Do you like the original Zelda games? How about roguelike games? Well then, I have the perfect game for you! The Swords of Ditto is an incredibly charming title on PlayStation 4 and PC that is sure to bring a smile to your face with its cartoonish design, clever dungeons, and endless replay value.
The game’s story is really quite simple. Every one-hundred years a new hero of legend is chosen to take on the menacing sorcerous, Mormo. If that hero fails, the land is cursed with the pledge of monsters for another hundred years until the next hero is chosen. Each time that you fail to take down the evil Mormo, the world of Dittosville (or whatever the name is changed it to) is sure to be different. Somehow there are still some familiar faces that you run into during your travels, but let’s just ignore that oddity.
Journey again… and again
Each time a new journey begins, you must head to the graveyard to fetch the sword and a few items that were left by the previous incarnation to become the next hero. Under the guidance of a spectral Dung Beetle (yes, you read that right), you have four days to travel the land collecting special weapons known as “Toys” and destroy these “Anchors” to weaken Mormo in preparation for the final fight. The neat thing about this game is that if you wanted to, you can skip straight to the fourth day and fight Mormo right away, but it will significantly more difficult. Or you can spend all four days attempting to make the fight easier by collecting the legendary toys and gear but at the risk of dying in a dungeon and losing anything that was collected. Luckily, when you die, you carry over your level, some gold, and your trusty nerf gun. Thankfully, the game incorporates ways to give you more time to prepare for the big fight; but discovering how is part of the fun.
The Swords of Ditto features quite a big world with plenty to do and explore, the most notable thing being the dungeons. The dungeons do contain some difficult, yet unique puzzles in them. Nothing that will be leaving you feeling like a zombie, but enough to get the gears in the old noggin going. The dungeons to change each time you restart but keep the same themes. You’re puzzle-solving and exploring while simultaneously dealing with a variety of different enemies ranging from giant floating brains to giant robots with swords. As your hero levels up, different yet stronger enemies will start to spawn alongside the baddies that you have already seen. The thing with these monsters is you can’t just run in swings your sword recklessly because that is an easy way to get yourself killed. There’s a strategy to it that changes creep to creep and you have to learn each new enemy type to avoid taking damage.
There is a colorful slew of characters that you can encounter on your journey, each wanting to help you in different ways. Generally, you’ll find certain materials, toiletries, and/or slaying a number of specific enemies before receiving your reward. The rewards usually being stickers which can be equipped to your hero to give stat boost. These stickers can do anything from reducing damage from certain elements to leaving a toxic trail behind after you roll.  With there being so much to do in such a short amount of time it can be intimidating at times, but that’s the charm of this game. With each new hero, you find different and new ways of going about the same problem. With every run, you can figure out little things that can accelerate the process and get better gear before the final battle with Mormo. Be careful though, because it is very easy to get sidetracked fighting monsters or searching for a giant time-traveling whale (seriously this game is full of surprises.
Final Thoughts
Even after vanquishing Mormo and ending the curse laid upon the land, there is still enough secrets hidden in the world that will keep bringing you back for more. The Swords of Ditto is pleasantly addictive and will certainly provide hours of entertainment and some chuckles heads and there. The best way to describe this game is if The Legend of Zelda and Adventure Time had a kid. Throw in elements of a roguelike and boom, you get The Swords of Ditto.
