Bleak Sword Game Reviews

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My favorite Apple Arcade Game. This game shows that Apple Arcade games can be done well. While most AA games I’ve played have been riddled with various problems, this one controls well, has text that is large enough to read on a phone, can be played for a short length of time if thats all you have, and doesn’t crash. The gameplay is basically a boiled down version of the masterpiece PS3 game Demon’s Souls (the predecessor to the very popular Dark Souls series). Like that game you fight with a weapon using normal and hard attacks and you can roll, block, and parry. You can’t typically heal and your health level carries over from area to area, but in rare instances you can find healing items (Although I have picked up healing items, I have never figured out how to use them... which is frustrating but it didn’t dramatically impact my impressions of the game). If you die you lose your experience and items but you can get them back if you redo the area and survive the next time. Unlike Dark Souls, the different areas are separate instances like in Demon’s Souls. You are free to go back and replay areas for more experience or item hunting if you like.

Want to beat the game?. Pay close attention to losing experience. Don’t just advance to the next screen. I definitely hit a wall midway through act 4 this way. (Hate fuel. LOL!) Go back and grind levels. You might even find ‘permanent’ upgrade items. When you finish a tough level with low health, drop down to an easier level and intentionally die so you can recover your health bar and regain experience with the next fight. Good luck! Nice job, devs! (Any thoughts about character classes? I.E. - Cleric: lower damage, heal self…Wizard: High range damage, low armor…etc?)

Superb game. Everything from the art style to the gameplay just flows perfectly. It’s a game that’s designed from the ground up for mobile, and it just feels incredible to play. Unique through and through. I really hope Apple Arcade keeps bringing us games like this. It’s such a breath of fresh air compared to the usual types of games on mobile.

Great Game, Frustrating Controls. I really dig this game in a lot of ways. Visuals are cool, sound is great, concept is new and interesting. I think the controls are frustrating. There were a lot of times my character was just not doing what I was trying to do. That’s never fun for any game. I realize they needed to make the game work for mobile, and it’s a cool attempt, but I didn’t find it successful. Also, losing items and experience when you die. Did you really need to join the Dark Souls copy crowd? How does that make the game better? I didn’t really mind it, but do your own thing.

So good but one glaring issue. I love this game, it’s like a pocket dark souls. The combat is fun, fair, and snappy. The levels are simple in their design but give off a perfect medieval fantasy atmosphere. My reasoning for giving the game a three star rating is because twice now I have been set back more than three levels after I return to the app. I really enjoy the game play and it would be the perfect game if I didn’t have to replay three levels to continue from where I left off.

The BEST mobile game. This game is everything that should be in a game. It doesn’t have to have amazing graphics, but it does have to have amazing gameplay. Which it does. And a feel of achievement whenever you beat that one level that keeps completely destroying you. Quick tip you keep the hp from your previous fight, keeping this in mind if you have a lot of EXP and little health go kill yourself on the first level, when you die and lose EXP you have a chance to get it back if you beat the level you lost it on on the first try you get all your EXP back keep in mind you lose all your items so be prepared for that. Also master the counter it will help you infinitely. I know these tips are really beginner tips but they will help you forever. All in all this is the beat mobile game I have ever played and to be honest I wish even one fourth of other mobile games were half as good as this one thanks for reading and keep upgrading the game!

Kinda illegal (figuratively). I’m not saying the game is illegal I’m saying after the first campaign boss you could get to level 20-30 if you spend like an hour or two playing. You should make it so the ex goes down every time you replay a mission. so even if you play the game regularly and continue the campaign regularly you will be that level (20-30) in 3 campaign bosses. ALSO PLEASE IF YOU CAN ADD PVP OR A gamemode where fight a boss and level up your character . nothing against the love it so far. (used the glitch or intentional glitch)

Tapper meet Rogue. Simplistic games are a personal favorite of mine when it comes to mobile gaming. Challenging simple games are hard to come by but Bleak Sword does it perfectly. Very easy to learn controls make trying to puzzle out the timing of the enemies a fun challenge. And the permanent health and choices of the campaign make for an excellent Rogue like experience. This game manages to be highly addictive and also something you can play for just a few seconds making it the perfect flavor of mobile game to me.

Wow…. I want to thank the developers for making such a fun game. I don’t know what it is with most games now a days, especially mobile games. But they are not as fun as they use to be. The creators did a good job of making this game not only simple, but genuinely enjoyable. Im also glad that they added different difficulties to account for the preferences of different players. I can’t tell you how many times I have dropped a game simply for treating me like a baby and putting me on super easy mode. It’s like some developers are afraid making a more difficult mode will drive away their players. So I’m glad these devs added different difficulties. Did I talk about the fun controls and mechanics? The gameplay is just so good, I’m finding myself taking 10min breaks to relax and play the game when I’m working on something. Thank you devs for creating a great game and I can’t wait to buy this when it comes out on steam.

Without a doubt one of the best arcade games!. This game is fun, and challenging at the exact same time! Some games in arcade feel rushed and broken. But this is a breath of fresh air! It’s so weird how people think this is a bad game as this game can be endlessly re-playable if there was more content. That’s my only problem, the only problem is that there is not much content… but besides that, the game is amazing and people say the controls are not good. But for a mobile game this is pretty good! Totally recommended for all!

A Lot if Fun!. Im really enjoying this one! Not to many games that aren’t in landscape mode and play either one handed or both. Having a blast with this one. The only complaint I have is the automatic save. I actually made it into world two and upgraded my guy pretty well so fad. Just to come back later to it not saved at all and starting around level two of the first world. Hopefully, thats a but fixed soon. I hope it doesn't happen again or to others because this is a great game.

