I’ll NOT go berserk. I’ll, nonetheless, enthuse effusively about this superb sport. After which go berserk

Many indie video games put on their influences on their sleeves, and there’s actually nothing flawed with that. In spite of everything, in case your favorite main publishers of the previous are not making the video games you need, why not… do it your self? Or hope another person does, I suppose. Like me, for instance. I’d performed Mega Man ZX Introduction and had a ball. In contrast to its predecessor, Mega Man ZX, it felt like a full realisation of what they needed to do, how they needed to distinguish it from prequel sequence Mega Man Zero. After which it simply ended, leaving a cliffhanger that might by no means be resolved. Sob. However what I and plenty of different players had been actually mourning was that really feel, that gameplay. Quick-moving motion platforming blended with a hub-world-based storyline and exploration. Enter Berserk Boy.

Excess of only a Mega Man ZX pastiche, Berserk Boy additionally takes inspiration from Inti Creates’ Gunvolt spin-off Luminous Avenger iX, letting you sprint into enemies to “mark” them following by slamming the B button to zip again in the direction of them and batter them to items. You possibly can hit a number of enemies earlier than touchdown, which results in some completely fulfilling acrobatics as your rising talent stage permits you to sort out areas with superior strategies that make you’re feeling highly effective and make getting higher on the sport rewarding.

Maybe I’m getting forward of myself, however it’s troublesome to not when there’s a lot happening right here and so little house to evangelise it. Beginning out at your property base, you’ll tackle a sequence of missions throughout delightfully different and character environments, slapping enemies, evading obstacles and rescuing your teammates, to not point out accumulating well-hidden medals – 5 in all per stage, and every of them requiring you to take them to a checkpoint earlier than they’re locked in, which is a pleasant manner of elevating rigidity.

Naturally you’ll encounter a succession of boss battles, every of which take cues from the Mega Man sequence of their multi-form, multi-pattern onslaughts, leaving you dabbing your brow while you lastly handle to see them off, rewarded with a brand new transformation that unlocks a bunch of latest prospects to boost the general tricksy-ness (new phrase!) of the extent design. However whereas it’s definitely not a simple sport, it’s a very reasonable one; repeated loss of life might be mitigated by buying upgrades for Kei (for he’s the titular Boy of Berserk), however it’s higher to easily plug away at it. You possibly can warp round ranges utilizing the checkpoints, so gathering collectables is a really pleasant expertise with out taking away from the deviously designed strategies by which they should be reached. It’s all very cheerfully playable and all reasonably charming.

That is helped by the excellent spritework all through, to not point out a boppin’ soundtrack by composer extraordinaire Tee Lopes, maybe greatest identified for his or her work on the Sonic sequence, however their fashion and talent comes by inimitably in Berserk Boy regardless of the very completely different style. Certainly, audio-visually this sport is a deal with from begin to end; you’ll need to progress simply to see the subsequent space, or hear the subsequent banger music.

Is it unique? Not significantly, however that’s not likely a problem for me when the sport is so fulfilling. It calls to thoughts Cyber Shadow, a sport that mashed up a number of different well-liked titles however nonetheless made one thing recent of itself. Berserk Boy is simply pretty much as good, and needs to be the very best side-scroller I’ve performed since Yacht Membership revealed that ninja-nobbling masterpiece. Pleasingly priced and joyous to a fault, Berserk Boy deserves a giant, huge following, and I urge you to choose it up as quickly as attainable. It really won’t disappoint. Catering to professional gamers with its excessive talent ceiling, it’s additionally an accessible and upbeat expertise that’ll enchantment to anybody ready to interact with its myriad mechanics. Get it down you proper bloody now.

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