The roguelike has certainly come into its own in this console generation, slowly moving from the fringes with a smattering of attempts in different genres to legitimacy now with a host of top-tier titles… but getting the formula right isn’t always an easy task. Broken Blades plays more like an early roguelike, sort of in the vein of the likes of the classic Rogue Legacy in terms of raw gameplay, but also stripped back pretty significantly in terms of complexity and polish. I suppose challenge fiends on a budget may dig into the very rough early stages as you come to grips with the limited control scheme and difficulty in attaining upgrades that will be preserved past the current run, but more often than not it feels like an experience with an abundance of stick but no real carrot in sight. Things do improve as you progress but the barrier to getting there without much in the way of variety, just the ever-present sting of failure (and, frankly, dullness), makes this a tough one to recommend.