Fit check
Is Way of the Red worth it for you?
We tell you who should skip it, too.
Play it if you…
Good fit- Action-platformer fans who want sword-focused combat and rapid movement
- Players seeking a quest across varied pixel-art environments
- Players who enjoy secrets, hidden paths, and discovering new abilities
Skip it if you…
Saves you a refund- Players seeking a slow, non-combat experience may hit a wall when progression depends on frequent sword fighting and bloody kills
- Players wanting a large open world may find the four-zone journey too contained
- Players who prefer firearms or ranged combat may not fit the sword-centered combat system
Our take on Way of the Red
The bounce point arrives when combat becomes the main way forward: players uncomfortable with bloody sword kills, chained attacks, and hazardous movement will meet the game's central wall early, rather than finding a gentler exploration-led route through the four zones.
What is Way of the Red?
This 2D action platformer follows a birdman swordsman who sets out to find a childhood love from his past.
Human hunters bring him down, remove his wings, and seize his weapon, forcing him to flee captivity and make his way toward Spire City. Fighting combines directional sword strikes, swift movement, environmental interactions, and linked attacks. The route passes through four broad regions, each offering its own scenery, inhabitants, secret routes, and discoveries.
Hidden figures can grant additional abilities, while enigmatic red seeds alter the protagonist. Colorful pixel visuals use changing palettes, accompanied by a chiptune score. The narrative centers on the swordsman’s ordeal in a kingdom ruled by a king whose fixation on gathering the strange red seeds connects to the fate of the person he seeks.
How Way of the Red plays
- 01Directional Swordplay
- Attacks can be aimed in different directions and combined into fast chains while moving through dangerous terrain.
- 02Four Game Zones
- The journey passes through four large areas with distinct settings, characters, secrets, and concealed paths.
- 03Red Seed Mutations
- Mysterious red seeds change the character during the quest.
- 04Hidden Skill Teachers
- Some concealed characters can teach new abilities.
- 05Pixel-Art Presentation
- Colorful pixel-art environments use different visual palettes and fluid animations.
Way of the Red compared to similar games
Sundered: Eldritch Edition is also described as a 2D action-platforming game, but its description identifies it as a chaotic metroidvania. Way of the Red instead centers on sword combat, four zones, hidden characters, and red-seed mutations.
Way of the Red: platforms & release
Is Way of the Red worth it?
It is worth it if: action-platformer fans who want sword-focused combat and rapid movement. Skip it if: players seeking a slow, non-combat experience may hit a wall when progression depends on frequent sword fighting and bloody kills.
Where can I download Way of the Red?
Use the Download Now button on this page: it opens Way of the Red's store page, where you can choose how to get it.
What platforms is Way of the Red on?
Windows only.
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