Saona Studios and Hawthorn Games are bringing you a 2D hack-and-slash title, reminiscent of a Tim Burton animated art style. Death or Treat attempts to win over gamers' hearts with its loveable aesthetics and handpainted animation. At first glance, this game looks like a cute action-adventure title with some spooky Halloween themes. But, hidden beneath is a roguelite action platformer that does its best to deliver.
Story
Big corpo has arrived in HallowTown and forced many local shops to close their doors. It is up to Scary, the owner of Ghost Mart, to save HallowTown from the treacherous clutches of giant corporate greed! The only way he can do that is by helping the other shops re-open and take down the big corporation's subsidiaries in the process.
The story is very light-hearted with a mature conflict. Implementing corporate greed into a disguised kid's cartoonish aesthetic actually works for this game. There are a lot of references to real-world corporate giants and the fact that you play as the underdog trying to dismantle big corpo is a funny take on the Halloween theme. Unfortunately, there is no voice acting in this title, which could have elevated the storytelling. Completed levels grant the player a brief still screenshot of story-related elements with text. So cutscenes are not present either.
Gameplay
This game is a 2D hack-and-slash roguelite at its heart. Combat consists of light and heavy attacks as well as aerial and specials. Enemies vary in difficulty, some taking more hits to defeat than others, and some deal more damage. Scary can dodge incoming attacks if timed correctly. I found myself often becoming frustrated because the game does not have a cancel attack option. Once you have committed to a triple combo attack, you can not cancel it by dodging. This took some time to get used to but even after a few hours of play, it was still a lingering hindrance that would occur a few times per run.
Weapons and special skills can vary and are unlocked as you progress through the game. There are a variety of weapons that can suit your playstyle ranging from fast, heavy, and ranged weapons. These can be unlocked by collecting shards to spend back at HallowTown. All enemies drop shards and hidden crates scattered throughout the levels will also have shiny shards in them. Certain enemies have the chance to drop specific resource items that are needed to unlock specific skills or shops so it's best to save them until you have enough to purchase what you want.
Helping the shops re-open in HallowTown will unlock various features for Scary to help you become more successful on your next run. This is a roguelike after all, so death is a common occurrence and a sense of progression. Some shops provide more health for Scary, new weapons and abilities, and other items that will help make the next run easier.
There are a handful of levels in Death or Treat but the layout of platforms and enemies are slightly randomized to help keep repeated playthroughs (which there will inevitably be a lot) feel less repetitive. You can also find the opportunity to gamble at your own risk. There are moments in the game that allow you to gamble by spending shards to let the game assign you a random perk. This perk can either be a buff or a nerf for the rest of your playthrough. Some grant you the ability to have an AI partner that helps attack enemies, and then there are others that increase the difficulty of the game.
I did enjoy this randomized gambling feature but I found myself typically skipping it and sticking to my original loadout. However, it is a great way to be introduced to some of the unlockable weapons and skills early on in the game. I found these typically toward the end of a level and they are optional.
Every level has a boss that needs to be defeated and typically they all have their own attack pattern. So if you’ve fought the boss once, you know what to expect for the next run. After defeating the boss the next level will become available. Since this is a roguelite, you have to restart your progress from the beginning with every death. You can eventually buy your way to further levels once you have attained enough shards and completed the first level, but it does take some time to get to that point.
The gameplay for Death or Treat feels average at best. The inability to cancel attack is a bit annoying and does make the game feel sluggish at times. The movement is purposely floaty (you are a ghost after all) but it is also very stiff which I did not expect for a platformer. Do not expect a masterpiece or reinvention of the genre with Death or Treat. It offers exactly what's on the box, nothing more and nothing less.
Audio and Visual
The soundtrack for this game definitely has a lighthearted spooky theme and fits well with the lore of the game. There are no voice lines present in the game which wouldn’t be a terrible thing if the story wasn’t told through still shots of loading screens between levels. That was probably the biggest letdown since the beginning of the game does have a brief animated cutscene. The art style is fun, cartoony, and the Halloween theme makes this an intriguing title. I would love to see the lore explored a bit more. There is a lot of potential here but Death or Treat fails to go the extra mile and feels more like a cheap indie than a surprise indie gem.
Replayability
Roguelites have to be replayable since that is essential to the structure of the game. Levels are meant to be replayed upon death and thankfully some elements are randomized but ultimately it can lose its fun factor after playing the first level umpteen times. The variety of weapons, skills, and gambling buffs make the constant playthroughs more tolerable. However, I do not see much shelf life for this title once the game has been completed.
What It Could Have Done Better
Combat and movement aren’t terrible in Death or Treat but they absolutely could use some improvement. Combos can be created by mixing light and heavy attacks which is a great aspect, but dodging does not feel fluid. Some weapons attack slower than others, therefore a cancel attack would be much appreciated for these weapons specifically. This is a fairly fast-paced game after all, so why would we punish the player for committing to a combo when at times the screen can be filled with enemies. This may sound like a difficulty issue but I can assure you this is simply a design choice that I do not agree with.
Verdict
Death or Treat does enough to keep roguelite fans happy but it slightly misses the mark in 2D platforming and combat. Combat is simplified and platforming can be a bit of a struggle with stiff movement. I would recommend this game to a first-time roguelite player to introduce them to the genre but hardcore players won’t find much here. The unique randomized buff/nerf feature does make consistent playthroughs more interesting, but it isn’t enough to keep me staying in HallowTown for too long.
Death or Treat is available now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam.
