, as is the soundtrack -courtesy of Andyne, who has created an almost fifty-track album that acts as the score to your victories, and very much sets the tone of your adventure. 

Effectively, Dark Deity 2 is a much richer and more rewarding experience on top of the original, which was already no slouch in itself! From the visuals through to the mechanics and narrative, every aspect has been tightened and emboldened, meaning that playing it is an absolute breeze, with an incredible amount of a sense of agency in how you wish to play. 

No small part of this is the class system that allows you to grow your party as you see fit – the levelling up sound is also incredibly satisfying! – so that you’ll have assembled quite the crew by the time you reach the end of your journey, customised to your tastes.

SUMMARY
Dark Deity was one of my favourite turn-based games of the last few years, Sword & Axe LLC are a developer very dear to my heart due to how they manage to keep such tried and tested genre mechanics feeling fresh and satisfying by creating such a rich and fully rounded gaming experience. 

This sequel effectively polishes and shines that robust core design into a game that feels even more inviting and satisfying to play. If you are a fan of Fire Emblem or the Shining Force series of games, this isn’t just a recommendation, it should be on the national curriculum! 

Awesome stuff.

9.5/10

🧊🆒ICE COOL🧊🆒

How long is Dark Deity II? | HowLongToBeat