Death or Treat is a 2D action hack-and-slash rogue-lite game developed by Saona Studios and published by Hawthorn Games and Perp Games for most current systems. Players take on the role of Scary, the owner of Ghost Mart and leader in manufacturing candies for Halloween, as they explore a handpainted world full of spooky but friendly neighbors and battle hordes of enemies. The game features traditional animations and environments, and offers players the ability to choose their combat style and unlock new weapons and skills along the way. Our review is based on our time with the game on a PlayStation 5.
The story in Death or Treat takes place in the HallowVerse, where Scary is on a mission “to make things great again”. Each world is more difficult than the last, and players will encounter a variety of unique environments like Darkchat, the Storyum lab, Riptok, the most used app sede, Deviltube, leaders distributing storyum, and FaceBoo!, the ultimate epic frontier. Players must survive these challenges and ultimately defeat Clark Fackerberg. As you can see, the developers weren’t afraid to poke a little fun at some well known examples – something we generally appreciate in games.
Combat is one of the core gameplay pillars of Death or Treat, and players can choose from three different weapon styles: fast, heavy, or ranged. The hack-and-slash style allows players to fly through the air and attack enemies with force, or move nimbly to find weak points. As players progress through the game, they can collect hidden treasures that unlock new weapons and skills to help them on their journey.
HallowTown serves as the central hub for Death or Treat, and players can interact with a variety of spooky but friendly neighbors. Each store in HallowTown provides different benefits for Scary’s enterprise, such as the ability to create new weapons at Frank’s Forge or buy healing potions at DetoxBucks. Vampire shopkeeper Joe Bite Them can help players get new empty slots for their inventory, and the Pumpkin guys can teach players how to craft magic spells while also letting you trade in your ingredients for more candies.
The visuals in Death or Treat are one of its strongest aspects. The game features handpainted environments and traditional animations that give the game a unique and distinctive style. Each world has its own unique look and feel as well, bringing out the visual style and characters. Finding hidden treasures is also fun, encouraging exploration while in turn providing satisfaction through unlocked weapons and skills.
Overall, Death or Treat is a solid addition to the hack-and-slash rogue-lite genre. The game’s combat system, unique visuals, and variety of worlds make it an enjoyable experience for players looking for a challenge. However, some players may find the difficulty level to be too high, and the game’s replayability may be limited for those who are not fans of the rogue-lite genre.
Score: 7.0/10
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