Sword of the Necromancer: Resurrection Review – Love Never Dies

Sword of the Necromancer: Resurrection Review

Sword of the Necromancer: Resurrection is a 3D remake of Grimorio of Games’ 2021 action RPG, the original Sword of the Necromancer. The game features revamped graphics, reworked combat, and a tactical summoning system. And while it falls flat in a few areas, for the most part, this remake is good.

Tama ventures to the legendary Necromancer’s crypt with the dead priestess Koko. She failed Koko once. Never again. Tama takes up the titular Sword of the Necromancer, a dark artifact that can bring back the dead, and sets out to resurrect Koko at any cost. In her way lies an ever-shifting dungeon, countless monstrous foes, and the Necromancer whose power she seeks.

As Tama delves deeper into the dungeon, the player learns what led her down this path. Koko, the daughter of the high priest of her religion, desired to learn how the people truly live. Her father gave only empty words to those who sought his council.

She wanted to do better, and enlisted Tarma’s help. You must reach the bottom to discover what went wrong on Koko’s pilgrimage and why Tama is desperate to resurrect her.

Something for Everyone

Sword of the Necromancer: Resurrection, like the original, is an action RPG with roguelite elements. Unlike the original, it takes place in three dimensions, allowing more complex dodging and aerial combat. It also expands on the game’s narrative, adding new cinematics and more story details.

The narrative is relatively sparse and revealed through collectibles and after hitting milestones. Tama makes for an engaging and flawed protagonist and Koko is an adorable lost Lenore. Discovering their tragic romance made for a nice motivation to get good. And getting good is key to the game’s mechanics.

The main gimmick is simple: you can reanimate 20 monsters at a time after defeating them and use them to fight. Tama can bring three monsters out at once, each assigned different tactics. Tama herself specializes in racing around the battlefield, dodging attacks and hammering on enemies. She also has a number of ranged options, including bows and various spells. It’s up to you to tailor your gear to your playstyle.

The game switches rapidly between high-octane action and strategic planning. It’s not enough to simply have tough monsters. You need to use them well, too. Some monsters, such as healers, can make up for holes in Tama’s arsenal. Others specialize in a single area, such as defense or speed. Summoning the right creature at the right time can be the difference between bitter defeat and hard-fought victory.

Sword of the Necromancer: Resurrection Fleshes Things Out

Sword of the Necromancer: Resurrection has three different modes and some very polished combat. The main game is heavier on the ARPG elements. Tama and her summons steadily level up and fight through various rooms with different victory conditions. However, it also features Challenge Mode and Boss Rush mode.

Challenge Mode is a purer roguelite experience. Tama starts at level 1 every time, though she keeps her items and summons, and players must craft a build for her. Every room has a different type–treasure, puzzle, combat, exploration–and after clearing a few, you reach a boss fight. Beating a boss will give you a trait you keep for the rest of the run. Levels and traits don’t carry over do the main game, but items and summons do. Boss Rush keeps Tama’s current stats and pits her against five bosses in quick succession as a test of skill.

This game is pretty hard overall. If you’re not a roguelite fan, I suggest leveling up before you try any challenge modes. If you are, however, you’re in for a treat. The procedural generation makes for effectively infinite replayability. It also means that a lot of summons you find will have bizarre weaknesses.

The level layout can create a very nice sense of verticality. Tama can jump and many foes can fly, so going up feels natural. Each room of the dungeon has three challenges for skilled players to attempt. And there are hidden chests tucked away for the observant. You can also play with a friend in co-op.

Dead on Arrival

Sword of the Necromancer: Resurrection is a pretty solid experience. However, it’s not without flaws. The music provides a nice ambiance for a tragic, self-destructive quest into a wicked dungeon. And the voice acting is frankly phenomenal. Tama’s voice actress really brought her A-game to this project. Unfortunately, the visuals are painfully retro.

I’m going to be blunt: the art design is good, but this is not an especially pretty game. The original release had some gorgeous sprites and pixel art. In comparison, this title’s 3D graphics are a letdown. They’re serviceable and pleasantly retro in their own right, but they really don’t compare. At least the animated cutscenes and still portraits are nice.

I found some instances in the Challenge Mode dungeons where I simply could not figure out how to get past a puzzle. This was really frustrating. Luck and enemy spawn placement play a disproportionate role in combat challenges.

Summons can sometimes get stuck or stop attacking, and Tama occasionally falls in slow motion when hit. Even with red lines to mark hostiles, I keep mixing up which monsters are mine and which are wild. And the game crashed multiple times.

All in all, Sword of the Necromancer: Resurrection is a solid gameplay experience. I just wish the 3D graphics were prettier and the game would stop crashing.

***Steam code provided by the publisher***