I Don’t Write Reviews or Play Many Games. I’m not a person who is seriously invested in video games, but it’s not because I don’t like them. This was probably one of the most addictive games I have ever played and it was so good I had to write a review which I also don’t do very often. It has such a well written plot line and fun old school graphics that are so easy to follow. I tried out Apple Arcade and this is the main game that will keep me going on it!

Amazing. This is easily the coolest game on Apple Arcade, I have downloaded them all and I haven’t played them all yet but my goodness this games is amazing. Seriously good job most fun I’ve had playing a mobile game in years!! I looked up to see who devolved this game cause I just had to know and of course it’s the same team who delivered the amazing reign games you are amazingly talented and I love everything you have made so far!!!!

Poor controls, even for a mobile game. Trying to play was a pain, I tolerated the poor controls for the first area, but there was no learning curve to be had. The “defend” mechanic doesn’t work on half of the enemies, so why have it at all? A moving camera and objects in the playing area were in the way of seeing enemies most of the time. For a game that is in black and white pixel graphics, these things should not be a nuisance, but there they are. The only effective battle strategy is to dance around your enemies and try to hit their backs. Hardly engaging gameplay if you could call it that. If you are looking for a game that frustrates you with the loss of your items and experience every time you die, then this is surely the game for you. Not worthy of Apple Arcade.

almost amazing. first of all, this game has some incredibly satisfying melee combat, as well as a unique artstyle that usually looks really good. however, this game almost feels like a demo in some ways, and i feel like it had way more potential. there are a couple frustrating design choices, such as losing your items and having to grind for a chance to get decent ones again. the big thing for me, however, is the items you get couldve been way more interesting instead of just increasing your stats. for example, you could have an item that increases your attack range, makes your charge attack charge faster, makes you heal a tiny bit when you get a kill, that kind of thing. i think having unique items would add a ton of variety and replayability to an otherwise pretty solid game

Simple yet Challenging. At first I was turned off by the simple gameplay.... 4 hours later I was still playing. A simple storyline leads you on the way as you slash through various enemies, with only 2 attacks, block, and move, bleak sword is easy to learn, hard to master, and you’ll get sucked into it. Make more levels and a new storyline!

Really amazing game!. This is such a good game and it is really hard to find a truly fun game on mobile. From my experience it’s glitch free. It’s very well made, and the story is simple but very well done. It’s so challenging and as you play it more you learn more strategies and just ways to take out each enemy in the most efficient way. Truly amazing. I really recommend this game to everyone unless you really don’t like blood. Devolver (I think I spelled that right) makes soo many good games that just make you happy and make you want to play more. And that last update was great. Thank you for the joy over quarantine and the fun I will always have from your games.

Great. So this game’s touch and hold mechanic works really well for parrying, quick attack and strong attacks. The game gets really interesting in the middle chapters then starts to plateau in terms of difficulty and repetitiveness toward the end. Might have benefitted from introducing a new mechanic or challenge in late game. But it was super fun the whole play through and highly recommended. Art style and sound design were perfect for this kind of game. Loved it.

Great game but lacking depth. This game was a blast to play but I felt something lacking in the game itself. Although the levels were and enemies were done, more enemies at one one time would have made the game a bit more challenging for the intermediate to advanced gameplay. Overall the game handled very nice with the phone and paired with a controller. I wanna give this game a five star rating but those gameplay fixes would make the game a little less stale.

Actually Amazing For Any Mobile Game. I’d actually like to see more from you guys with games like this. It’s wonderful, it’s the Cuphead/Darksouls of mobile gaming. I find it funny someone gave this a one star because they got salty and didn’t know how to play the game- the internet is funny, dunno why the thought getting the game was a good idea in the first place. It’s MEANT to be challenging, and I like that. This is literally my first apple review, and honestly, I’m glad I put it here. Practice makes perfect, and most of all, patience. 5/5

Definitely the best game on Apple Arcade. This game is amazing and super challenging but also amazingly fair. I personally love this game and want it to be updated more often. Also if developers respond to reviews I have a question, in the bonus content section you can play the svargull mines and it shows to more locked worlds. How do I unlock those worlds? I want to play more of the game so I would like to know please. Also please register enemies that are from svargull mines to the beastiary. Thank you for making such an amazing game.

No auto save. The game has great gameplay and I could play this for hours, the one problem is I have found myself just getting off the game like I would any other game, but when I get back on later I come to find that I have to start an entirely new game because I forgot to save before I got off. Insanely annoying I got late into world 2 and now I have to restart because apparently I didn’t save.

Fun, Challenging, Fair. This game is a tight little gem. The game patiently explains the limited move set your little character can use as you fight your way through a series of fixed dioramas. The game has a welcome variety of enemies who will require different timings and strategies to fell, and there is a surprising amount of environmental variety, too (wind, fire, fog, crushing walls). The music and presentation is deliberately clunky and simple, but the animations and timing of the game is very smooth. This game plays fair and is exactly the type of challenge that makes you ALMOST quit in frustration, but you keep coming back for more because you know you’re just a hair away from beating the stage you’re on. The graphical simplicity does present some minor problems. Your character can easily be confused with onscreen enemies, and keeping track of the action on screen can become a little tough...tougher than it should be. Also, the riding sequences aren’t nearly as fun as other parts of the game. However, I am being tougher on this game than the majority of reviews. If you love twitch-based action play, like Mega Man, Dark Souls or any game that requires battle strategy and quick reflexes, Bleak Sword is an awesome low-fi treat for you.

