With a fresh start – this time on the easiest difficulty – I fared much better. After several hours of trying – and failing – to progress through the same dungeons again and again, I’d had enough. I tried skipping ahead straight to the fight against Mormo, but I couldn’t even make it through the final dungeon thanks to my lack of items. I’d keep my level (so enemies would too), but without having a store of money or decent items, I’d have very little chance of progression.
The more often I died, the harder the game got. Health doesn’t regenerate either, so you need to keep a constant stock of food items to replenish it. It didn’t take long for it to feel like every time I found a new toy or sticker to make me a little bit more powerful, I’d die soon after. As I levelled up though, so did the enemies, so I never felt like I was getting stronger. I played The Swords of Ditto originally on normal difficulty. Everything is optional, but some dungeons will grant you new toys, and two of them, known as “anchors”, will make the final showdown with Mormo easier if completed. Any progress you make in dungeons will be lost, too. Your items, weapons – known as “toys” in Ditto – and any upgrades you had (“stickers”) will be lost, unless you buy them back with celestial shards, a type of in-game currency. You’ll start again with a new character, but you’ll keep your level, and any coins your previous character had.
But – and this is a big but – Swords of Ditto is a little like a roguelike, so when you die, that’s it. Preparation means exploring the island, completing dungeons, finding items and upgrades, and generally levelling up your character. I didn’t try the hardest difficulty because I’m not a psycho. Regular difficulty gives you four days to prepare, while the easiest level gives you seven. How long you get depends on what difficulty you choose. And another 100 years go by until the next Sword is chosen, while Ditto perishes under the dark threat of Mormo. But the Sword only has a few days to prepare – and if they fail? Well, they die. They’ll be tasked in gathering enough strength to defeat the threat and bring peace to Ditto. A hero – the Sword (that’s you!) – is chosen from the villagers. Legend has it, on the island of Ditto, the evil Mormo raises once every 100 years. You see, in The Swords of Ditto, you’re on a time limit. Unfortunately, The Swords of Ditto didn’t quite want me to play like that. I’ll intend to meet all the townsfolk, complete all the side quests, and eke as much enjoyment out of the game as I can. Like with any adventure game of this ilk, I like to explore all the nooks and crannies. As such, I wanted to spend as much time as possible, soaking it all in. From your randomised character – boy, girl, robot, fox, dog, you name it – to the beautifully drawn town, houses and dungeons, this is a game designed with a hell of a lot of love. Everything about The Swords of Ditto’s style oozes charm. A Zelda-lite RPG with a gorgeous 2D cartoon art style? Say no more, I’m there. It’s a game I’ve been looking forward to for several months.
There are also a lot of things that I really hate. There are a lot of things I really love about The Swords of Ditto.
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