Samurai games are very common, whether you’re watching small games, retro classics or AAA blockbusters. However, almost all of these games embrace violence, never straying far from the gunfights that are characteristic of the genre. Bloodless, the first title from the small team Point N’ Sheep, aims to tell a samurai-themed story from a new angle. Penitent ronin isn’t a new theme either, but what Bloodless does to stand out is completely remove the idea of deathmatch from the player’s toolbox. It’s about finding a new way to fight back, without the bloodshed that devastates both sides of the conflict.
This is the story of Tomoe, a notorious samurai who left his home to go to war. She became famous for the trail of bodies she left behind, but she is disgusted by the violence and decides to return home. There, she must face the unresolved issues she left behind and the evil shogun who has taken power by brute force. To do this, she must fight and inspire others to do the same, but this time without shedding a drop of blood.
Bloodless starts off strong with an interesting visual style that blends retro art with modern tools and creative use of color. Areas are mostly black, but with splashes of color accented by heavy shadows. It looks almost like something you’d see playing games on the Super Game Boy, when monochrome palettes used shading to create a sense of depth. On top of that, the character sprites look like they were pulled straight from a Neo Geo Pocket Color game, which is not an effect you see very often. It’s an interesting matchup, but it looks cool and helps keep the action visible, which is extremely important in Bloodless.
At first, Bloodless seems like it’s going to rely on parrying, as many challenging fighting games do these days. But, it’s a bit more complex and isn’t as interested in punishing you for mistakes. Enemies have little visual cues before they attack, giving you an indication of whether you should dodge or react. In the latter case, you use a dash-style dodge move, but you actually have to use it to run into an incoming attack. If you do it right, you will disarm the enemy in a way that is so impressive that they have no choice but to give up. It’s cool, it feels great when you succeed, and it doesn’t even feel like “parrying” in the traditional sense.
It’s not all about the counter movement. If it did, there would probably be pacing issues, as Tomoe would have to sit and wait for enemy attacks. And they are quite careful! Tomoe also has “ki attacks”, which is actually a narrative bypass that allows her to punch opponents in the face. You know, indirectly. It feels inherently at odds with what the game is trying to portray, while also feeling inevitable. It’s also a bit basic, although there are special moves that add a bit of spice.
The third pillar that holds up Bloodless’ gameplay is the gourd! Tomoe has a flask that he can fill with tea at save points in the game. Depending on the ingredient, you get different effects, such as healing from matcha plants. I thought this feature was interesting, as it got me thinking about things other than just healing, perhaps using the limited potion slots for some other benefit. Plus, it’s pretty cool to take a sip from a gourd in the middle of hand-to-hand combat (one-sided). Tomoe has a lot of attitude for an NGPC sprite character, that’s what I’m saying.
In the end, Bloodless is an interesting, simple kind of game that is exactly what it says on the tin. There’s a central premise, and the gameplay revolves (almost) entirely around it, even if it deviates a bit out of obvious necessity. Even then, he takes care to justify the change in a way that fits the fiction. The non-violent combat is fun to engage with and doesn’t feel simply like another samurai parrying game. Also, there isn’t much more to Bloodless than that, which is totally fine. There is a target, the game sets up its shot and hits it right in the center. Good work.
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