As someone who’s spent countless hours slashing through enemies in samurai games, I was initially skeptical when I heard about Bloodless and its bloodless combat promise. But after diving into this unique title, I must admit that it’s refreshing to see a game that challenges the norms of the genre while still delivering an engaging experience.
Samurai games are abundant in every category, whether small indie games, nostalgic classics, or big-budget productions. However, they all seem to follow the pattern of embracing violence, with a focus on weapon-based combat typical of the genre. But Bloodless, the debut game from Point N’ Sheep, offers a unique perspective by telling a samurai story through an innovative approach. The traditional ronin character isn’t novel, but what sets Bloodless apart is its decision to eliminate lethal combat entirely from the player’s arsenal. Instead, it invites players to discover alternative means of resistance, without causing the bloodshed that harms both parties involved in the conflict.
A familiar premise, but it looks cool as heck
This is a story about Tomoe, an infamous samurai who abandoned her home to go to war. She becomes known for the trail of bodies she left behind, but grows sick of the violence and heads back home. There, she has to deal with the unsolved problems she left behind, and a bad news shogun who has taken over with brute force. To do this she has to fight back and inspire others to do the same, but this time without spilling a single drop of blood.
Bloodless kicks off with a stylish visual aesthetic that harmoniously fuses vintage art with contemporary techniques and clever color applications. The backdrop primarily features dark tones, yet bursts of color are strategically placed under the influence of heavy shadows. This presentation gives an impression reminiscent of playing games on a Super Game Boy, where single-color palettes employed shading to generate a sense of depth. Additionally, the character sprites appear as if they’ve been plucked directly from a Neo Geo Pocket Color game, a rare visual touch. This fusion of styles may seem unusual, but it looks great and significantly enhances the playability of Bloodless, as visibility during gameplay is crucial.
More complex than just parries
Initially, Bloodless might appear to follow the trend of relying on parrying for combat, as seen in many tough action games today. However, it offers a more intricate approach and is less focused on penalizing mistakes. Enemies exhibit subtle visual cues before attacking, indicating whether you need to evade or counterattack. For the latter, you employ a swift dodging maneuver that doesn’t just serve as an escape but also allows you to charge into incoming attacks. If timed correctly, this move disarms your opponent in a fashion so impressive they are forced to yield. This technique is satisfying to execute and doesn’t even feel like a conventional parry.
It’s not just about the countering move. If it was, there would likely be pacing issues, with Tomoe having to sit and wait for enemy attacks. And they’re pretty careful! Tomoe also has “ki attacks,” which is basically a narrative workaround allowing her to punch dudes in the face. You know, indirectly. It kind of feels inherently at odds with what the game is trying to portray, while feeling unavoidable at the same time. It’s also a bit on the basic side, although there are also special moves as well that kick the spice up a notch.
The tea is good
In Bloodless’ game, a key element supporting its gameplay is the gourd! Characters like Tomoe can refill this gourd with tea at designated safe areas. The contents within determine various outcomes, such as healing from matcha plants. This feature caught my attention as it made me consider strategies beyond just healing, perhaps utilizing my scarce drinking resources for alternative advantages. Moreover, there’s something really cool about taking a sip from a gourd amidst a brutal hand-to-hand battle to the death (one-sided). Tomoe exudes a lot of style and confidence for a sprite character in an NGPC game, if you catch my drift.
Fundamentally, Bloodless offers a straightforward, intriguing gaming experience as promised by its packaging. While it occasionally deviates, it does so in a manner consistent with the storyline. The unique selling point, non-lethal combat, is engaging and different from the typical samurai game that focuses on parrying. Moreover, Bloodless doesn’t try to be more than what it is, which is commendable. It aims, shoots, and scores its target directly, delivering a quality gameplay experience.
The game “Bloodless” will be released for PC on August 29, 2024. For this review, a code was given to us by the publisher.
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2024-08-28 18:28