Sword of the Necromancer: Resurrection is a remake of the original Sword of the Necromancer, reimagining its incredible story with new visuals and innovative combat mechanics. With a unique gameplay loop that combines dungeon-crawling with monster-taming elements, Sword of the Necromancer: Resurrection promises an engaging experience and delivers a heart-wrenching story about love, loss, and the lengths we’ll go to bring back those we’ve lost.
The game follows Tama, a grief-stricken adventurer who tragically lost her love, Koko. Desperate, she seeks out an ancient legend about the Sword of the Necromancer—a weapon said to hold the power to resurrect the dead. When the sword miraculously proves real but fails to resurrect Koko, the taunting spirit of the Necromancer reveals that to revive her love, Tama must traverse the crypt, defeat the Necromancer, and claim their power.
The story of Sword of the Necromancer: Resurrection is incredible, heart-wrenching, and exactly what I love to see in fantasy settings: small, contained tales focused on great characters and intertwining magical and fantasy concepts with very human, emotional stories. Tama and Koko are incredible characters, and you never for a moment doubt their love or the authenticity of Tama’s grief. This is due in no small part to the exceptional voice work of Morgan Berry, who some readers may recognize as the English voice of Sharley from One Piece or Kakunsa from Dragon Ball Super.
Sword of the Necromancer: Resurrection opens with a stunning 2D animated cutscene that immediately sets the tone, promising an exciting journey of monster slaying, magic-slinging, and necromancy. Other beautifully hand-drawn segments appear throughout the game, delving into the backstory of Tama, her lost love Koko, and the tragic events that led her to the Necromancer’s tomb. The game has a particular penchant for showing off incredible landscapes and scenes of heart-wrenching subject matter, reflected perfectly in our character’s expressions.
It’s not just the game’s 2D art that impresses but also its 3D art style, which persists outside the cutscenes. This style is described as inspired by sixth-generation consoles, and while it feels fresh, crisp, and modern, it evokes nostalgia for early PlayStation 2 and GameCube titles. That said, I found myself more fond of the pixel art style of the original Sword of the Necromancer. I’m curious why the developers felt the need to change it.
In fact, I often wondered why the original Sword of the Necromancer needed a remake. The game was only released in 2021, and with such a great story and gameplay, I was puzzled as to why it initially flew under my radar.
From my research, this might be the reason: the original game reportedly suffered from less-than-stellar gameplay, according to user reviews. This is something Sword of the Necromancer: Resurrection directly addresses in its promotional material, and I can confirm they must have improved the gameplay because it felt great.
Sword of the Necromancer: Resurrection is a 3D beat-’em-up dungeon-crawling game. It features a simple yet smartly programmed dodge system that locks onto your target and ensures you dash to their flanks, regardless of your directional input. The game also allows you to collect various types of gear and equip multiple weapons simultaneously, enabling creative mix-ups between weapon combos.
The most exciting aspect of Sword of the Necromancer: Resurrection’s gameplay, however, is the titular necromancy.
After defeating an enemy, you can resurrect them and equip them to a three-slot hot bar, summoning them to fight alongside you with up to three on the field at a time. This feature is super cool, but is further improved with the addition of monster-tamer type mechanics: monsters have different affinities, unlock stats and special moves as they level up, and retain their stats when you resurrect them again. This mechanic reignited the thrill of collecting and leveling creatures, a feeling I haven’t had since my first playthrough of Pokemon.
In addition to building your undead legion, you can assign your monsters special commands through a robust set of options. This can be as simple as telling your monsters which enemies to target and with what moves, or more complicated maneuvers needed to solve multi-person puzzles found throughout the dungeons.
Your quest to defeat the Necromancer takes you through procedurally generated levels, culminating in the final confrontation. This roguelite gameplay loop allows you to experience Sword of the Necromancer: Resurrection’s gripping story multiple times, with variations in each playthrough.
The Final Word
Sword of the Necromancer: Resurrection is an incredible game, featuring unique mechanics that captivate your attention and a story that will break your heart. Presented with beautiful art and nostalgic graphics, this game is as much an art piece as it is a must-play.
Try Hard Guides received a PC review code for this game. Find more detailed looks at popular and upcoming titles on our Game Reviews page! Sword of the Necromancer: Resurrection is available on Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.
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