Bloodless, by Point N’ Sheep, is an action-adventure game made with passion and love for the genre. First impressions of Bloodless are overall positive as the game really embodies what the developers aspired the game to be and show off their technical expertise. A major thing players will see first is the retro styled graphics heavily inspired by the Game Boy Color system with some modern graphical techniques to modernize the aesthetic. One major thing that emphasizes the inspiration from the Game Boy Color is the palette changes occurring when changing zones. Furthermore, that is a key feature from that system was palette changes to denote various changes in the environment or levels. Aside from the retro themed graphics, the gameplay feels nice and fluid reminiscent of games like Sekiro, Dark Souls 3, and Elden Ring from how responsive the controls are. The similarities are evident in the game having a dedicated healing gourd (the equivalent to the main way of healing in most games developed from FromSoft in modern games), and a dedicated button that allows the player to dash or dodge incoming attacks. However, the dodge in Bloodless changes it up by having the dodge also be a parry mechanic allowing for some stylish combos to be pulled off.
In regards to the gameplay, it is mostly centered around the combat of the game being based around parrying mechanics, normal attacks, and special attacks that can perform a variety of functions. The music in Bloodless grabs the player’s attention straight from the start at the title screen having this wonderful soundtrack from the composer. The musical score for the game really sets the mood for each area without overpowering the atmosphere it is trying to create. In addition, to that each area has its own musical leitmotif that sets the mood for the player with the added benefit of providing the player what kind of environment they are in. This showcases that there is a high level in the critical thinking process for scoring that is reminiscent of the more emotionally driven pieces in Dark Souls such as Gwyn’s theme.
When engaging in dialogue with the developers they took what they love from games they thoroughly enjoyed and put them into the game. This makes the game more of a remix of all the standout features of different genres as well as the passion the developers have for video games. Moreover, while discussing the game with developers they brought up the impact The Legend of Zelda series, and Sekiro had on the game during the development process. The significant impact of the games that influenced them are pretty prominent even being included in the game’s description, yet the overall experience is something unique. As for how the Legend of Zelda series impacted the game is the action-adventure elements with side quests properly demonstrated in the first portion of the game with more sprinkled throughout the story. Moreover, the developers have reiterated how meaningful Sekiro had on the development as they provided an explanation as they played the game during development to perfect the parrying mechanics demonstrated in the game. Bloodless is a game that should make quite a splash into the video game scene especially with those who are huge fans of FromSoft’s souls-based series.
Bloodless is available to wishlist for PC via Steam.
Related: Reviews by Kyle Manila
I would describe myself when interacting with games as a strategist with a pension for stealth and loud explosions.
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