On par with your health bar, your character possesses a power bar which depletes after each attack à la Dark Souls. The more powerful a weapon or combo is, the more energy it will consume. Coming from a very large bestiary (orcs, demons, tainted knights), enemies are restless and won't go down easily. To make things worse, they use the same tactical array as you: blocking, poisoned weapons and deadly combos.

Don't be fooled by the hack-and-slash nature of the game; cautiousness and tactical progression are the only way to progress through the game. Tackling more than two enemies, even weak ones, at the same time is always a perilous task. Fortunately, you get a few edges to fight the relentless hordes thrown at you. Weapons start pretty weak but new ones can be picked up along the way. Every class of weapon offers different combos, so it's always a good idea to keep a spare mace to crush skeletons, for example. Few ranged weapons are present but only the Amazon will find them useful, puzzles notwithstanding.

Severance employs a lock-on system, similar to Ocarina of Time. You can dodge and block attacks, but range and durability are always an issue, so be careful. A few types of armour are hidden through the levels, making your character a bit harder to kill. A small inventory allows you to stock a handful of health and power-up potions for the most difficult passages. The RPG aspect is limited to a levelling up system automatically boosting your life, power and unlocking new combos. Levelling up also refills your life bar making it a godsend in the middle of a tense fight.

Blade of Darkness is divided into a dozen of levels, with a first level specific to each character. The level design is so-so, with some levels being pretty labyrinthine while others are just a succession of arenas. Fortunately, the general aesthetic is much better.