Tough and atmospheric, Dark Devotion is out now

Not that it’s being called a 2D Souls-like, but it sounds an awful lot that’s what like Dark Devotion is. Well, that and a gorgeous side-scroller.

Devote yourself

Dark Devotion’s sprawling, dilapidated temple takes adventurers through a twisted environment rife with mystery where they’ll encounter scores of dangerous foes slinking within the shadows. Combat is deliberately paced and weighty, making mistakes feel impactful and every looting of scarce supplies a relief in a tormenting labyrinth partially inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe In Dark Devotion, faith is more than just a guiding light; it’s a precious resource demanded by an unappeasable God who is happy to watch you struggle against its most loyal Templars.

Hibernian Workshop press release

There’s a lot in that piece of pr text, all of it cool. But you can’t tell me that it doesn’t remind you of Dark Souls, not that that’s a bad thing. And there’s a lot more to it too in terms of influence, with Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft both cited as inspirations.

That though, isn’t all that Dark Devotion has going for it. According to developer Hibernian Workshop, the game includes some 250 weapons, spells, armor, and items. There’s also “180 blessings, curses and runes” to make use of, 18 bosses to battle through, and an apparent focus on “replayability and various paths”. Sounds pretty slick.

Available right now on the PC, Dark Devotion will run you $19.99 USD.