Bleak Sword DX is basically lo-fi Elden Ring, and that's dope.
Originally released as an Apple Arcade exclusive back in 2019, Bleak Sword DX is now shifting onto PC and Nintendo Switch early next month. You can check out a gameplay trailer for the action-packed minimalistic game just below, which looks like you took the ducking, dodging, and parrying of FromSoftware's modern classics and removed or at least sand-blasted almost everything else about them.
Soulslike minimalism at its finest - Bleak Sword DX dodges and parries onto Nintendo Switch and PC on June 8! pic.twitter.com/40w1XwHoAYMay 19, 2023
"Through twelve tense and deeply atmospheric chapters, heroes must lift the curse of the legendary Bleak Sword by striking down all manner of horrifying creatures across an oppressive world wielding fierce weaponry and powerful magic," a press release from Devolver Digital heralds.
On the other hand, Bleak Sword DX's Steam page claims it boasts "increasingly horrifying" creatures. It's even got a swamp! Hidetaka Miyazaki would be proud.
This one reviewed well back in the day, and looks to be worth keeping an eye on purely for the snacky hack-and-slash action. Bleak Sword DX seems brutal and relentless, a game where every parry truly counts, so if you ever just wanted FromSoftware's combat philosophy and nothing else about their games whatsoever, this one looks ripe for you.
"Bleak" itself is a pretty good descriptor for some of FromSoftware's worlds, and it looks like Bleak Sword DX is very much tapping into that. Not that all their games are bleak, mind you, as amongst the torment and strife of Dark Souls and Sekiro there's undoubtedly beauty to be found, but it's an apt descriptor for a studio that admits it can't help but make depressing games.
Check out our upcoming indie games guide for a look at the other smaller gems you should be keeping an eye out for.