Great Game, but I Have Suggestions.. I can’t say I was surprised that this was a great game. I saw it and thought it would be action packed and fun to play. I was right. The controls are simple and easy to master. They’re even better with a Bluetooth-connected controller, but if you don’t have one, that doesn’t ruin the experience. I played the game through on the Hard difficulty, often stopping to grind for exp. and items. I beat it, then went back through on the Bleak difficulty, in which I’m already a level thirty-something and I’m on world five. It’s not impossible to beat if you don’t grind, though. There are nine worlds, and ten levels in each. There’s a neat storyline, but that’s where my suggestions come. I was impressed by gameplay and storyline, so I found myself longing for a twist or even more storyline. The beginning was great, but there was never a big twist or even more character development. This could be added in an update, I suppose, so I’m asking for one if it’s possible. I’ve always liked content updates and this game would do well with one. This is especially true because I wanted more levels. I beat the final boss and thought to myself, “Isn’t there more?” I love this game, and that’s why I want more. I recommend this game to anyone who sees it.

Unnecessarily difficult.. I don’t like playing games in which I’m killed over and over again several times each level, especially not in the beginning of the game. It’s unnecessarily difficult and the “challenge” isn’t fun. The graphics and motif are cool and all, but the 8-bit style doesn’t save this game. It’s too similar to “Only One”, which pretty much has the same idea, motif, and playable area. The difference is that you can use the map to your advantage and power-ups actually make a difference. Sorry, but Bleak Sword is extremely frustrating and not a fun game.

Incredible. Yesterday I beat the last level of the game. I have to say I’m very impressed with everything. The pacing is good, the gameplay feels really smooth, and while it gets frustrating sometimes, it’s so worth sticking with the game. I’m playing on an iPhone XR and the controls feel just fine. I’m excited to try arena mode and whatever else comes after the main campaign!

Annoying bug needs fixing. This and what the golf are my favorite games on Apple Arcade. Unfortunately there is a major frustrating bug in this game due to the controls mechanism. On iPhone X and later you might accidentally swipe the game away to the home screen, and when you re-enter the game it will take you to the pause screen. Once you re-enter the game from pause, the controls no longer work. I have “died” countless times due to the unavailing to evade enemies after accidentally swiping the game away. PLEASE fix this!

Fantastic but be ready to be frustrated.. I downloaded this just because it looked quite interesting. It definitely is, but I just had to delete it because it made me extremely frustrated. I get that a lot of people will like this but it’s not worth the stress for me. I’m a 30 year old male and I need as little stress as I can get. If you like stuff like Dark Souls, give this a go, but I couldn’t get past the first world. It starts off easy, yeah, but the controls are kinda awkward and it makes me feel like I mess up a lot whenever I shouldn’t. The difficulty spikes around level 1-8 so get ready. I couldn’t beat the first boss at 1-10 and I just gave up. Maybe one day I’ll try this again. It’s a gorgeous game. Side note: Apple Arcade is genius.

The AWESOME Game. this game is amazing, I cant stop playing it. I love how you can kill monsters, collect items, and beat bosses. I think this game is very challenging but fun, it takes a while to get good at, but eventually you get the hand of it. You can also level up your charachters strength, health, and attack. The only problem I see with this game is your inventory. It's just too small. At the beggining you can only fit 2 items in it. But overall, I totally think you should get this game.

Phenomenal!. I was skeptical about mobile gaming, always have been. But this game is honestly my favorite. I’ve played a few mobile games but this by far is the first that I’ve ever written an actual review about. It all starts with Devolver making this game. I’ve been a huge fan of there’s and was pleasantly surprised to see their name on here. The gameplay is amazing and I genuinely think the combat goes so smoothly. It doesn’t hold your hand when you play, you’re just thrown out and told “go get em.” The music is actually fantastic and I listen to it regularly on streaming apps and such. Jim Guthrie did a great job mixing epic orchestras with synthwave. The story, while short, was enough to keep me engaged and really enjoy it. It told me who I was, what was going on, and what I had to do. The replay-ability of this game is wonderful too. I genuinely enjoy this game and will be keeping a lookout of games like it now! If anyone is looking to play a fun, quick, yet difficult game, this is the one!

Good, technical game. It’s a brutal action game that is dripping with style and atmosphere. The controls are a little awkward to get used to (and sometimes misfire), but with a little determination you can master them pretty quickly. I’d give the game a higher rating, but after completing the main game and starting the bonus content, my main game character information got overwritten. At least I had already beaten it...

Fantastic Game. This game really surprised me. It reminds me a lot of Witcher 3 combat, where the pitch and roll are a must. When you dodge attacks and deliver your own in perfect harmony.. It’s is a great feeling. Every fight feels like it’s earned and I didn’t think I could experience that core feeling in a mobile game. They really just took the basic principles of what makes combat great in AAA and applied it to mobile use. This game is mind blowing, once you get use to the controls, the rest is a wrap. I also like that if you loose, you actually loose something, which has you a little more focused. Lol you have to play this game!

Incomparable. This is arguably one of the best, if not THE best, iPhone game I’ve experienced. It’s easy to pick up, difficult to master, and a ton of fun. It’s punishing in the best possible way and rewards skilled play in a motivating way. I love this kind of art style too because it leaves so much to the imagination while still creating the perfect atmosphere. I am looking forward to playing more games by this developer!

A good game, just too hard. It’s a very good game overall, my adrenaline really pumped while I play it. But overall it’s just too hard to play. I don’t find it too hard as I have beaten easy difficulty so far, but other people might find it irritating. There should be a friendlier mode which you have more inventory slots and less threatening monsters for those people.

