Swordship

Release Date: December 5, 2022

Action, science fiction, roguelike, indie games, singleplayer

7.5

OpenCritic

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An arcade action game, described by the authors as a "shoot'em up without shooting". In Swordship we sit behind the helm of an unarmed fighter, and our task is to avoid enemy fire and maneuver in such a way that they destroy each other.

Plot
Mechanics
Technical aspects

Swordship is an arcade action game, described by the developers as a "shoot'em up without shooting". The game was developed by independent studio Digital Kingdom, and was published by Thunderful Publishing.

Plot

Swordship takes us to the distant future. Due to extremely high temperatures, the Earth's surface is almost completely unfit for life. While the world's elite live in gigantic underwater metropolises, the poor people are forced to hide from the murderous heat in caves, which they can leave only after nightfall. These people only manage to survive thanks to water and food in containers stolen from transport lines that stretch between the underwater cities. We take the role of a pilot of one of the ships used for this purpose. Stealing from the rich is not an easy matter, however, because underwater agglomerations do not spare on forces defending their resources.

Mechanics

In Swordship we observe the action from a top-down view. We sit behind the helm of a yellow fighter and fly ahead at a dizzying speed, stealing containers from transport lines. Opponents, with whom we can't fight in any way, prevent us from doing so. Instead, we have to avoid their fire and maneuver the ship in such a way that adversaries destroy each other. The game is diversified by changing weather conditions and the fact that the levels are procedurally generated. We acquire new components that increase the power of our ship; stolen containers can be exchanged for passive upgrades that give us an additional advantage on the battlefield.

Technical aspects

Swordship features a cartoon-like graphics. The whole thing is extremely colorful, but at the same time transparent, which allows you to quickly orient yourself in the situation prevailing on the battlefield.

Videos and Screens

[0:44] Swordship trailer #3

[1:02] Swordship trailer #2

7.5

OpenCritic Rating

Game is Recomended by 63% of Critics. There are 19 Critic Reviews.

OpenCritic

LadiesGamers.com: by James Luff

Swordship is fast-dodging fun on the Nintendo Switch. Speeding in at the last moment, this might just be one of the most original roguelikes I have played this year. With so many games in the genre focusing on platforming and action, the racing mechanics really deliver a fresh injection to the formula. The fast pace may be a bit much for gamers with slow or anxious reflexes. Unlocking content can be a bit of a drag in places. Regardless, this is an ideal pick for gamers with little time on their hands or who just want some fast arcade fun. Don’t let this speed you by.

Full Review

FourFaceButtons: 5 / 10 by David Aedo

A roguelike that pretends to be an arcade game. The action is a lot of fun, but the random elements make chasing after a high score more frustrating than satisfying. Pretty fun for a single playthrough up the main credits, but the lack of replay value or additional game modes keep this from being anything special.

Full Review

Nintendo Life: 7 / 10 by Tom Massey

Swordship is a clever, original, and interesting concept. It looks good, sounds good, and plays well. There’s just that RNG irritant that means, while you can learn enemy behaviours, you sometimes get lost in the fray. Even the camera shifts and the slow down (which can be disabled) can occasionally disorientate you from your position, resulting in sudden death. At the same time, while imperfect, its evolving and increasingly intense nature has major appeal for score hunters. And, when you do grab that container, trip under a set of lasers, detonate three mines sequentially and blow the screen sky-high, it earns itself an action badge of honour.

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