[h1]Overview[/h1]
[i]Damsel[/i] is a small indie action platformer game created by [i]Screwtape Studios[/i]. The game shines in fast-paced action, which will not let you breathe on the hardest difficulty. Although you play as a Damsel, the only ones who are in distress are the Vampires you fight.
[h1]Pros & Cons[/h1]
[b]Pros[/b]
[list][*]Hothead difficulty offers the best experience as it is required to be fast and precise.
[*]The variation of enemies and environmental barriers is satisfying enough for the whole game.
[*]There are also multiple different objectives in every mission.
[*]Combat overall is smooth, responsive, and enjoyable.
[*]Art style and comic-like cutscenes are glamorous.
[*]Leaderboards provide the motivation to compete with other players and replay the levels.
[*]Arcade mode is available if you crave for more content after the campaign.[/list]
[b]Cons[/b]
[list][*]Each act contains 25 missions, but the maps repeat after time. Although the layout of objectives and enemies is different, it still gets a bit repetitive.
[*]The first two difficulty options are unchallenging. Due to that, you can finish the game in two hours as nothing will give you a problem.
[*]Story told in the cutscenes is uninteresting and dull. The same applies to the characters. It also ends without a proper conclusion.
[*]Mouse does not work in the main menu.[/list]
[h1]In-depth analysis[/h1]
[h2]Gameplay[/h2]
The game offers [b]three acts[/b] with a total of [b]75 missions[/b]. Missions can be finished in two minutes, even in less if you are fast enough. It depends on how many side objectives you do and, of course, how many times you fail. The major drawback is that levels repeat themselves after a while. There are 25 missions in each act, but in reality, there are only four or five maps in each act.
As the game is a [b]2D action platformer[/b], you move your character in four directions. You have a double jump and a dash at your disposal. Your only weapon is the shotgun and your fists. You can shoot in each direction, even while you jump.
[u][b]Objectives[/b][/u]
In each mission, there is one main objective that needs to fulfill for finishing the level. These objectives vary from rescuing hostages, killing all vampires, defusing bombs, uploading the data, and more. To complete the objectives, you must press or tap “E” repeatedly. In the case of data uploading, you need to hold your position near a satellite while more enemies spawn near you. Sometimes, you need to be careful, as the hostage can be killed by the player, as well.
[u][b]Enemies and environment[/b][/u]
There are various melee and ranged enemy types with different weapons and abilities. There are simple grunts, spiders, and floating vampires. Every enemy has their own health, which is symbolized by hearts above them. One hit from melee and ranged attacks take away one heart each. The very same rule applies to your character.
The environment is your enemy, as well. There are spikes, exploding barrels, and lasers that disable your weapons. There are also red barrels that spawn the flying vampire if they are shot. Enemies also spawn via cameras which must be destroyed as soon as possible. Sometimes, you can use the environment against your enemies, such as poisonous or explosive barrels.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2000408038
[u][b]Difficulty[/b][/u]
I do not recommend playing the game on the first two difficulty options. The length of the game is just about two hours on them. However, the [b]Hothead difficulty[/b] fixes this problem, as it adds a twist making it harder. There are purple skulls you need to collect and each resets the timer. If the timer runs out, you must repeat the level as if you died.
[u][b]Leaderboards and other game modes[/b][/u]
The game counts two things: how much score the player obtained and in what amount of time. There are two separate leaderboards for that. The score is obtained by killing enemies and completing the objectives. The levels are short, so you can try getting a higher score many times. However, finishing a level in time or getting a high score is not necessary to progress.
As for other game modes, the first one is an [b]Arcade mode[/b]. It is a little bit harder from the beginning, and the objectives are mostly the same. If you feel the urge to play the game more and do not feel like replaying the campaign missions, then it does its job.
The [b]Chillout mode[/b] lets you play the game without worrying about dying. Here you can test the levels and find out the shortest way to complete the level with the highest score possible.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1986325978
[h2]Story[/h2]
The humans and vampires managed to live together as the vampires drink a special beverage that stops them from hunting humans. However, the corporate behind this is power hungry, so Damsel must stop them.
The story itself is just not that interesting, as it is told only via cutscenes that are way too short and not voice acted. The characters are uninteresting, unamusing, and unlikable. If the cutscenes were completely absent, you would not lose much.
[h2]Audiovisuals[/h2]
The art style of the game is pretty colourful and you recognize the enemies and environmental traps easily. There are a lot of cool-looking animations, such as a flying colony of bats that forms itself into a vampire. You also receive a short glimpse of a story, between each campaign mission, told via a comic that looks good, as well.
The soundtrack is alright. It fits the games’ nature, but it is nothing extraordinary. The sounds effects are on the same mediocre quality. There is no voice acting, so that is a bit disappointing.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2000407688
[h2]Games’ performance[/h2]
The game was tested with an [b]i5 8300H, GTX 1060 6GB, and 16GB RAM[/b], running at the highest settings at stable 60 frames per second. The game is also playable with an integrated graphics card, in my case [b]UHG Graphics 630[/b], but the framerate is a little inconsistent there and can drop to 40-30 frames. I had a 1920x1080 resolution set in both cases.
The mouse does not work in the main menu, making controlling it irritating, especially if you want to replay a certain level.
[h2]Final thoughts[/h2]
[i]Damsel[/i] is an enjoyable game if you play it on the highest difficulty setting, and you plan to achieve higher scores on each level. If you plan to rush through the story without challenging yourself, you should look elsewhere.
[quote][b]This game was reviewed for free by a key provided by the developer.[/b][/quote]
[url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/7871885/][quote]Follow our curator page, [b]OCG-Curations[/b], if you like and want to see more reviews like this one.
