Dark Devotion for Windows

A punishing Souls-like platformer game

Dark Devotion is a premium action game for PC developed by Hibernian Workshop. It is a 2D platformer that features combat that draws inspiration from popular Souls-like titles. In it, players are Templar knights that get their faith tested as they delve into a fallen temple.

Similar to Blasphemous or Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, Dark Devotion features a dark fantasy and gothic theme with hints of the medieval for its setting. It also features RPG elements that let players customize their character in various ways in order to suit their specific playstyles better.

Testing your faith

In Dark Devotion, you play as a young templar woman entering what was once the home of the Templars, but has since fallen to the hands of monsters and all kinds of horrors. As an initiate, you will slowly come to realize the dark secrets hiding in the order's history. Thus, begins your cursed pilgrimage through the depths of madness to find out the truth.

There are four unique worlds to explore in Dark Devotion, each with distinct environments and hosts of enemies. Combat is standard Souls-like fare, which is to say punishingly difficult and requires plenty of tries. There are dozens of weapons and items to pick up along the way to figure out your play style. You also need to use your stamina wisely as it's tied to every action you make.

Then, there's your Faith, which essentially serves as your mana pool to be able to unleash spells. A full Faith Meter can also be used to unlock a secret area or on an altar that will restore your health. As is the case with most games inspired by Dark Souls, there is a steep difficulty to overcome here. This is compounded by the stamina system that makes everything much harder.

Deeply devoted

If you've been playing Souls-like games for a while now, and want something with something more challenging, give Dark Devotion a try. It looks great, the combat is solid with tight controls, and the faith mechanic is a nice, innovative touch. The stamina system can be a bit too unforgiving at times, but if you're up to the challenge, then step right up.