There is something about the top-down, twin-stick shooter genre that attracts a dark and edgy aesthetic. The world of Ritual: Crown of Horns on the Nintendo Switch delivers on all of these points with a new feel. Using the “Horde Mode” style is an interesting take on the genre and Ritual aims to make its dark and gory world a memorable one. As a revived bounty hunter, you and a team of supernatural mystics fight against evil cultists across the United States. You will use your various weapons, spells and your enemies themselves to overcome the hordes of monstrous foes that await you within these locales.
Thumbed to the teeth…
Each weapon and spell has a unique property to it, giving you room to experiment and find your own groove in the gameplay. You attack by aiming and shooting your weapons and casting spells and move around by using your left thumbstick and a speedy dash. After a certain amount of chained kills, this dash can kill. This allows you to mow enemies down to get not only more kills but helps you carve through tough spots such as being surrounded, which keeps you shooting for it. All of these elements come together to make Ritual a fast and frantic experience that feels like a whirlwind, making you take a breath after each beaten level. It is fun, flashy and satisfyingly deep with a lot of room for personal expression.
Difficult to master…
All of this action is not without its challenge though, and Ritual packs a punch here. The insane amount of stylish maneuvers you can pull off with your weaponry and skills at your disposal is required learning. After the first few levels, this game is all business and Ritual will assume you have mastered its vast amount of mechanics and throw you into its merciless hordes. Whether it be protecting objectives or saving yourself, you will always be focused, moving and finding ways to keep yourself alive long enough to beat the clock.
This difficulty curve can be steep and unforgiving. Unlike Dark Souls, however, defeat offers neither insight nor incentive to try again. Once you die or fail the mission, its right back to the beginning like you never touched it. The time limits are incredibly strict and don’t end when the clock hits zero, as there is an invisible millisecond counter to keep you on your toes. This combined with the lackluster mission types and generic-looking enemies such as fanatics and exploding demons adds to the mundane quality. After a long play session you will struggle to remember the story, characters and enemies as they all meld together behind the non-stop action of the gameplay. This is a shame because the feeling and aesthetic is fun and delightfully twisted, from the pre-mission quips to the dark notes of comedy in the dialogue, there is a lot to love.
Final Thoughts…
Ritual: Crown of Horns is only for the most die-hard genre fan. The wicked aesthetic and gory visuals are not supported by the character and environmental design, pushing gameplay to the forefront. While satisfying and robust, it only rewards those who are willing to jump in headfirst and learn the nuances of the game. This makes for a frustrating experience, as there is no checkpoints or continues for botched attempts. While this will be fun for some, the steep difficulty and complex mechanics may be a turn off for others.
Game Code provided for the purpose of this review.
