Severed

Thematically, Severed is a classic dungeon-crawling quest: you begin amid the ruins of your home except in a strange otherworld, your arm's been cut off and your family kidnapped by monsters, then a demon gives you a sword and you set off to find your family. It's a bit like Zelda for people who thought the visual designs of that series weren't unsettling *enough*, and also wished it had taken a more viscerally literal interpretation of the term "Heart Piece." Aesthetically, the game is striking, with Aztec-inspired designs rendered in bold strokes of color, and some poignant musical motifs (and judicious use of silence) that make for effective emotional interludes. Mechanically, this is a game meant for mobile (even if it was originally released for PS Vita). Swipe-based combat may sound simplistic, but it's really more about timing and managing the countdowns of multiple enemies' attacks -- you mostly gain upgrades through severing the body parts of your foes, but you can only do so after you build up enough focus, so it's often a matter of keeping enemies alive for that final stroke as much as it is about killing them. My one complaint is that the combat can get a bit repetitive toward the end (some more variations in attack patterns would have been welcome), but it stays a challenge throughout. I'm pretty thoroughly impressed by this game. Well worth the money.

Severed is hands down the best game I have ever played on any gaming platform, BY A LONG SHOT! I feel like anything I say about it won't even begin to describe how awesome and entertaining it was... it was graphically and artistically BEAUTIFUL, dramatic, PLENTY of game time, exciting, really sad surprisingly, INCREDIBLY challenging but not frustratingly maddening to the point of wanting to give up (the struggles throughout the game actually made me want more!) This is probably the one and only game I will actually keep on my device after finishing to play over and over. I absolutely loved it. Not one thing I didn't like, except maybe that my fingers are sore from swiping my screen like a crazy person haha BRAVO DEVS!!!!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 bravo, seriously, I could kiss you! Finally, a game that left me totally fulfilled at the end. Now I'm crossing my fingers for a sequel!!!

I love the story, art style, characters, and combat system of Severed. My only complaint whatsoever is that around midgame the combat takes a turn for the worse in that it expects you to rapidly take on new concepts and use them against many enemies before you’ve gotten the hang of using it against even one. Perhaps this is different if you pick to play the casual difficulty instead of standard, but I’d think it speaks for itself when someone can play through the first third ~ half of the game relying on timing and strategy, but within a brief 30 minute window find they can no longer continue because they haven’t been given a chance to even attempt a certain type of parry before being thrown into a 3+ monster battle where they’re expected to use it flawlessly or die trying. It’s repetetive and annoying, and it just discourages the idea of opening the app back up. You get to this point and stop entirely because the thought of opening the app fills you with boredom and grief knowing what you’ll be thrown back to. This absurd learning curve ruins the player’s ability to enjoy the game, and basically begs you to delete it.

For the first half the inspired severing mechanic and great atmosphere made this seem like an all-timer, but towards the end the game unfortunately substitutes bleakness for depth in the story and tedium for challenge in the gameplay. Exploration is largely a chore, with very few puzzles to speak of, more just endless trudging from corridor to corridor looking for keys and switches. Others have commented on the combat relying too heavily on buffs and quantity of enemies - you’ll be rolling your eyes when you hit your tenth consecutive battle with four otherwise weak enemies holding magic defense. These overlong encounters kill any sense of momentum going into the final battle. As for the story, after a shocking twist around the midpoint there’s nowhere really left to go, probably could have been better paced. Despite the gripes this is still very much worth picking up, it’s important to support indie developers bringing high quality premium games to the App Store and the game contains several memorable moments and plenty of fun. Just adjust your expectations a bit if you’re planning to trudge through to the end.

I wouldn’t call this game a revolutionary work of art, but it’s environment, story, and monster design provide a fascinating experience difficult to replicate. The environment leaves you wondering where on earth you are, and what on earth happened here. And to top if off, there’s the mystery of where your family has gotten off to; the combines mystery should be enough to keep you playing. The combat isn’t complicated, but it’s not easy, either. Combat in this game is about time management; you’ll face a number of monsters at once, and you’ll have to do as much damage as you can while blocking their attacks. However, you’ll have to be careful not to kill any of them until your focus meter fills up, or you’ll loose out on valuable parts. It’s not expensive, and I suggest you pick it up when you have the chance. You won’t regret it; even if you decide you don’t like the game, you won’t have lost a great deal of money.