From the minds behind Enter and Exit the Gungeon comes another great game!. I’ve been playing this for a little while, so I can say with confidence that basically, this game is great! It’s not the scale of a West of Loathing or something, but it’s really fun with a Bluetooth controller! The art style is super simple, and mechanics are easy to grasp. I highly recommend this game!

only good Apple Arcade game. when you compare all the too kid friendly and p2w games in the Apple Arcade, this game stands out. this game is free to download, has no in app purchases, has no ads, and most importantly has actually decent controls and gameplay. There are no absurd difficulty spikes, but there are still hard parts, which makes it fun. The lore is a little bad, but who really cares about the lore? watch yo tone when the big wooden things with shields come

Challenging and Fun, a few suggestions. This game is really fun to play. Let it be know that this is a challenging action game. It feels really unforgiving at first, but once you get used to the gameplay it’s not too challenging. I love how each level lasts about a minute, making it great for when you’ve got a minute or two to spare. A few suggestions: First, I’d love to see landscape support for iPad. Especially for when I want to play with a game controller. It’s landscape on Apple TV, so I know you can do it. Secondly, it’s kind of weird that some achievements (heavy hitter, scholar, collector, etc) have to be unlocked for each saved game slot (I’m taking about your in-game achievements, not Game Center). I would suggest replacing your achievements system with Game Center achievements entirely, using a Game Center access point.

Awesome game, 1 inconvenience. I really enjoyed it. I don’t think a game with precise controls and close timings would be doable on a phone, much less enjoyable, but I was pleasantly surprised. The only issue I found is that the credits replay every time you beat the boss. Especially if you’re trying to no hit win, or can get annoying. You could let us skip the credits after they’ve been viewed for the first time.

Everything I love about souls games, perfect for mobile. As simple as it looks, it feels so great to play. It’s exactly what I look for in souls-like games: reactive combat, character progression, difficulty. And the controls are perfect for mobile. I find myself sitting down to play my ps5, and pulling out my phone to play this instead. It’s very well done.

One of my all time favorites. Amazing game. Have gotten all achievements except collecting all items and beating the game without upgrading the attack stat. Stuck at 9-9… would be great if there could be a list of all items available verses whats been collected. Adding that tiny detail would make it perfect!

Blurry frustrating mess. Let me start by saying im probably one of the few people who enjoy the use of Chromatic Aberration in games... something about it just looks cool to me... However, using it here in a 2 color pixel game (black/white) makes a cool effect look awful. It makes everything look blurry in a bad way, like "i need glasses" blurry which made it hard to focus on enemies within the environment. I did a super quick glance in options but didnt see an option to turn off the effect. But after a bit more looking... turns out at the very bottom of settings... (it scrolls down) there is an option to turn it off... i suggest doing this. The controls feel sluggish and lack response and given the style of gameplay, this is unacceptable. I really wanted to like it, since i like the 2d pixels in a quasi-3d arena. But it just didnt hit the mark with me.

Reed this apple. I think that it could be a better game I like it allot I think that you should work on it more I think you should give the character some what of a head and I think that you should come out with a another game because I truly think that it could be a better game if you worked on it more but I also like the pixilated idea to oh and make the bosses harder I found that the levels where way harder pleas take note apple-Atreyu

Promising but very flawed.. While the gameplay, graphics and idea of the game are worth noting, the overall needs a lot of polish. The controls are loose at best with the monsters getting priority for their attacks and animations over the hero’s. The direction control is flawed and often non-responsive. The game will do its best to “cheat” to win with not respecting player controls like blocking and moving. (Please fix the blocking implementation as it’s wildly frustrating and seems to not work most of the time unless the user is perfect and I mean perfect with their timing.) The inventory system was confusing and not covered in the tutorial or any of the documentation included with the game. That’s a huge oversight. Finally, after one play through the sound no longer works and since a good portion of your gameplay largely rests on the inclusion of sound (a big problem with mobile games) this is a quick uninstall. I probably won’t return to this game as this seems rushed and incomplete. Sad. Wanted this to be better.

You can play with one hand. This game is challenging and the control scheme is awesome. I also love the atmosphere and feel of it. It is amazing how much the developers can convey with a few pixels. It feels like a much more graphically intense game. I also love that you can play it with one hand, since it makes the game a ton more accessible for disabled people. Thank you!

Best game to play. The second I turned the game on and saw it was made by devolver digital I knew it would be amazing like all the other games they made and it was. it’s amazing. easy to understand control I mastered them after level three. It’s one of the best games to play and is worth the monthly subscription to play it. This is a game I will be playing for years because of all the content it has like multiple difficulty’s

I love this game but it keeps deleting my save data!. So I have played the heck out of this game for several days in a row. I have gotten all the way to the start of chapter 3 and have enjoyed every moment. EXCEPT when I close the game to do something else. When I come back some or ALL of my save data has been deleted. WHAT THE HECK!!! This is a major flaw and I don’t understand what the heck is going on. Like I said I have played three game all the way to chapter 3 but this morning when I opened up the game to try and progress some more and see some cool new monsters the games says I am on mission 2-1 which is wrong. Please fix this issue I really wanna love your game.

Save File Deleted. This is a very good game. Like Downwell, the controls seem simple at first, but the gameplay is actually quite deep. This would easily be a five-star review if it wasn’t for the fact that my save file disappeared seemingly out of nowhere. I was about halfway through the campaign when I opened the app and found the “Continue” option grayed out, forcing me to start over. I have no idea why this happened; it’s like the game forgot I’d been playing it at all. This is a very serious bug that needs to be fixed, and I’m pretty annoyed that I lost all my progress. Played on iPhone 11

Loved it. Great game, I loved the music and the dark style. My favorite area is the burning city in act IV… any Dark Souls, Bloodbourne, or Alden Ring fans will love this game. My only complaint is very small — you can’t skip the credits after the first time beating it, which means it takes a while between tries at beating the final boss without taking damage. It would be great to see a sequel or update with different classes, more than two equipment slots, and of course be longer. Arena is fun! If you added an endless option you could have upgrades and items drop randomly, and have the monster spawns and bosses also randomized and increase in amount the longer you stay alive. The original arena you could leave for rank and achievements. A++ for the game overall

Challenging but Fun Plz add Landscape mode for iPad. Just started playing but am really enjoying the challenge and risk. Has a heroic rpg element I like. unforgiving with deaths but challenges you to get good. A rarity for mobile games that try to make games as easy as possible. Give it a try if you like a good challenge. Apple this is the type of games you should be releasing!

