By Gamatroid
In a forgotten kingdom, in an era lost in the labyrinth of time...
GLADMORT
- RELEASE DATE: 3/21/25
- MSRP: $14.99 (console); $12.99 (PC); 380€ (NEOGEO physical cart)
- DEVELOPER: Chipsonsteroids
- PUBLISHER: PixelHeart
- PLATFORMS: PC/Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and NEOGEO
- PLAYED ON: PS5
GladMort is a new game designed for, and released on, the NEOGEO in 2025.
The publisher has actually made physical carts available for purchase, which is honestly really awesome, but like most NEOGEO games, the physical version of GladMort is MUCH more expensive than your typical game in 2025 (even with the recent announcements of $80 games), retailing at 379.90 Euros (~$428 USD).
Luckily, it's also available for $12.99 on PC/Steam and $14.99 on PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch, which is a much more affordable way to play. I ended up getting it on PS5, since I prefer to play on console and I find the PS5 easier to natively screen record on than Xbox.
GladMort is a "fantasy medieval action-platformer" which pretty much means it plays like Ghouls & Ghosts, complete with double-jump, but it's nowhere as punishing as the Capcom classic (however, it's still challenging compared to most modern games).
The story of GladMort speaks of a "terrible calamity" in the kingdom, which forces the king to call about the black knight GladMort, who isn't necessarily a good guy, but desperate times call for... a black knight. As you might imagine, the plot isn't too important to the overall gameplay, but it still forms a nice backdrop for your quest as the black knight.
RETRO ROOTS
GladMort wears its retro-inspiration on its sleeve, from the fact that it's a literal NEOGEO game, and it clearly draws inspiration from the classic games on the console, but it is also obviously inspired by Capcom's Super Ghouls & Ghosts game on the Super NES.
Super Ghouls & Ghosts
While all of the Ghosts & Goblins / Ghouls & Ghosts games share elements in common, the elements found in GladMort seem to most closely align with those in the Super NES version: Super Ghouls & Ghosts. This is especially evident in the character's double jump, which practically seems like a carbon copy of the double jump in Super Ghouls & Ghosts. Of course the weapon upgrades, and the way the character loses his suit of armor when hit are clearly from it as well, but the double jump is the main difference in the Super NES game versus the others in the series.
NEOGEO Platformers
While Magician Lord is not very similar to GladMort, the large colorful sprites, detailed backgrounds and smooth animation are all hallmarks of NEOGEO platformers, and GladMort continues this fine tradition.
REVIEW
Gameplay & Mechanics
GladMort is heavily stylized after Super Ghouls & Ghosts, and this directly impacts how its gameplay is designed. The double-jump may seem a bit floaty at first, but just get used to its timing, as it is part of the overall strategy of gameplay. Jump at the wrong time and you are certain to either jump straight into an enemy or come down and land on one. Overall, given the homage this game is designed around, its gameplay is very good and does a great job echoing Super Ghouls & Ghosts design, while incorporating its own unique elements; it feels both familiar and fresh at the same time. It can also be fairly difficult at points by modern standards, although it is nowhere as difficult as its inspiration. Players seeking a Super Ghouls & Ghosts-type difficulty may be disappointed, as GladMort is nowhere as difficult as that, but modern gamers will likely find GladMort to be challenging enough to be interesting.
The visuals in GladMort look really good. The characters are well drawn and animated, and the environments and backgrounds are colorful and totally look at home as a NEOGEO game. This gives a look that harken's back to the days of the 16-bit gods: the SNES and Sega Genesis, but given this is a NEOGEO game, it looks better than anything on either of those platforms.
GladMort also has a bunch of screen filter options that you can switch between easily by just pressing the left and right bumper buttons (sometimes too easily, as I've accidentally switched filters in the midst of frantically pushing buttons to attack or avoid enemies). Personally, I like the curved CRT filter the best, but there are quite a few good ones to choose from.
Audio & Music
The music in GladMort is really good. I'm not looking to rush out and buy the OST, but it certainly fits the action and bring you right back to the heyday of 90s gaming, in a good way.
While games like GladMort don't really need a story, the backstory and plot in the game are interesting enough to frame the action in an interesting way. Is it anything you'll likely remember or continue thinking about once you roll credits? Probably not. But its certainly good enough that it feels right at home with other games from the 90s.
Technical Performance
Given this game was designed to be playable on NEOGEO hardware, and I played it on the PlayStation 5, you can probably imagine that I didn't have any issues performance-wise. That being said, I also haven't read about any performance issues on the Switch or other platforms as well, so you're probably safe in that department.
Innovation & Originality
GladMort is not likely to get many point for originality, but lets face it, that's likely not why you are interested in it. The way GladMort incorporates elements from Super Ghouls & Ghosts is well done, and having a new NEOGEO game in 2025 is pretty damn cool, so while nothing about the game may be that innovative, we could certainly use more games like this.
Value
As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, GladMort costs $12.99 on PC/Steam and $14.99 on Switch, PlayStation and Xbox. That seems like a good deal, and is certainly priced right considering the value it delivers relative to other similar retro-styled games. Now, if you decide to purchase the physical NEOGEO cart, it will set you back 380 Euros, which is about $428 in the U.S. That is on par with old school NEOGEO game releases, but WOW is it expensive. I'm sure collectors will be interested in it, but that seems like a pretty niche audience. I'm just glad the developers made the other releases priced at the levels they did.
OVERALL SCORE: 8
Overall, my experience with GladMort was really good. I had to go back and remind myself what some of the other games for the NEOGEO looked like, and GladMort really nails the visual aesthetic of the console. I actually like the fact that the game is somewhat challenging, but nowhere as difficult as Super Ghouls & Ghosts. I'm sure some hardcore gamers will be put-off by its lack of extreme difficulty, but if you're a semi-casual who liked the idea of Super Ghouls & Ghosts, but just found it too darn hard, you may really like this game.
CRITIC'S CORNER
In looking at other critic reviews and user ratings, the scores for GladMort are all over the place.
(EG's score compared to other publications - raw score quoted then followed by normalized score out of 10, if applicable)
- Gamatroid: 8/10
- Gamereactor UK: 4/10
- PlayStation Store: 4.33/5 (8.6/10)
- Xbox Store: 3.2/5 (6.4/10)
- Steam: 90% positive (9/10)
