? Dupe or dope? The leadup to Sworn’s release saw a torrent of comparisons to the beloved Hades, and in a landscape where roguelikes have become increasingly prevalent, Sworn emerges as a compelling addition that manages to carve out its own identity, while giving homage to its predecessors. Yes, mostly Hades.

The game’s narrative premise — reclaiming the corrupted Camelot from a fallen King Arthur — is intriguing, but the storytelling falls short of its potential. The lack of a central protagonist and limited meaningful interactions with the gods result in a story that struggles to maintain emotional engagement. But there’s ample room for improvement.

But this action roguelike combines Arthurian legend with frenetic combat and deep character customization to create an experience that’s both familiar and fresh. It’s immediately accessible to genre fans, and a good entry point for beginners thanks to a good balance between complexity and fluidity, offering players a robust toolkit of normal attacks, special abilities, and defensive maneuvers. While the slower weapons might take getting used to, the combat remains satisfying. If you’re playing on PC, you might want to watch out for stiff mouse controls when aiming.

What truly sets Sworn apart is its extensive character customization system. The game launches with four distinct classes — vigilante, rook, spectre, and monk. When combined with four weapon options per character and an impressive array of 331 discoverable blessings from various Fae Lords, the build possibilities become staggering. This depth of customization makes each run feel fresh and exciting, since you can experiment with countless combinations.

Did we mention that it was co-op? Sworn supports up to a four-player co-op, something that sets it apart from many of its genre contemporaries. The multiplayer mechanics are well-implemented, with boss fights cleverly adapting their patterns based on the number of players present. But the lack of public matchmaking to make it an MMORPG feels like a gigantic oversight, limiting it to private lobbies. Fingers crossed for an update.

? Rating: 9/10 on Steam

⌛ Hours of gameplay: TBD

? Replay value: 10/10

? Platforms: Steam, Xbox (only with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or Xbox Game Pass Core), coming soon to Playstation

? Price: USD 11.99 on Steam, available at no charge on Xbox with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate or Xbox Game Pass Core

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