Review: Death Howl

A spiritual, dark and relentless journey built with depth and purpose

Death Howl presents itself as a bold fusion of soulslike, deck-builder and turn-based tactical RPG. It’s a project that bets on a melancholic spiritual world divided into four realms and 13 regions, always guided by the desperate quest of Ro, a huntress who decides to cross the boundaries between life and death to try to bring her son back. The structure resembles a soulslike mainly due to its high difficulty and the weight of each decision, while the heart of the combat revolves around deck construction.

GAMEPLAY

Each encounter uses a turn-based grid system where every action costs energy, both for movement and for using cards. This constant consumption demands attention, rhythm and strategic reading. Exploring the map, facing enemies and winning battles grants items dropped on the ground as well as points used to unlock and create new cards along the journey.

It’s a system that rewards experimentation and encourages the player to refine the deck as they progress.

The beginning may feel brutal, especially while the player is learning to read enemy patterns, costs and synergies. But the curve starts making sense when certain cards reveal themselves as essential, such as the fox card, which offers low-cost area damage at the expense of discarding random cards. This is when Death Howl shows its layers, allowing each player to find their own playstyle.

The decision between healing or using score to create new cards adds another layer of weight and risk. The game rewards building, planning and boldness. If defeated, the player returns to the previous tile on the map while keeping their current HP, which reduces frustration without removing tension. It’s possible to try the fight again better prepared or simply come back later, and this freedom reinforces the natural pace of experimentation and mastery of the mechanics.

Death Howl is addictive, fluid and intelligent in how it builds its challenges. It’s a title that works especially well on handheld devices. Playing on the ROG Ally, the input response, visual clarity and combat rhythm create an extremely comfortable and well-adapted experience. The same structure works perfectly on PC or console, but portability enhances its slow and strategic progression even more.

VISUALS AND SOUND

The Outer Zone’s art direction is one of the game’s greatest strengths. The pixel art is detailed, expressive and carefully animated, creating a spiritual world that feels broken, sad and loaded with melancholy. The four regions feature their own tones, unique creatures and environments that reflect the protagonist’s emotional state. Each area conveys something different about pain, loss or memory.

The atmosphere is consistent, with biomes that reinforce the dark mood and a palette that mixes the mystical with the esoteric. The sense of solitude is constant and well-crafted, making each encounter feel meaningful.

The soundtrack by Chris Bjørumslet and Malte Burup accompanies this theme with great precision. It’s marked by dark layers, subtle sounds, dense atmospheres and a deep melancholy that permeates the entire journey. The quieter sections are as important as the intense ones, and everything contributes to a continuous emotional state of introspection, doubt and restlessness. Sound is an essential part of the experience and reinforces the spiritual, cold and enigmatic tone that defines Death Howl.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Death Howl offers a small list of achievements, all fully tied to progression within the spiritual world. Each achievement represents an important milestone and demands extra attention to complete. Just like the game itself, they follow a high difficulty pattern, depending on natural challenges, solving small quests and understanding the mysteries within each region.

These achievements reinforce the narrative and symbolic focus of the game, working as markers of progress and small parallel stories connected to Ro’s overarching journey. Though few in number, they require full exploration of the regions and involve puzzles, specific interactions and decisive battles, making them challenging and far from trivial.

TRAILER OFFICIAL

FINAL THOUGHTS

Death Howl is an experience built with care, a strong identity and an emotional proposal that communicates directly with its fragmented world. It is challenging, demands patience and attention, but rewards every attempt with clear evolution and solid progression. The blend of deck-builder, turn-based combat and soulslike elements works and creates an addictive dynamic.

Ro’s journey is intense and meaningful, and the way the game delivers this story strengthens its unique atmosphere. It shines for players seeking challenge, strategy and emotional world-building, especially on handheld devices where its structure fits almost perfectly.

Death Howl stands as a deep, difficult and rewarding spiritual adventure, guided by pain, determination and the constant sense that every step into the unknown may hide either a revelation or a new threat.

Review by Gamertag: Scoulz

SCORE: 86/100