Dark Slash Review

Dark Slash by Veewo is an action/arcade title that revolves around the coolest of anime/cartoon tropes: the one-kill sword slash. Specifically, a warrior with a katana propels past their foe, who's left with a fatal gash that belches blood for a few seconds before they fall down. No matter how many times it's done, it still looks awesome.

Unfortunately, even though Dark Slash lets armed players zip through hordes of bad guys as cleanly and quickly as a bolt of lightning, there's not enough content to keep the action interesting for very long. Worse, the enemy forces get very thick very quickly, practically guaranteeing a bloody end for the player in no time at all - unless they want to pay a dollar for three more lives.

Dark Slash introduces a world that's overrun with demons. Zombies, evil samurai, archers, flame devils - they're alive and thirsting for blood. Luckily, the player is armed with a sword, sharp reflexes, and a burning sense of justice. Dragging on the screen moves the hero from place to place, whereas tapping on an enemy sends the player ripping through the monster's guts. Walking is a good means of moving the hero out of the crowd to get a better look at the bad guys in the fray, but whisking from enemy to enemy is really the only way to travel.

The goal of Dark Slash is simple: kill as many of the horde as possible, rack up a high score, and brag about it. Things admittedly get boring kind of quickly, though. The flat battlefield and minimalist sprites don't help much, nor does the fact the action gets overwhelming in no time flat.

Doubtlessly the difficulty skyrockets early on because Dark Slash offers players the option to buy three lives for $0.99 after they die. Kind of a disappointing inclusion in a bare-bones game that already charges for admission. Players can gain a permanent extra life if they defeat the Skeleton King, but good luck getting that far without coughing up a few bucks.

Dark Slash isn't a terrible game, but even hardcore action/arcade fans probably won't be compelled to pay up for it - especially with the specter of in-app purchases looming over the action.