SWORN Review Summary

Enjoyable gameplay experience: Players consistently report that the game is fun and enjoyable, with engaging combat mechanics and a great overall experience. The game is praised for its fun factor, whether played solo or with friends.

Variety in characters and weapons: The game offers a wide range of characters, weapons, spells, and abilities, allowing for diverse gameplay experiences and customization. This variety enhances replayability and player engagement.

Cooperative multiplayer: The co-op mode is highlighted as a significant positive aspect, with seamless and enjoyable cooperative gameplay. Players appreciate the multiplayer aspect, which enhances the overall gaming experience.

Positive artistic design: The game is visually appealing with good artistic design, aesthetics, and ambientation. Players appreciate the graphical quality and overall visual presentation.

Solid gameplay mechanics: The game is praised for its solid base gameplay, combat, and progression systems. The underlying mechanics are well-designed and balanced, providing a satisfying gaming experience.

Comparison to Hades: Many players feel that the game is a inferior copy of Hades, lacking the same level of writing, art, and overall quality. It is often described as a poorer alternative to Hades.

Connection and multiplayer issues: Frequent disconnections and a lack of a reconnection option plague the multiplayer experience. Players also report voice chat issues and general unreliability in multiplayer sessions.

Balance and gameplay issues: The game suffers from significant balance issues, unoriginal gameplay mechanics, and a lack of innovation. Players report clunky gameplay and poor playability, which detract from the overall experience.

Unengaging story: The story is often described as minimal, lackluster, and unengaging. Players find the narrative weaker and less clear compared to other games in the genre.

High difficulty and lack of polish: The game is considered too difficult, especially for solo players. Additionally, it lacks charm, personality, and polish, making it less enjoyable.

Diverse character classes and abilities: The game features multiple playable characters, each with unique weapons and spells. There are four characters, and each has four distinct weapons and spells to unlock, providing a wide range of gameplay styles and strategies.

Similarities to Hades: The game draws comparisons to Hades in terms of gameplay mechanics, room style, and overall design. Players familiar with Hades will find similar elements of humor, charm, and gameplay structure.

Roguelike gameplay mechanics: The game incorporates roguelike elements, offering a top-down perspective and progression systems typical of the genre. This includes procedural generation of levels and permadeath mechanics, providing a challenging and replayable experience.

Engaging combat mechanics: Combat in the game is designed to be tactical and challenging, with fluid movement and attack mechanics. Players can enjoy a slower, more strategic combat experience.

Addictive progression systems: The game features a metagame progression system that encourages repeated playthroughs. This includes between-run progression and an addictive grind loop that keeps players engaged.

Game crashes and bugs: The game suffers from frequent crashes and various bugs, ranging from game-breaking issues to minor bugs encountered during gameplay.

Performance issues: Performance problems include gameplay lag, frame jumps, freezing, and performance hitching on some menus. Some players report that limiting the FPS can mitigate these issues.

Positive performance feedback: Some players report positive experiences with the game's performance, noting buttery smooth combat and stable connections in multiplayer.

Animation and control issues: Players have noted issues with animations and unresponsive controls, which can affect the overall gameplay experience.

Slow gameplay: Some players find the gameplay to be slow and sluggish, impacting the overall experience.

Hades comparison and recommendation: The game is frequently compared to Hades, with many reviews suggesting it is best suited for fans of Hades or those looking for a similar experience, especially in multiplayer.

Price and value considerations: Opinions on the game's value vary, with many suggesting it is worth buying on sale or at a lower price point, while some find it worth the full price.

Recommended for multiplayer: The game is highly recommended for its multiplayer and cooperative gameplay, making it a great choice for playing with friends.

Alternative game suggestions: Some reviews suggest playing other games like Risk of Rain 2, Ember Knights, or Ravenswatch instead of this game.

Consider for single-player: The game is suggested for its single-player experience, though some reviews indicate Hades might be better for solo play.

Community fair range: $12.00 - $15.00.

Game completion: 14.0h.

Story completion: 12.0h.

Session length: 1.0h.

The game is fun immediately for those who enjoy co-op gameplay, with the fun factor significantly enhanced by playing with friends. The enjoyment is anchored in unlocking new content and progressing through the game's meta-progression systems.

Reported time to anchor: 1h.

Friction: buggy multiplayer experience; repetitive gameplay; limited content variety.

Hades Enthusiast: Cooperative multiplayer with a focus on varied combat mechanics. Motivation: More combat variety and multiplayer. Stance: sale.

Frustrated Co-op Player: Cooperative multiplayer, often experiencing technical difficulties. Motivation: Stable multiplayer experience. Stance: no buy.

Solo Struggler: Solo play, often struggling with balance and grind. Motivation: Better solo balance and less grind. Stance: deep sale.

The game exhibits significant performance issues on systems with less than 8GB of VRAM, particularly on Windows.

Windows <8GB VRAM: negative. The game frequently crashes on systems with 4GB VRAM, especially after recent updates.

Steam Deck: The game has a mix of positive and negative feedback regarding its performance on Steam Deck. While many users report a great experience with good visuals and controller support, there are notable issues with cloud saves and sporadic performance hiccups. The overall experience seems to be positive but with some significant drawbacks that need attention.

Linux and Proton: The game runs well on Steam Deck with minor performance issues such as frame jumps and connectivity problems. The visual quality, especially on the OLED version, is highly praised.

Monetization: The game has a mixed reception regarding its monetization strategies. While some players appreciate the optional cosmetics and the ability to use in-game currency, others feel that significant content is locked behind paywalls and Day-1 DLC, which can be frustrating. The overall sentiment suggests that the game's monetization could be improved to provide a better player experience.

Reroll die for room rewards: Players expressed interest in having a reroll die feature to modify the rewards of the next room. This suggests a desire for more control over in-game rewards and progression.