But the oddball humor, quirky characters, and melancholy atmosphere will make doing so a pleasure.
If you love Zelda-likes, Death’s Door is one of my favorites, and was one of the best games of 2021. In this isometric adventure, you play as a soul-collecting crow in the employ of Death himself. When your latest reaping goes wrong, you become an unwitting investigator into a vast conspiracy that spans life and death as you make your way through three dungeons to collect enough soul power to open “death’s door.” The game offers a marvelous mix of exploration and combat—perhaps a bit too much of the latter; unless you’re a lot better than I am, you’ll need to grind your way through scores of regular baddies to upgrade your spells, defenses, and weapons until you are strong enough to take on the big bosses. But the oddball humor, quirky characters, and melancholy atmosphere will make doing so a pleasure.