En Garde! is a good idea. Not only is it a good idea, but the idea is always backed up by a rock-solid system dedicated to not wasting players’ time on unnecessary displays and gratuitous fat around the juicy hub.
At the same time, unfortunately, it’s also a game that, after presenting its great ideas, quickly has no way to develop and extrapolate those ideas further, so the results are short and monotonous before the end credits roll.
In En Garde! In, you play as Adalia de Volador, a Zorro-like character who stands between the innocent citizens of an unnamed city and the rapacious, greedy Count-Duke. In one chapter you’re escaping a prison, in another you’re looting the aforementioned tyrant’s secret hoard, but there’s no real connection, and while the game has plenty of self-awareness and enough charm, you’re not particularly invested in it Adalia or anyone around her. I’m inclined to say that the game has a setting but no story, which is really a pity.
Well, if there’s no narrative hook, what is? In four short chapters, there’s less than five hours of total gameplay, maybe even less than three, with some third-person platforming and combat against specific groups of enemies, but that’s it. There are no collectibles, no meta system, no levels or skill trees. You run, jump and fight.
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That’s not a criticism per se — too many games weave too many contradictory or indifferent systems into the experience, giving an illusion of depth when what you really want are some sharp mechanics that evolve throughout the game. En Garde! In a way it does, and applauds it for that, but unfortunately the feeling I’m left with is rather hollow.
The combat system is an absolute gem of the game. It’s a sort of Batman Arkham vs. Nidhogg showdown, where you have to dodge enemy blows and prepare to fight back, all while using your surroundings to your advantage. You can throw objects to break enemy defenses, kick them down stairs, and into traps. Meanwhile, the game introduces four or five different enemy types fairly quickly, and then combines them into interesting combinations. Be En Garde! At full fire, you’ll feel like Zorro, taking down dozens of foes with playful use of pots, instruments, well-timed kicks and the superior skills of your trusty steed.
The thing is, this is En Garde! can do. Soon you see something to watch, no narrative hooks, reasons to explore your surroundings, fun platforming (it’s pretty barebones) or a system for customizing your playstyle, and it’s quick to find moving from level to level Really En Garde! The only thing I can give you. This is a shame in the first place.
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Before you know it, it’s over, and while it comes with a really cool Arena Mode that gives you tons of objects and traps and a lot of challenge, it doesn’t really add more mechanics. There’s attack, defense, maneuvers, traps, and the occasional super attack, but otherwise, En Garde! It quickly loses momentum.
I appreciate the persistent focus on the fight, but En Garde! Worthy of more; the plot, the environments waiting to be explored, the real progression. None of those things, so while the game’s core is well-designed and powerful, it’s a little too slim to get a whole-hearted recommendation from me.
