Severed, is a first-person hack ‘n slash game with some RPG elements. A better description might be hack ‘n sever. The game is also on the Wii U and 3DS as well as other platforms. It is developed by DrinkBox Studios and in the eShop for $14.99. The player takes control of Sasha, who apparently had better days. You will shortly learn about her story. You will soon be given a weapon by a creepy looking creature early in the game. With a little exploration, you will find some armor and then learn the basics of fighting, which is sliding your finger across the Switch touch screen to either attack or defend.

Upon first seeing the words “only playable in handheld mode” I was kind of worried I would not enjoy the game because of the use of the touch screen for battling. To move around the screen players can use either the left or right analog stick or if preferred the d-pad or the “B” “A” “Y” or ”X” buttons. Within a few minutes of playing the game, I found myself not only deeply emerged in the story but also the gameplay. Most hack and slash titles I have played can sometimes feel one is just mashing buttons. The ability to attack by swiping your finger across the screen to block and attack is an interesting change of standard gameplay.

The map seemed fairly linear. Go into one room and if there is a dead end turn back and try another way. I feel that more exploration would have been nice. Be prepared to do a bit of back tracking that can be a tiny bit annoying especially if you get lost.  Rooms with green question marks contain a secret, usually a piece of the wall you have to interact with.

Fighting multiple enemies at once can also sometimes be a bit hard – the good thing is you don’t start out too far back if you are defeated as the game auto saves quickly. It would be a nice touch if you could hold the fruit you encounter, even if it was just one so you could use it for a quick revive in battle. You can switch quickly between enemies by tapping the icon on the bottom. This is very helpful because if you have multiple enemies on the screen it can sometimes be very hard to get fast enough to stop their attack using just the analog stick. I cannot decide if the game is called Severed because Sasha’s arm is severed or if it is because of the parts you sever off of the enemies.

In my first playthrough, I played in standard whereas my second playthrough was in casual. I may have done that backwards. Standard mode is for the player who wants a bit more of a challenge. Casual maybe for the player who wants to experience the game but looking for an easier shorter playthrough. Whether playing in casual or standard the game was a lot of fun.