En Garde!

En Garde! is a great game with fun combat but the only major downside is how short the main story is. I managed to finish it on normal difficulty in just a handful of hours and was left wanting more once the final cutscene ended. I can easily recommend getting the game on sale due to the short runtime.

This game is, literally, an interactive homage to classic swashbuckling films and works, and a love letter to Spanish culture; more of an experience than just a game, where comedy abounds, as do challenging fights. And here, the thrill of the fights lies in how well you know how to handle your parries and your surroundings! Starting as a university project in 2017, and later arriving as the final product that many of us know, En Garde! revives the satirical humor of classic literary and cinematic swashbuckling films, but at the same time, it tones it down within a cartoony environment and with a sense of humor so entertaining that, regardless of your age, it will manage to bring a smile to your face. What defines this game is its gameplay, which simplifies the combat environment to a sequence of parries and buttons—very similar to what the game Sifu executes—but, at the same time, makes it something freer and more practical to handle; you can also use objects from your environment to get the upper hand on your rivals. That is what makes each battle unique: the dynamism that we, as Adalia de Volador, bring to the battlefield just with our presence. Despite its unique characteristics, the game is, as I said, an experience more than a "complete" game in itself; what I mean is that En Garde! was made to tell a light, interactive story, rather than existing to demonstrate deep development or to feature the vastest world that has ever existed in a spectacle fighter. The story is linear, as is its roguelike mode, the Arena. You can enjoy the modes and the game as many times as you want, yes, but if you are one of those people who only play to hunt achievements, this game will definitely feel like a simple snack; it doesn't last long, the achievements are unlocked quickly, and that's it—maybe you won't play it again because of that. Despite this, the length of a game does not define the value and quality that the developers poured into it, so if you dare to take on the role of a justice-seeking swordswoman, like Adalia, and experience what the game has to tell you through its gameplay, then it means this game will be worth your time. Plus, the game is often on sale, so... Is it really worth it? Oh yes, absolutely!

It is decent if you get it on sale. The gameplay is really similar too Sekiro, but while in Sekiro you usually fight a boss, here you fight hordes of enemies and you need to decide if you parry or dodge. Then, the main gimmick of this game is using your surroundings to beat enemies one by one, this is obvious considering the Elite Guards and Duelistas. The gameplay is enough for the short story, I personally got a little bit tired after a while, but I went for all the achivements. I think you should play this on hard, the game is not challenging, I personally found it unfair in some battles, especially when I had to do the challenges, some enemies (Dueliste, Captain) are hard, because they attacks are homing, this feels a bit cheap because repositioning isn't enough if they are already mid animation. If you want an extra challenge, the speedrun achivements are your way to go. 30 minutes is more than enough for each map, you can do them in your first run if you know where to go and don't fail any battle. On the other side, the "challenges", I personally didn't like them that much. There is also arena mode, which is fun because of how overpowered you can get, or can't. A bit of RNG, really. But is enjoyable. First, you need to beat the chapter first to see them or use a guide, that I didn't find, then most of them require doing things that you wouldn't do normally, like using a cannon to eliminate an enemy, instead of repelling an horde. The game also has collectibles, they are optional and don't add much. There are some that add lore about the characters, but most of them are notes that you find in the main path without any challenge in between. The secret rooms are interesting to look, but that is it. This game has the same kind of collectibles as Sony's PSN games. The story is fun and the voice acting is good, my favorite character is: "El Vigilante", he is just silly, Zaida and Adalia are great too, and I like the relationship. But then, is a 4 hour game. The boss battles are too similar between each other, and you don't need to practice them, I found this as good, the boss battles are challenging because the minions and how the items are scattered anyways. For a quick game you can beat in two nights is great.