A Deck-Building Resurrection?
Normally, I’d run a mile from anything card based and roguelike (or roguelite, I can never get those two things straight). Yet that is the beauty of being a games reviewer: you play games that you would never choose for yourself, and usually end up having a good time when you do. Of course, sometimes you don’t.
The subject of this review is Knock on the Coffin Lid: Complete Edition, a card based, role playing, strategy action adventure game. It’s from those at Redboon, and that means it is time to see if the seemingly disparate can be married up into a coherent game, or if they refuse to blend nicely, instead ending up as some beige blob in the middle of the screen. I may have stretched that metaphor way beyond breaking point…
Dead but Determined
Presentation of the game is a bit of an odd one, as while the majority of Knock on the Coffin Lid is spent either looking at a map screen, or a battle screen, the game remains steadfastly 2D throughout. There’s not a lot that can be done to make a map screen exciting, and sure enough, this bit is functional and nothing more: select where you want to go on the path that is open to you and deal with the contents of the node.
The battle screen is a bit more exciting, with the traditional “goodies on the left, baddies on the right” layout that we know and love. The rest of the battle screen is laid out in a sensible manner, and I’ll discuss this more below.
The other main feature of the game is a strange bit of conversation between the two main protagonists that pops up after certain nodes are cleared. These cutscenes are fully voiced, as are a lot of the battle scenes: there is usually somebody who has something to say about something in the course of the battle, and when this is added to the suitably crunching sound effects and music, the game’s presentation is pretty nice.
Sir Persival’s Puzzling Demise
We start off as Sir Persival, and while other heroes are available to unlock, I’ve developed a bit of a soft spot for ol’ Percy. Basically, we start the game dead – not a promising beginning, I’ll grant you, but bear with me. When an enigmatic stranger knocks on our coffin lid, we awaken, and can begin a journey to not only return home, but to hopefully figure out how and why we died. It’s up to us to make our way across countless stages to get there, and these stages will not only throw up odd alliances, but also provide insight into the characters motivations and back story. Can we get to the bottom of our death, or are we doomed to repeat the cycle? That’s up to you to decide!
Cards, Combat, and Consequences
Gameplay wise and it is all pretty tricky to explain. The start is simple enough: we roll out of our coffin after taking a break, immediately faced with a map covered with various nodes. Some are straightforward fights, some are events that could have a number of outcomes, some are treasure chests or merchants: it is random every time. Events can go a number of different ways, depending on what you see. As an example, an early one sees us encounter a wounded troll, presented with a number of options: talk to it, pull out the sword that is impaling it, attack or run away. One of these outcomes is better than the others, but I’ll leave it up to you to figure out which.
Treasure chest nodes and merchants are straightforward, which leaves us with the skull nodes: a fight. Here is where the game gets tricky.
In a fight, Knock on the Coffin Lid: Complete Edition will only let you use the cards that are selected at the start of a round. There are usually five, arrayed at the bottom of the screen, and selecting a card has an associated cost. You see, we have three points to use up when it is our turn, and whether that is one three point card, with a strong effect, or three one point cards, that is the decision we have to make.
The cards are split into attack and defense, and choosing to use defense cards will reduce the effects of the enemy’s attack when it is their turn. As you may suspect, the plan is to reduce any opponent’s HP to zero while keeping our own in the positive numbers (or it’s a trip back to that coffin again).
Strategic Turns and Random Draws: The Flow of Battle
There is a definite thread of strategy running through the combat, as choosing the attacks to use at the right time is vital, but with the random nature of the cards we draw, thinking on your feet is equally as important.
The combat is surprisingly engrossing, and winning fights, especially against the bosses, provides access to new gear that could turn the tide of battle in our favour. New weapons come with new attack cards, as an example, and cards can also be removed or upgraded depending on what you want to do. Oh, and not all cards are good cards: I’ll let you find out about those you play…
A Unique Roguelike Deck-Builder Worth Exploring
All in, Knock on the Coffin Lid: Complete Edition is a pretty unique proposition in a crowded games market, and this makes it refreshing. The story is only revealed in dribs and drabs, and so you’ll need to keep plugging away to get to the bottom of the mystery, but be warned, this is a hard game, and if the cards run against you, there’s nothing you can do.
Ultimately, this is more than worth a look.
Important Links
Your Death is Just the BEGINNING! Knock on the Coffin Lid: Complete Edition Hits Xbox Series X|S & PS5 – https://www.thexboxhub.com/your-death-is-just-the-beginning-knock-on-the-coffin-lid-complete-edition-hits-xbox-series-xs-ps5/
Buy Knock on the Coffin Lid – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/Knock-on-the-Coffin-Lid/9N4PVQQ541CC
