Why I Love EN GARDE! (2023)
Played on PC (exclusive)
Director: Anaïs Simonnet
Audience: Tweens+ (non-lethal stylized swordplay and mayhem; an ambiguously flirty dynamic between two female characters; limited cursing; at least a couple of jokes that could come off as anti-Catholic)
I currently have several 2023 video games in my backlog, and I question whether any of them will feel as made for me specifically as En Garde!
What makes such an appeal most impressive is how this is Fireplace Games’s debut, their student prototype that led to this notwithstanding. In fact, I knew this game sounded familiar when I first came across it on Steam, and I didn’t realize until after I beat it that it was because I’d heard of its prototype.
Outside of the polish of the environments, character models, and animations, there are clear indications of its tight budget, such as cutscenes made up of almost still images with minimal character movement, a lack of facial animations during dialogue, and a lack of citizens roaming its city.
And yet, the emphasis on sharp wit over technical prowess turns such limitations into all part of the charm!
The story is broken up into four episodes, each of which set us on linear paths through the city that often require platforming. The centerpiece sword battles require various strategies, such as dodging, parrying, and utilizing surrounding objects, from metal water jugs to roasted chickens! And unlike the deadly combat of most other action games, the enemies still murmur while lying limp.
Each episode also has its own list of bonus challenges to pull off—i.e. taking out a certain amount of a certain enemy type in a certain way—and secrets to discover, from hidden locations to hilarious lore notes posted around the city. One example of the latter shows protagonist Adalia’s de Valedor’s thoughts upon seeing a poster announcing that making fun of the villainous Count-Duke is illegal: “Tsk, he might as well ban mirrors!”
Another one of my favorites is a journal entry written by a hermit stranded on an island: “Not all who roam have lost their way… but I certainly have!”
What awkwardly throws off the family friendly tone—the difficulty of the combat notwithstanding—is the flirty dynamic between Adalia and fellow vigilante Zaida; there’s even text during a duel that describes Zaida as “Totally not your first crush”. But, as it doesn’t go further than flirtiness, whether it’s an actually romantic crush or a “girl crush” remains ambiguous.
I also have yet to find every single note in the game, but at least a couple of jokes I’ve seen could feel disrespectful to religious authorities, such as mention of “warrior nuns” and “the sly Cardinal”—the latter as a reference to The Three Musketeers—even if they’re meant more as absurdism than sincere mockeries.
Parents also likely wouldn’t want impressionable youngsters to imitate the cast’s pridefulness, at least not without them meaning it as the tongue-in-cheek homage to the likes of Robin Hood and Zorro as the game does.
Although I prefer games that take just a few hours to beat, I wish En Garde! had even more episodes, whether in a sequel or in downloadable expansions! It brings me a sense of joy no other game has brought me in years, and I hope it gets ported beyond Steam so that this joy can reach a wider market.
If it doesn’t, then I hope Fireplace Games’s sophomore effort will be just as fun.