GRIMVALOR / DEVELOPER & PUBLISHER: DIRELIGHT / PLATFORM: ANDROID, iOS, SWITCH / RELEASE DATE: 7TH APRIL
Souls-inspired 2.5D hack n’ slash platformer GrimValor received near-unanimous praise upon its 2018 iOS/Android release, earning many plaudits for bringing console-quality action to mobile platforms. But with its release on the Switch, GV finds itself with the unenviable task of having to convince players that this mobile title is still worth experiencing on an actual home console that has an abundance of similar games…
GrimValor‘s fantasy setting – and some aspects of its gameplay – show heavy Dark Souls influences. The story follows a knight on a quest to discover what happened to the fallen king of Vallaris, a crumbling gothic city filled with unwelcoming monsters. The various levels are connected to a central hub where players can upgrade their character’s stats and weapons using currency gained from defeated enemies, and resting at statues gives the opportunity to refill your “mending flask” (health potions).
Given the similarities to the Souls games, you’d be forgiven for thinking GrimValor might also borrow some combat mechanics from the same series. This isn’t the case though, as most enemies are slow enough that they can be easily dealt with by a few sword slashes, and there’s no stamina meter (hooray!) to prevent you from dealing as much damage as you need. Most enemies – both standard ones and bosses – flash red when they’re about to attack, making them easy to dodge past, although things can get quite hectic when faced with larger packs of projectile-throwing baddies.
Some light Metroidvania influences come into play too, with levels occasionally branching off to areas containing hidden treasure. You won’t be backtracking too much though, as there’s no way to revisit previous levels once you’ve moved on to the next. GrimValor is largely a linear adventure that pushes you in the right direction with objectives given by characters you meet along the way. It’s all very straightforward, likely due to the limitations of designing a game for mobile platforms, making this a good choice for newcomers to the genre. Hack n’ slash veterans might note the lack of challenge (especially in the opening areas), but they’re still likely to find an enjoyable experience.
