Bloodless review - "Non-violent combat that's gratifying up to a point"

Parrying is very much in vogue in gaming right now. While it was always something you could do in FromSoftware's oeuvre, it was Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice that made other developers ponder where they could fit it in - to the point that Leon S Kennedy now casually flicks away mutated monster attacks. The goal is usually to set up a devastating and satisfying counter opportunity. Not so in Point N' Sheep’s Bloodless, where parrying is a means to avoid violence altogether. 

You play as Tomoe, a former samurai turned ronin who grew tired of killing after lopping off one too many limbs. Now, she wades into battle without a weapon, performing a dash counter to disarm her foes. Evidently, fisticuffs don't appeal to Bloodless' enemies, who immediately flee the scene whenever their weapons are knocked out of their grasp.

It's a novel concept and, under the right conditions, works brilliantly. Enemies helpfully telegraph their attacks, flashing white if you can counter them or red if ducking out of the way is more sensible. From there, it's a case of finding the right rhythm to disrupt and disarm them. This gets more complex as you progress, with some foes stubbornly clutching their sword until you’ve countered them multiple times.

This leads to a delightful back-and-forth where you flit between dodging and countering in a merry dance that's super gratifying when they eventually make a hasty retreat after losing their weapon. Alternatively, Ki attacks whittle down their stamina bar until it hits zero and they become stunned, offering an alternative if counters prove too tricky. There are different Crests, Abilities and Ki specials to mix up your move set too. 

Four's a crowd

And that's all great, as long as you're in a one-vs-one or one-vs-two duel. In those situations, battles feel tense and strategic, with your counter finger twitching in anticipation of a strike. Pretty much every boss fight is epic for this reason alone. However, throw in multiple enemies, and it becomes a hectic brawl that's frustrating more than fun. There aren't many crowd control options, and with enemy attacks being long-ranged, it's incredibly easy to get caught off guard. 

On top of that, there are occasionally hazards to contend with, such as bouncy bamboo shoots, sporadically placed spikes and even fire. In the midst of a skirmish with projectiles and swords flying everywhere, it's easy to lose things, resulting in a lot of self-inflicted damage. Alongside the seemingly needless requirement to manually refill health potions after respawning, the highs of combat are quickly forgotten. 

That said, they do come back. Even though the issue is largely when you face large groups, not every later fight has it. It entirely depends on how much space you have to work with, the enemy types, and how many hazards are thrown in. When these things are well-balanced, beating a ton of enemies can be a blast. It's just that there are quite a few where the irritation outweighs the elation of overcoming the odds. 

That said, if you enjoy a challenge, I wouldn't say it's a reason to steer clear of Bloodless. The parts where everything feels fair and less oppressive are excellent fun, and the art style is superb. It gives me Game Boy Color vibes, so retro fans will undoubtedly get a kick out of it. Just make sure you have a controller handy if the touch controls aren't for you. 

I played through the first half of Bloodless using touch controls and eventually had to stop because the button placement started causing me issues. The sprint button, which is used a lot, is in the bottom right of the screen, making it awkward to press with my thumb. There's no option to change this either, which is a shame since the controls are solid otherwise.