Dead Ink Review

 Dead Ink is a top-down soulslike indie game developed and published by Offwidth Games. Originally released in Early Access in 2021 before having a full release on the 20th May 2023. The game is set in 2207, and you’ve uploaded your brain to test pilot an off-world consciousness transfer program. Waking up in a pool of ink in a crumbling tower, it’s up to you to reach the bottom while figuring out what the hell is going on. The set up is good, and there’s very little dialogue, wasting no time getting into the game. I appreciated that as it made me pay attention to more than just the enemies on screen.

The setting of the game, a tall tower filled with ink-filled enemies, looks really great. There was some great use of lighting that makes you feel as though you’re high up. Direction is somewhat of an issue though. Like Dark Souls, it just sort of leaves you to your own devices to figure out where you’re supposed to go. It does guide you using glowing white wires that lead you to the next printer, but sometimes they weren’t quite enough. I had to look up how to proceed further in an early part of the game, which involved a little backtracking and unlocking a door that looked like a window. It’s also dark in various parts of the map, which makes some enemy types hard to see. At the very least, the game is very atmospheric with a smart use of music. It feels peaceful and contemplative in comparison to the many challenges you’ll have to face on your descent.

However, I had a serious issue with the camera. I was expecting controls like a twin-stick shooter, but instead of rotating the character around, it rotates the world. It makes sense given how the world is designed, but I don’t think it was executed well. If you move the camera too fast, you can get disoriented. When you’re locking onto an enemy, the camera rotates around them, and if you get too close, the camera wigs out a little. I often found myself falling down and getting killed either because I couldn’t see the hole or I just fell off by accident, and I felt a little sick while playing. Seriously, if you suffer motion sickness, do not get this game. It will not accommodate you.

But enough about the looks and sounds, how does it play? Well, like any good soulslike, pretty well. Combat is slow and deliberate, you can attack, guard, dodge roll, and parry but it feels like you’re in heavy armour with every action. It works but requires skill and timing to get good at. Every hit could be lethal, so it's best to take it slow and find openings. Play aggressive, and you’ll be dead before you know it.

Inevitably though, you will die, and that’s where the most unique part of Dead Ink comes in: it uses fancy 3D printers! Printers are your respawn points but require ink to be deposited in them (which involves killing yourself) to work. You can only change your equipment at the respawn menu though, which feels really bothersome to do especially when you want to upgrade your stuff as ink is not shared between printers and the upgrade place can’t let you leave without depositing ink back into the printer.  It also means if you’ve gotten yourself killed a lot and wasted all the ink in every printer, that's it. That save file is dead and rendered impossible to play. I recommend grinding ink and having a bank printer just in case. Overall this is a fine idea, but it seriously punishes the less skilled players, so newcomers be wary.

Onto technical performance. I can safely say that it works fine. I did have to reduce my settings to Medium and cap my FPS to 60, but I encountered nothing that would make me notice. No glitches either, it’s all fine.

Dead Ink isn’t quite for me, personally. I have issues with a few design choices, and the camera made me a little ill. However, this is a good game with a unique concept and a feeling of dread that comes with every drop of ink. Every time you respawn, it’s a risk, and it makes you play cautiously. Dead Ink is deliberate with its combat and exploration, nothing is wasted, and whatever you do it has to be done right - just like a good 3D print. However, I can’t recommend it for those who don’t have the stomach to deal with the difficulty, the camera, or the heights.