Down to Hell
Nintendo Switch

Developed By : Red Dev Studio
Published By : Ultimate Games
Category : Fighting, RPG, Action
Release Date : Dec 23, 2019

It was about a year ago when I determined that, when it comes to video games, I apparently like torturing myself. I found my interests being heavily drawn towards the From Software Souls series, and games of that ilk. At first it was just watching, and then I started to dabble in playing, and now it’s reached a point where I have gone out of my way to hunt these types of games down and get them in my library. So I wasn’t surprised when I found myself jumping at the chance to try Down to Hell on the Nintendo Switch.

The narrative for our game is one that’s simple, but serves the purpose of pushing you on from screen to screen. You play as a knight who is utterly filled with rage, and is empty of a name. As you walk through the tutorial sections of the game, learning the controls, you’ll be filled in with some of his backstory.

Eventually, you find your way into the middle of an impossible fight and just before you are felled, a mysterious figure swoops in to save you. Shortly after, this figure is taken captive. So naturally, through your duty as a rage-filled knight, you now become a rage-filled knight with purpose as you decide to set off and find the figure who saved you, just so you can return the favor.

Combat is pretty simple in the game. You can perform both light and heavy attacks, as well as magic spells and the ability to jump and dash. Lastly, your knight is able to parry attacks as well, leaving your foes open for a swift and easy counterattack. All of these things will come in handy in battle though, as you’ll have plenty of baddies getting in your way that can be chopped down pretty easy.

Now and then, though, Down to Hell throws a big and nasty boss in your path to try and throw off your game. When I say big for these guys, trust me I mean it. The description for the game promises to give you at least three in each chapter, and they can be just as fun as they are frustrating. They vary in size, speed, and attack style, so you’ll need to find the perfect mixture of your skills to master these baddies.

Visually, this game is stunning. It’s a 2D side-scroller, but the way the world is done makes it feel like there is so much depth. On top of that, it’s just incredibly beautiful, with a light source far off in the distance creating dark and grimy silhouettes up to the foreground that just adds to the mood and setting of the game. Better than the visuals is the kick ass soundtrack that goes along with the game, specifically the boss fights. The dev team have selected some of the heaviest, hard hitting rock songs to crank the volume to 11 once you start one of these fights, and they are perfect mood setters.

Now, I’ll be completely honest, my hopes for this game were pretty low based on the games that I’ve played previously from the publisher. However this was the curveball of all curveballs. As soon as I fired up Down to Hell I didn’t want to turn it off. At times the attacks feel a little sluggish and delayed, but overall this is a phenomenal game. It’s fun, challenging, and beautiful to look at and listen to, and should easily find it’s way into your digital collection.