Extremely cool and fun game with issues. This game lives up to everything it says it does. Good graphics with style, really find gameplay and challenging on the hard difficulty. I recommend playing on hard while the easier difficulty is too easy. My problem with the save issues it has. The first time I had an issue was when I was on the very last area to beat and the game deleted my save entirely. I went back through and beat the game, but when I opened it back up later, it went all the way back to where I was halfway through. It’s actually very annoying.

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To hard to fast. I mastered the first few levels. Then it became just increasingly hard. Need to balance the progress difficulty.

Amazing mini souls like. 10/10 for incredible control mechanisms, great aesthetics and amazing soundscapes.

Masterful controls, epic atmosphere.. This game is excellent. Really worth playing. The controls are awesome - possibly the best touchscreen controls I’ve seen for this type of game. Striking visual and sound design. I highly recommend this!

I love this game. There is nothing to improve the gameplay. Personally I played it on my phone the challenge was great I loved the 8,Bit stile of graphics It’s just amazing in general

Plays great with a controller, wouldn’t recommend without. I simply could not get hang of the touch controls. My thumbs would be sore as a tried very hard, but got endlessly bashed to death. Waaay better with controller, though it is puzzling to me that the attack and block are on the same button, it would play better if block for instance was on triangle, instead of it all being on square. Other issues I had were how your character, the enemies and the environment look the same. Especially early game, it can be very easy to lose your character in some enemies which is very dangerous, or to get sneak attached by an enemy that just appeared that was blending into the the trees. Can get a bit repetitive at times but overall good game.

Got old fast.. Couldn’t get along with the control system, might have been better with some kind of controller support. Perhaps with practice one could get better at it, but with its rather empty storyline and it’s world without character, I couldn’t see the value or payoff in investing more time within the game. Also the bit style artwork is really kinda boring as it’s been overdone in the industry. Give it a shot though, some people might enjoy it. Thanks.

Absolutely Amazing. Great controls, good challenge, multiple difficulties. Hand crafted levels. Get it now

AN ACTUALLY GOOD GAME. This game is extremely fun and addicting with its arcade style gameplay, and I would strongly recommend to anyone who has plenty of spare time as in parts it can get quite difficult (but that’s part of the fun)

Bleak Sword Rules. This game is by far my favourite Apple Arcade game. I’ve tried a lot of games and stumbled across an absolute diamond in the rough. Pixelated perfection! I’m a dwarf fortress fan so this style of game is my jam. Keep em’ coming!

Bleak souls. I’ve changed my mind about this game: At least late game darksouls is fair The game starts out pretty manageable but the combat ends up boiling down to throwing yourself against a wall until you break through/memorising which enemies come when. The fact that both Exp. and items are lost when you die is a little laughable in late game. Killed my enthusiasm for it.

(Please read) best game on mobile. One of the best games I have on my phone and also the most challenging. It’s storyline is really good not to much but every now and then you get hit by a lore bomb. Is you are quick to anger then this game might not be for you. It’s punishing nature might leave you a bit angry but if you are a into hard mobile games that’s challenging but fun then this is for you

Mobile Souls. Snappy and responsive controls make this my favourite addition to Apple Arcade so far. Mobile combat can’t beat console counterparts, but by working creatively with touch controls, the developers have made a fast paced action game that’s great to play for hours on end.

Not mobile dark souls but really good. I like this game a lot. The controls are easy to learn but hard to master, the storyline, although short and not detailed is still well thought out and compelling, and the music really adds to the bleak ambience. The bonus content is fun too and adds an extra challenge and a complete conclusion to the current story of the protagonist, and gives you more enemies with very interesting mechanics! The game is tough but real difficulty is optional, and finally triumphing over that one level you’ve been stuck on for weeks just feels awesome! Tl:dr: good game, definitely play.

Amazing. This game is a brilliant concept, although the controls could be improved. I’d rely like to see a second instalment of this game, I was wondering if it could be turned into a adventure action kind of style for example like continuous scrolling so you have to run to new locations. The cut scenes and the style of graphics is brilliant.

Keeps wiping saved games. The game itself is great. However it has now reset itself twice with all saved progress lost. An extremely frustrating bug.

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Too hard. 10/10 game imo but the rewards for beating levels stay the same from beginning to end I beat a boss in level 5 and got a +1 defence boost that lasted on level

Fun but limited. Combat is smooth and fun. Art style is unique, and overall tone was excellent. I feel like the game is missing some sort of persistence or progression system. Like item collecting, leveling up, etc. There’s not much story here either. The game is endless diorama fights. These fights are fun, but without other supporting game systems, I find myself lacking motivation to keep playing.

pretty good game. really appreciate the control scheme, way better than simulated touch screen joystick and buttons i thought for a long time that dying and not recovering my souls would reset to level 1, so it was super super tense every time i had to try to recover, and was disappointed when it finally happened and i only lost my progress towards the next level. But if i had lost 15 levels i probably would have quit playing right then so it was probably the right design decision. dunno if this is a bug or design decision but i don't recovery health in between levels, so when i get low on health i go back to level 1-1 and let a bat kill me so i can safely recover my souls.

Fantastic. This game is great, it’s a shame that so many Arcade titles aren’t up to the level of this, mini motorways, card of darkness and horizon chase 2. That’s about all I’m keeping the subscription for at the moment

Just WOW. I don’t write a review in general. But this is a piece of art. I could not hope a better control scheme on a mobile souls-like game. Graphics may look simple. However they are amazing, you can feel the rage of the boss while you are trying to dodge it in heat. Thunder storms and blustery weather contribute to atmosphere a lot. And it is 3D! I was really start to getting sick of 2D souls-like games. Don’t miss this piece of art.

