Frustration, this game gave me a lot of frustration. Yet I kept playing it, because the controls felt so nice.

My thoughts:
(+ = (mostly) positive; - = (mostly) negative)
+- Gameplay;
I'm very mixed about how I experienced this game. The controls are super tight and when you get good at it you can fly though the levels. But at the same time there are parts that are so hard it feels unfair. The dark souls games never made me this salty...
The metroidvania part of this game is pretty bad. The hints are too vague to solve without using hints or a guide. Also the fast travel options are too much spread out, meaning when you're going the wrong way you've lost a lot of time while at the same time gaining a headache.

+ Music;
Nice catchy tracks that switch between 8bit and 16bit.

+ Graphics;
Same as the music, nice unique areas that switch between 8bit and 16bit.

+ Story/Characters;
Simple and funny, perfect for a game like this.

Recommend?
Idk, I'd say no but I've played worse games I'd recommend which deserve it less.

One of the best throwback games I've ever played. Throughout the first half of this game, I was having such a good time going through all of the different stages and when the second half started, it just refreshed everything and made me want to go through everything again. The controls and different abilities are tight and feel great making each level feel like a small playground if you're skilled enough. The writing in this game is also great with small jokes that made me laugh and a story that actually felt important. The different things you see in this game are so memorable and are something that everyone should try out.

The Messenger is cool. Playing around with the idea of the passage of time, The Messenger blends genres in a way that feels really novel and fun to play.

The main gameplay transitions from a platformer to a metroidvania. The first half focuses on platforming, learning the map and the layout of the world, while the second half is a metroidvania which uses your prior knowledge of the map layout to play around with exploration across time periods and making variations to the world you already knew. On paper, this is genius, and in many ways the execution is extremely cool. The only issue is that fast travel in The Messenger is extremely limited which can REALLY hold the game back at times, since the player will need to do a fair amount of long walks to backtrack to certain areas because there isn’t a way to quickly get there. That’s not to say the metroidvania aspects don’t work, because they absolutely do and the evolution from a platformer to a metroidvania is a brilliant way to tie in the idea of time shifts to the gameplay itself, but the gameplay is majorly held back due to being so restricted with fast travel.

The main way the metroidvania half plays with exploration is with portals that shift you between the past and the future. These are really cool and add a whole new dimension to exploration! Room layouts will sometimes change, either opening up new directions or closing off old ones, and they make for some really cool puzzles. It’ll usually be obvious if you need to be in a different time period for a puzzle or area, but being in the wrong time period for a certain point can be punishing, especially due to the limited fast travel system. The Messenger’s other mechanical additions, such as cloud-stepping and the hookshot (look, I don’t remember the actual term, but even the game admitted it’ll probably be called the hookshot by people) are REALLY fun and lead to really fun movement.

The art style is a balance of an 8-bit style and a 16-bit style (as well as matching music) which alternates depending on the time period you’re currently in. Both of these styles are beautiful, using the strengths of each medium well. The 8-bit style has a retro and almost nostalgic feeling (especially once reaching the second half of the game), while the 16-bit style feels stunning after transitioning to being in it. The setting itself will also visually change as time passes, showing that the world itself is developing and changing across time, not just the visual style. The writing is also genuinely hilarious, having a meta sense of humor that isn’t afraid to poke fun at itself and at the player.

If you like platformers or metroidvanias, The Messenger is a great time that brings something unique and novel to the table. While definitely flawed, The Messenger is a really enjoyable game that brings a really unique experience.

Story is generic and cliche but it makes up for it with its fun dialogue and characters. One of the best feeling sidescrollers ive ever played, everything feels insanely smooth and the platforming is reallyyyyy good, especially in the second half. Bosses vary in quality but are mostly good.There were times when backtracking got annoying but it was made up for in my eyes. Only real problem in this game is quarble, FUCK, quarble, i can't stand that red, plump, round, bloated, fat FUCK quarble the fact that he didnt die at the end of the games story is saddening to no end.

The Messenger is of a select few metroidvanias that I have cared enough to complete. So many games in this genre don't do anything for me---which is weird because I enjoy all of the elements of metroidvanias. The interconnected world, power-ups, progression... each part on their own is great, but I feel like more often than not things get a little hazy when they are put together. Maybe it's just a skill issue on my part, but I couldn't care less.

The Messenger combats my problems with metroidvanias by it not being a metroidvania until halfway through the game. You start out with 8-bit visuals, combat, and game conventions to ease your way into the game. When The Messenger is like this, it plays like an old Ninja Gaiden game. Learning the game's mechanics this way lets each of them breath, and it never got overwhelming. Eventually, the game turns 16-bit and starts showing off its metroidvania side. Everything mentioned earlier gets an upgrade that you can feel while playing. The music changes, the pixel art starts looking more like a SNES game rather than one from the NES, and the levels start becoming more ambitious. Soon after that, though, the game pulls out its Trump card: switching between 8- and 16-bit.

When switching between these two in each level, your knowledge of each gameplay style is tested. You'll go from relatively simple areas while in the 8-bit world and then, upon switching to the 16-bit version of the level, everything gets taken up a notch. You do this multiple times per level, and each time is more inventive than the last.

The Messenger's main gameplay systems is its combat and platforming. The platforming is great, and it can get pretty challenging at times too. The combat is simple, but it can get pretty involved. The Messenger is at its best during boss fights when it tests you on both your platforming and combat abilities.

The writing is great too. It made me laugh multiple times during my playthroughs, and the characters are all great. It never falls into the side of annoyance with any of the side characters--they all have a unique charm to them that I feel like is only really ever seen in Nintendo games.

The Messenger takes the best parts of being a side-scroller NES game and being a contemporary metroidvanias to make an experience that is unforgettable.

Plays well, sounds well, looks great. Just the right amount of difficulty. A checkpoint was never too far. Doesn't take advantage of its gimmick as much as I would've liked. I feel like Guacamelee did a similar concept better.

I liked the dialogue, it was really funny. But the amount of dialogue is not the same throughout the whole game. There's a lot more in the beginning and as you reach the mid-point, it starts getting less and less.

The first half is really good, then it gets a bit worse as it "opens up" and turns into a backtracking filled metroidvania. Would have been better if it allowed you more fast travel, but as it is now, you'll end up going through the same areas multiple times. Or even better, if the whole game was just linear. I would've preferred more linear stages instead of what we've got here.
Gets back on track towards the end as it starts becoming linear again.

Overall, I enjoyed my time with it. Worth a playthrough.