Gamers of a certain vintage will remember the indie arcade title that reigned supreme on its launch in April of 2010. To be released three years later on Windows, Breath of Death VII soon became a sensation of the seventh-generation era.

After a fourteen year long slumber, the dead have once again risen. This time around, however, our friends of the past have emerged on the Steam catalog, making a new home away from the cosy corners of the outdated console, Xbox 360. Breath of Death VII has been treated to a complete overhaul that brings the game straight into the modern day with improved visuals, animations and performance. Furthermore, the team at Shadow Layer Games LLC have managed to do all of this while still offering the same retro charms of the classic title.

Hilarity Will Ensue – Storyline

Breath of Death VII: The Beginning: Reanimated follows the same story as the original title. Despite what the title suggests, this is a standalone game and the previous six titles don’t actually exist (which is typical of the game’s rib-tickling sense of humor).

After a desperate civilization (ourselves) detonates a nuclear weapon, mankind is wiped out and the onus is on the undead to rebuild society. With those pesky humans out of the way, the undead have managed to rebuild a thriving society. All is going well until a new evil lurks its ugly head and threatens to destroy all they have created.

The answer to the undead lays at the feet of four unlikely heroes: our protagonist skeleton, Dem; a ghostly historian called Sara; Lita, the tech-savvy vampire, and Erik the zombie prince. Embarking on an adventure through a post-apocalyptic, the motley crew of monsters must unearth the mysteries of their world and turn the tides of chance.

Features – Old and New

While including many of the features some of you will know from the classic 2010 game, Shadow Layer Games LLC have added new features to give Breath of Death VII: The Beginning: Reanimated to give it more of a feel of a modern day title.

• A complete graphical overhaul introduces a fresh and contemporary style of pixel art that merges seamlessly with the retro themes of the 2010 indie hit
• Streamlined gamerplay combines with tense battles using the classic RPG turn-based format. Activate special abilities by increasing your hit count by launching deadly combinations. Err on the side of caution, however, because your opponents also become tougher with each round
• Level-up to unlock new abilities with a skill tree that offers a bevy of new ways to dispatch your enemies
• Enjoy an all-new soundtrack created by HyperDuck Soundworks, an explosive and immersive OST that gives creates a deep atmosphere of drama and tension
• Dragonduck mode will allow you to embark on a whole new adventure as you play as skeletal protagonist, Dem, and meet head-on brand new challenges and (im)mortal danger

System Requirements

If you don’t have an all-singing, all-dancing PC, fear not! Breath of Death VII: The Beginning: Reanimated could probably be played on your grandma’s microwave.

Minimum

• OS *: Windows 7
• Processor: 1.7 GHz Dual Core or Greater
• Memory: 3 GB RAM
• Graphics: Intel HD 405 Graphics
• DirectX: Version 9.0c
• Storage: 500 MB available space

Recommended

• OS: Windows 10 or 11
• Processor: Core i5 3570
• Memory: 8 GB RAM
• Graphics: GTX 750ti, Radeon HD 7850
• DirectX: Version 9.0c
• Storage: 500 MB available space

Summary

Despite not having had the chance to play much of the classic game back in 2010, I remember enjoying the little experience I had with it. It’s worth the lowly $5 for the humor alone. With a laugh-a-minute to enjoy, Breath of Death VII will both charm you and give you a game to remember.