Lost all progress. Great game, but I accidentally lost my progress by starting a new game, no warning! Don’t feel like playing it all again just get to where I was before

Offline saves when. It's a good game, too bad it weirds out when you try to play offline... I can never seem to access my save file offline :(

If you like dark souls, you will like this. It has the right balance between difficulty and fun. You have to play focused all the time. The controls are very good. 3D pixel art graphics is kind of genius move for a mobile game like this.

Music is just amazing!. Gameplay is kinda difficult in start. But once you get the hang of it n how to counter attack and roll around, it’s a rewarding game. Definitely a must play! Thanks developer!

The best Apple Arcade game. Hands down the best game you can get on Apple Arcade, reminds me so much of dwarf fortress adventure mode. Apple should get a game like dwarf fortress or run world that would be huge!

A great game, but…. I’ve beaten the game on all difficulties, and all the extras, but the stamina bar is just too small. It makes the combat feel a bit too clumsy. Also, the roll feels slow and as the only form of movement, feels extremely sluggish

Même pas besoin de manettes !!. Un jeu vraiment très beau visuellement et des contrôles qui vont à merveille (ça c’est rare sur un jeu d’action sur téléphone). Le gameplay est vraiment bien dosé, pas trop facile, pas trop dur. Juste assez pour que tu veuilles toujours continuer à jouer. Très plaisant à jouer même en transport. La bande son est aussi superbe. 5/5

An Absolute Gem. This is the first game I’ve played through Apple Arcade, and honestly it alone has already made the price of entry worth it. The game is tough, but well balanced; with a few minor exceptions, when you die it’s your own fault. It can be completed on Normal difficulty in a few hours, but that’s plenty of time and it doesn’t feel like the game overstayed its welcome. I also want to commend the controls, they feels fluid and intuitive, and not once did it think to myself “this would play better with a controller”. The score is great too, though at louder volumes certain enemy sound effects can be a little grating on the ears. The visuals are another standout, I absolute love the mix between 2D and 3D. To the developers, if there is a sequel I would love some more mechanical variety; we got one awesome world that stands out in terms of game mechanics (I won’t spoil it here), and I’d love to see more of that next time. Overall, I definitely recommend this game to anyone looking for a good challenge!

Bleak as hell. White on black with strokes of colour thrown in here and there, Bleak Sword is brutal. Its diorama-like environments are challenging to navigate but never unfair. The game’s control scheme is perfectly suited to touch screen, and once you learn the rules and get into a flow, it can be very hard to put down. Overall, Bleak Sword is striking and satisfying, loud and unforgiving, and comes highly recommended.

Breath of fresh air. Best little game I’ve played on the iPhone in a long time. Extremely rewarding, well balanced and so much fun. The graphic are amazing. Deserve the five star.

Love !. With an OLED screen, the Artistic Directio —> ❤️. In the dark, just pixel with red an white. But please, can you put off the iPhone bar at the bottom (iPhone X, XS, 11 etc…) So annoying to have this bar when the screen is mainly dark

Best Game Ever.. It’s not often I leave a review, but I felt the need to do so because this is one of the best apple arcade games I have ever played. The controls are fantastic. Not too complex, but provides enough complexity in the game for a serious amount of fun. As a sound engineer myself, I also think the sound design is absolutely incredible. Every hit, dodge, attack, feels incredible, and the monsters are terrifying, despite their pixel like nature. Would recommend to anyone! 👏

Amazing. This is the best iPhone game I’ve ever played. The art style, music and sound design are phenomenal, but even better is the brilliant implementation of the touch controls.

Beautiful dark brawler. Simple to play but hard to master. Great art direction. Simple controls that work great on a phone or controller. Overall just a great game

Amazing. This is also my first Apple Arcade game and I love it. It has the perfect amount of difficulty that makes it so fun. Just get it. Also music and sound effects are great

Relies too much on timing. This game is infuriating because it relies on timing to much and it makes it extremely difficult to block an enemy’s attacks. This game’s combat system is heavily flawed and broken.

Doesn’t support landscape mode on the iPad. I reactivated Apple Arcade just to try this game but sadly it doesn’t support landscape mode on the ipad. I dont think this game was developed with the bigger iPads in mind.

Great Game just one problem. The game is great, I love the retro style, just whenever I restart the app, it brings me back to a very old point and deletes my progress. It would be great for that to be fixed.

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Nearly flawless. My only complaint about this game is that there isn’t enough content. I love the variations of levels, the enemies and the difficulty. I just wish there were more!

Hello, updates?. Excellent little 8-bit adventure but why hasn’t it been updated with any new content? The last update was 1 year ago and mainly contained bug fixes. Could have new game modes or an arcade endless mode. Heck even more normal ‘story’ driven levels. It’s unfortunate that this gem has been neglected since it’s original release over a year ago.

Levels are harder than boses. I think you did a great job on the levels making them harder but the bosses are easier the level before the second boss was so hard I died 22 times but when I got to the boss I beat it in one go and took no damage

Title.... This game...I had way to much fun playing it. the only thing that I didn’t like about the game was the immunity when you attack I’m not sure if it’s a bug but because that I ended up beating the game in a few short hours

One of the best mobile games I’ve ever played. The controls are easy to grasp but difficult to master and that’s a compliment. Through the course of the game you do upgrade your character but you the player get better and better. I hope they make a sequel. Controls A+; Visuals A; Story B; Fun Factor A

Fantastic one-finger combat. I had no interest in another low-pixel art game until I read an enthusiastic review of how this has the best combat on a phone. I’d have to agree. It takes one minute to learn and the whole game to master (90 levels). Highly recommended.

