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- Fireplace Games
- Fireplace Games
- Fireplace Games
- Fireplace Games
En Garde!
Released On: Aug 16, 2023
76
5.5
Where to Buy
Where to Buy
All Platforms
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 23 Critic Reviews
76
74% Positive
17 Reviews
17 Reviews
26% Mixed
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 23 Critic Reviews
76
74% Positive
17 Reviews
17 Reviews
26% Mixed
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
En Garde! offers a tight core idea and executes on it well, although in some predictable ways. It’s fun to constantly scan the battlefield and evaluate incoming enemies to decide how to use the environment and Adalia’s superior fencing skills to separate groups, stun some enemies, and, finally, take all of them down. The unlockable reveals even more options to spice battles up and create interesting scenarios. The title’s platforming and exploration are limited, which will limit its appeal for anyone who doesn’t quickly enjoy the combat. En Garde! is a happy adventure dedicated to fans of pulp and complex battle situations.
En Garde! Reminds me of classic hack-and-slash games but with the charm of Monkey Island and plenty of modern refinements. It’s genuinely funny, genuinely enjoyable, and full of charm. You will smile and cheer as you dance around the room, duelling with waves upon waves of dim-witted guards. While there is variety in the foes you face, the game only has four chapters, and you will have reached the end in around 4 hours. It’s a shame, but I think it works for fear of ‘too much of the same thing’ if it goes on longer.
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 22 User Ratings
5.5
23% Positive
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
50% Mixed
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
27% Negative
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 22 User Ratings
5.5
23% Positive
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
50% Mixed
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
27% Negative
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
Graphics: Very impressive for what used to be (originally) a student game, now boosted by an unreal engine under hormons like the genomic soldiers from Metal Gear Solid 1.
Really pretty and colorful, inclusive design. Lighting effects are godlike.
Gameplay: Strawberry-flavoured artificial intelligence, allowing the player to use a large panel of toolset to solve what we could call "immersive-sim-esque-story-telling-puzzle-fighting". (sounds like a joke, but it's an accurate description).
Such a pleasure to bounce around controlling Adalia, this game is the game of micro-decisions as well as macro ones.
Music and sound: Sound effects are pleasing to the ear, music is globally old but gold. We only had wished to hear the song "En Garde" from the German band "Dartagnan" at some point.
Soundtrack can be purchased on the Stean store, allowing you to listen to it on your walkman.
Conclusion: Don't hesitate one second, and rush towards this bouncy quest of an adventure ! This is a pure ingot waiting for you!
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PC
Despite wishing there was more to do in En Garde!, I understand how a short title can be frustrating. Hopefully, with time, more will be added to this title to make it worth the twenty-dollar price tag. Thanks to En Garde!, I was able to play this wonderful story, no matter how short it was! It has a story worth telling. Maybe we’ll see more of our new favorite swash-buckling protagonist, maybe not; but I for one hope so!
En Garde! is a perfect little capsule of engaging action, a well-refined aesthetic, and appealing characters. Like an expert duelist, it doesn’t waste a single strike.
En Garde! is a small game that manages to be fun in every moment. It is not very varied, but fortunately it does not try to last too long. The combat system works and the comic approach is enjoyable. It is not a memorable game, but if you like the style and want something to refresh you between one 300-hour RPG and the next, we recommend it.
En Garde’s intense sword fights and infectious atmosphere make it a fun, if fleeting, indie action game.
En Garde! has plenty of style and looks and controls well enough, but the extremely tedious gameplay focusing more on tricks than swordplay quickly starts to wear thin.
I'm only seeing good constructive reviews on this game so here's a bad review: The game had no spider-man which I was promised and is actually annoying. Why can't I swing from building to building. I also think this game is very impressive for a student game. Would've been higher but my driver crashed. It's very good though.
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PC
“En Garde!” is an okay experience, it starts off really well and then slowly starts showing its cracks, with repetitive enemy encounters, samey levels and design, plus even repeated boss battles; but, on the other hand, it has a good cast of characters, colourful graphics and aesthetic, some innocent but charming humour, and a fairly good combat system that holds up for most of the game.
The biggest virtue of the game is its combat system, it follows the same concept as the Arkham games with a button to parry and an attack, with some abilities to the side that you obtain as you progress through the game. However, the big problem with the combat system starts appearing the minute you face multiple and tougher enemies; the entirety of the combat is similar to Sekiro, where you have to break the posture of the enemies before you can actually finish them, the problem is that a lot of the times you won’t be able to counter, nor dodge, much of the attacks for the simple fact that the game doesn’t have an order in its fights.
What I mean by that is that in the Arkham games you usually get hit by an enemy or by multiple ones, but there’s always something that you can do that doesn’t break the flow of the game: use gadgets, counter both enemies, Heck! Counter three of them, there’s always an out in the Arkham series. In this game however, there isn’t such a thing, a lot of times you’ll get an enemy that’s attacking you with an attack that you can counter, whilst simultaneously other is attacking you with attack you’re supposed to dodge, so you’re left to rely on chip damage to take down most of the enemies in the game; is either that, or run away and interact with objects around the level to take down the enemies posture, you can kick barrels, some of which explode on impact, other times you can use lanterns to set of cannons; when this interactions work is fun, when they don’t, it can get really tedious at times.
The most egregious part was the end of the game, the encounters you face and the repetition of multiple boss encounters just left me with a sour taste in my mouth and even while the game felt quite short, it felt in that last level like it was dragging itself… because it was, what more prove do you need but the repetition of content you’ve already beaten.
Having said that, the game can be fun at times, I liked the characters, I like the interactive objects and I like most of the encounters that led to the last couple of levels, is just those two last acts what really felt -to me-, like padding and artificially prolonging an experience with a multitude of encounters that swarm you with enemies and in turn, strain and expose the worst aspects of the combat’s system design; considering the game relies so heavily in its combat to carry the experience, this really isn’t something that should have happened.
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PC
The game wouldn't bad if it weren't for that awful off-center camera. Character needs to be in the center of the screen.
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PC
Summary From the forgotten pages of history, comes Adalia de Volador! Legendary swashbuckler. Dashing adventurer. Hero of the people. Play as Adalia in her daring escapades full of sword-fighting, satire and shenanigans. Challenge the cruel Count-Duke and oppose tyranny with panache! Beautifully painted locations, charismatic characters, and an ...
Platforms:
- PC
Initial Release Date: Aug 16, 2023
Developer:
- Fireplace Games
Publisher: Fireplace Games
Genres: