2D or not to 2D, that is the question. With the rise of indie games, also came the rise or return of pixel art 2D games. Some of them are absolutely brilliant while others are a complete miss. Let’s found in which category Swords & Bones fits in.
Swords N’ Goblins, no Ghost N’ Bones, nevermind
The demon world invades humanity every 500 years. The Wolf Demon has been bullying the Kingdom of Vestus and it seems that there is no hope. But there’s one hero who can put an end to it – you – a nameless warrior with a sword in hand. What are you waiting for? Swords & Bones is a sidescrolling action-platforming game that pulls inspiration from the 80s and 90s classics. The main inspiration is games like Ghost N’ Goblins and Castlevania but misses the ball completely. The game lacks the same charm and details.
2D pixel art, hit or miss?
Nowadays a lot of games are going for the retro 2D-HD styling with smooth animations, vibrant colours, stunning pixel art, etc, that really makes the world feel alive. Swords & Bones sadly doesn’t get any of these right. The art style reminds me of the flash era of games. I don’t really know how to describe what that entails, but it’s simple and pixel art like. The environments and structures are really flat looking. Animations and pixel art are really basic without much detail put in.
Basic gameplay
The gameplay isn’t much better either and is really basic too. You play from level to level, a bit like a mobile game. These levels can be completed within a minute. The game consists of roughly 50 levels and 6 bosses to clear. So in theory the game can be completed in around 1 hour. The levels have you side-scrolling through and defeating monsters along the way in order to reach the end of the level.
At first, the levels will be easy but when time goes on the levels get a bit harder, with some enemies being unfair without having any upgrades. This is because you only have 2 action buttons you can use without them, jump and attack. There is no such thing as blocking, crouching, dashing or directional attacks. When an enemy is above you, you are certain to get hit. It makes the gameplay really stiff. The key is learning the attack patterns of certain enemies. This however is pretty easy since the patterns and AI is really basic.
An upgraded to basic?
Upgrades can be bought from the money you earn throughout the levels. These upgrades can be bought at the shops. Here you can choose either power-ups, spells or items. Spells give you an extra attack that costs MP to use. These help a bit to spice up the gameplay and make it a bit fairer. Power-ups give for instance excess to a double jump or the ability to destroy cursed blocks. This makes that you have to backtrack since some areas weren’t accessible before, to get all collectable heroes trophies and 100% the game. Collecting every Heroes’ Trophy will unlock an extra challenge.
Conclusion
Swords & Bones is basic in every aspect. The game controls good and without problems but isn’t interesting at all. If it was released as a free flash game in the early 2000’s I would see myself playing this, but it’s 2022 & I expect a bit more. The game will cost you only around €5 but I would suggest holding on and spending it on a game that is more worthwhile.