PLEASE MAKE MORE WORLDS AND UPDATES!. I love this game so much, this is one of the best games in my entire life, actually, no, this IS the best game I’ve played. I need an update, you need to make more worlds, I can’t stop thinking about this game the past month. This game was so hard but so fun, it’s also very stressful, but I still love this game, please make more levels, it would be so good.

Superb. One of my all time favorites Quick to jump on and play with one thumb but is easier with two fingers or controller. Love this game. Wish it would let you switch attack and control sides though.

Great game. The game deadass reminds me dark souls but feel so mobile. I addicted to the difficulty of it but controls aren’t what make the game difficult. And difficulty of the enemies really escalated quick.

Cool concept but too hard and repetitive. By the 2nd area, it’s just too much. Enemies shooting things at you, tentacles popping out the water, and everything else is coming at you from all directions… it’s just too much. And the “block” is just too difficult to pull off consistently. Your timing has to be near perfect. And it just gets grating after the 15th level or so. It’s the same thing over and over, just more and more difficult. But I think this game could be great with more refinement. Make the block easier to do, give the player a much bigger inventory from the start, and the item pool much bigger and interesting from the start. Players will always enjoy making decisions on what items to equip 👍🏻

Amazing game. I m actually like this game very much ,challenging , fun and I play from time to time , I hope there is a sequel in the future ,but one I didn’t like a game is the screen go down and sometimes go out from the game when I raised my thumb , I hope there is a sequel in the future.

Refreshing, time killing, no complaints.. An amazing game I stumbled upon by chance, I’d implore anyone with a vague interest to at least try it. Super unique controls keep you on your toes but rarely frustrated, 10/10 guys.

Okay I guess. It seems very interesting at first, but gets extremely repetitive, would be nice if there was actual loot like armor and weapons with different play styles, or magic or something else to spice it up a little, it just doesn’t feel rewarding to kill a boss and get nothing besides maybe a level up. Love the core gameplay and it looks beautiful, but until there’s more content, it gets dull really quick

Incredibly addictive and so much fun. The control mechanisms are out of this world. Simple, but deadly accurate and so fast. It’s so satisfying hearing the “clang” of landing a successful parry and landing a counterattack. 10/10 recommend. Perhaps playing against other players over LAN/nearby would be a fun new experience?

Tough but fun!. Tough, not for everyone, but for those who are NOT faint of heart, this is the game to play on Apple Arcade. If you’ve ever played Dark Souls, the other reviewers comparing this to that game are spot on. Close similarities. I’ve beat all three DS games, so if you had enjoyed those for the challenge, you’ll enjoy this one as well. Happy gaming!

Neat game. Core combat is pretty solid while being simple, however, the lack of any consistent methods of healing between levels besides praying to RNG for a healing item or grinding for XP to get a level up is a pretty bad decision. It leads to players intentionally getting killed on an easier level, beating it so then can go into a harder level with full HP. Besides that flaw in the game's systems, pretty good.

Fun but challenging. This game was very fun. But it wasn’t a easy fun to just glide through. It was tough. However unlike some games the difficulty takes away from the game, this game it does not. Just expect to spend 15 minutes on each level and multiple tries

Best mobile game. I always wished I had a souls like could play on the go, this is that game. The controls are extremely fluid, the animation is fantastic, the character design is genius, and the gameplay itself couldn’t get better. it’s the perfect mobile gaming experience.

Amazing game. Bleak Sword is arguably my favorite game in the entire App Store it. The gameplay is really enjoyable with challenging levels and bosses that aren’t pushovers music is great cutscene are very cool and the enemy designs are great and unique. The game really reminded me of berserk too. 10/10 would absolutely recommend to anyone.

Play it to understand.. This. Game. Is. AMAZING!!! one of the best, my Favorite mobile game yet. I... I’m speechless it’s that good. I don’t know what to say! But I have a suggestion. Could you explain the ending? I don’t know what happened. I kill the boss, and then the cutscene plays. But... what happened? Did he destroy the sword, or take it? Suggestion aside, get this game. you won’t regret it.

Cool Artistic Experience!. With only two colors/shades this developer created an experience like no other. This is by far my favorite experience with a game and I think it deserves recognition. Well crafted and impressive all the way around

Souls-Like Meets An Isometric Experience. Never in a million years would have I predicted that one of my GoTY would be an Apple Arcade exclusive. From the great atmosphere built from the music and pixel art, to the mind blowing combat that is simple, but based on precise timing & reactions, this is a must play. Relevant & a time capsule of some of my favorite things of the past decade. Just shout outs to great game design!!!

Not what I expected!✨. Not gonna suggest a change, I just wanted to say that I love this game :) It’s so cool! Especially the red skull biting the screen is so cool! This is a fun game to play when ur just sitting there bored, just whip it out to pass time :D

Dark Souls IOS. By far the best gaming experience on the iPhone I’ve ever had. The one-hand controls are amazing. The game is challenging, perhaps not Dark Souls challenging but that’s the game this most reminds me of. The aesthetics, the music, the locations, the AI, the weird and unique enemies, are all perfect

Perfect..........but.... I started yesterday and it was fantastic👌👌 I was already at 4-3 Then the day after I opened the game and there was only (NEW GAME) option there was no (continue) option 😞😔😞😔 I hope you will soon fix this issue

Glitch. I would give this game a 5 star but I am experiencing a glitch in the game. I don’t know if I’m the only one who has this glitch. The glitch is that every time I join back on this game, my progress is lost and I have to start over. This is getting very annoying since it happened more than once. I have beaten 5 levels and when I joined back, I was back on level 1.

Hard Game Mechanics. For the most part I think using two hands to play is fairly simple, however I’m constantly finding myself messing up when I accidentally swipe on the homebar, moving my screen down and sabotaging my win streak. Hopefully they can patch this with new controls. Other than that the game is great.

