So it's no surprise, really, that someone would try to combine them, at least in atmosphere; the gameplay of this free Steam title actually has a lot more in common with a very different, but similarly frustrating indie game from recent years.
In Deepest Sword, the debut game by Cosmic Adventure Squad, you play as a tiny, 8-bit knight charged with slaying a dragon. You'll just need a sword big enough first. In each level, your sword grows slightly (with plenty of innuendo along the way) until you obtain the titular Deepest Sword that can pierce the dragon's heart.
The difference here is, you won't be using your sword to fight; instead, it's your sole platforming tool. You can rotate your sword in either direction, using it to cling to surfaces and propel yourself forward.
The increasingly large swords in each level help you cross bigger gaps, but can also become unwieldy in tight spaces. As you retread earlier sections in future levels, you might have to find a different path; your sword may be too big to fit through the same space. It amounts to a series of platforming challenges that, while not quite as frustrating as some of Hollow Knight or Silksong's blisteringly difficult platforming segments, evokes the same kind of sweaty-palms feeling.
The Hollow Knight parallels are there, but it also reminds me, mechanically, of Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy, in which you play as a man whose lower half is stuck in a cauldron and must climb a mountain only by gripping onto surfaces with a sledgehammer. There's even a Steam achievement named after it, so the homage is intentional.
Deepest Sword was first developed in just 72 hours as part of Ludum Dare 48 Jam, a 48-hour game jam that charged developers to create games with the theme "deeper and deeper." It's 100% free to play and keep forever on Steam, and, although short, brings together The Legend of Zelda and Hollow Knight for a truly unique platforming experience.
Brand
Valve
Original Release Date
September 12, 2003
English (US) ·