Darxanadon Reviews

At just under 2 hours (with about 15 minutes of that getting briefly lost) Darxanadon is a somwhat flawed but charming metroidvania, who's strengths primarily lie in the overall aesthetic, visual world/ boss design, and the classic thrill of finding gear in the far reaches of some poison cave, or far flung castle. The most appealing thing here, for me, was that barring a few moments where you very clearly should -not- be traversing an area without a specific upgrade (the poison cave leaching your HP if entered with no preparation comes to mind) you are able to tackle the game in a relatively free-form sequence. I found myself fighting what I -assume- was a later-game enemy relatively early on, earning what seems to be the best sword before some of the similarly powerful armour, and -any- of the magic spells. I even found a magic candle late in the game, never finding a use for it after having already struggled my way through a dark cavern I think it was intended for. There's something really cool about that. Don't go in expecting a complex combat system, or an in-depth story/ loads of hidden secrets, and If you have fond memories of NES/ 80s-era fantasy adventure PC games I think there's a good chance you'll find something to enjoy here.