AMAZING GAME!!! except for-. Listen, I love this game. But whenever I close out of it to do something else it DELETES all of my saved data! I keep restarting and playing through it but the furthest I make it without coming back to seeing all my stuff gone is the village. This is a huge flaw that makes the game unplayable. It’s all around a great game but this issue needs fixing.

Honed, Sharp Combat. This is one of the most addictive mobile games I’ve played. Fluid and intuitive controls make combat a blast despite the high bar challenge level. The game never gets stale, continuing to throw new enemy types and gameplay types into the mix all the way through!

Way to hard!. 6-5 on catacombs i cannot beat! Just so hard like how do people even beat the game? Too many ghosts appear out of nowhere not fair! They can go through walls, attack deals heavy damage if there’s lots attacking and through wall’s. Like how? Overall it’s fun, but I did just turn 9, with a new apple pen sorta heh 😅. . Anyways I give it (look up XD)

Super fun and unique. This game was very fun and amazing to play through and is unlike anything I’ve ever seen or played, I loved the controls the 8-bit style and the fast paced fights and punishment for dying wasn’t too harsh either and every death was fair. I had an all around fun experience with this game

Buggy, but promise. Iphone X, but had to stop playing as inventory constantly opens up when dashing (even with no fingers on that side of the screen). Made the game virtually impossible by level 2-8. Will check out next time I see a bug fix though.

Beautifully designed. The controllers are wonderfully designed for touch screen. The game also is designed for short play sessions just as well as serving itself for long time play as well. This maybe one of the best overall designed games for mobile I came across so far and love that it’s part of the Apple Arcade Catalogue.

Must play. One of the most satisfying dark souls-like games for the iPhone. Controls feel amazing, bosses are also not easy to fight unless you grind some levels for experience. I recommend playing hard mode.

Incredible game. This is one of the best souls like/ rouge like games on phone that I have ever played. The combat is simple and easy to learn but hard to master. Awesome pixel art and overall great aesthetic. Remember to keep in mind that I am very early in the game and my opinions might change but so far an awesome game 10/10

ummm…. this game is basically unplayable on tv as anytime you press the ‘B' button — either on the main menu, or during gameplay (which is one of the main buttons during gameplay) — the game closes. also, since I’m using the first generation SteelSeries controller (which only has one menu/pause button), anytime you press it, the game also closes. with that being said, i’ve literally been unable to even play this game at all.

Great mobile experience. Well thought out mechanics and punishing difficulty (play on max difficulty) create an addicting experience that I’ve put more hours into than I probably should’ve.

Great game. I have had so much fun playing through the main game and some arena, but it keeps deleting my saves which is pretty annoying. I probably replayed like half of the levels due to this and now i lost my arena progress. Now i have to repeat the last area for the third time🙃

Poorly Titled Difficulty. Not a big deal, but there are two difficulties available at download: Normal and Doom. The description of normal says “Enemies deal less damage and have less health”. Normal and less don’t go together, how can they have ‘less’ to compare to when it is already at normal, this description should go under Easy. 4 stars cause I still have to play, will update.

More mobile games like this one !. Amazing game! It’s actually a mini version of souls game. Timing, range, direction are all the strategies you need to master. Hope we could get more mobile games like this one, looking forward to a sequel of Bleak Sword!

Great but bugs. Overall this game is incredible I love the simplistic feel to it and it’s a good game while on the go. Sometimes when I open it all of my saves are gone but at other times they just come back. Sadly they haven’t came back. please help?

Really Great, but a critical issue.. I’ll just get straight to the point. The game can reset your progress at times, even when you get far. Yesterday, I was at White Peak, but today the game reset me to the beginning. That’s the only issue I have with this game. Hopefully it’ll be fixed, but anyways, great game!

Good but.... This game is amazing. The controls are surprisingly fluid and the game mechanics are brilliant. My only issue with the game is the stamina. Especially when you get to the catacombs when there are ghosts and you have to use powerful attacks, I think it would be nice to be able to upgrade your stamina or get stamina boosting accessories. Overall great game though!

Good, but frustrating design choices. While I think this game is worth playing, certain sections and enemies as well as the death system are horrible implementations bringing down an otherwise amazing game. I suggest changing the death system to be way less punishing and adding more consumables, as they are extremely rare

Would be a fun game game but unfair controls. I noticed during a Aryndale Villlage that it’ll begin with everything working fine,and as the level goes on shielding and even attacking stops working,you end up just rolling around dodging attacks forever until eventually the enemies gang up on you and catch you. It makes the game un-fun to play and made me delete it. It makes me sad because it’s so entertaining,but it eventually just becomes unfair.

Amazing game. This game caught me by surprise, the atmosphere and gameplay is really something to marvel at. It is so simple yet so engaging, the dark theme and story line is traditional and really sets the tone. I haven’t tried many Apple Arcade games yet but this game alone is worth it. Highly recommended, play with earphones and you’ll get engaged.

Add More. This game is absolutely great I just wish you could unlock different swords,shields,or even different characters (maybe in a future update🤷🏼‍♂️) that would make this game even better but even without that stuff this game is awesome and packed with action controls are easy and you can master them pretty quick.

Fun AND supports controllers!. I didn’t see in the description that this supports controllers, but I figured I’d try it anyway - plays fine with my Xbox controller! Fun game so far. Digging the graphics style that they went with. Expected nothing less from the group that made the Reigns games. Awesome job!

Amazing Game. I honestly love this game so far! I just started playing and i'm already so hooked on it! I love the combat in it and the graphics are so old school and awesome! This is a true work of art and it's incredible that it's on mobile! 10/10!!

Hated it at first.. If you start this one and aren’t enjoying it, it’s because you’re doing it wrong. Play with the one-handed controls. Once you get the game play, it’s awesome. It never feels repetitive. The game is so fast paced but with short levels, you never feel overwhelmed. So good.