First Cut: Samurai Duel

A great game, worth the price.

Got the game along with the sound track . Paid more than what I would've on steam but goddamnit if it isn't worth it . Initially I was like this is just kinda ez until I started the campaign and I was like holy fk there's a succinct depth to it and the pixel graphics are just soooo soooooooo gooood .

Intense and addictive. A single blow could cut one down. Need practice to make the controls become instinct, because even a slightest mistake would leads to death. A lot of fun to play with friends and families.

A truly spectacular hidden gem with a lot more singleplayer-friendly content than I was expecting. I originally avoided the game because I thought it was PVP-focused (like so many other fighting games), but it turns out there is a full campaign, a smattering of different dueling/survival/etc. modes with quite a few options to mix things up, and NPC opponents that span a wide range of skill levels. The game really epitomizes the "simple to play, hard to master" ethos in the best of ways, adding further proof that a great fighting game can exist without needing ultra complex combos (or 200GB of harddrive space). The beautiful pixel art, simple controls/concepts, satisfyingly juicy sfx, and wonderfully chill soundtrack lend to a superb experience in pretty much every respect. It's definitely on the harder end of the difficulty spectrum due in large part to the one-hit-kill nature of its design, with an NPC skill ceiling that stretches far beyond what I'm currently capable of tackling, but none of that is a complaint by any means. The game doesn't get in the way of quickly restarting a fresh attempt for the most part so losing never really feels needlessly frustrating or time-wasting. A sequel/expansion would be a must-buy for me, should one ever come to be.