I didn't know much about The Messenger upon jumping into it. I just knew it had quite the positive word of mouth and it was pretty much a love letter to Ninja Gaiden and similar games of the NES era. On its own that would've been quite enough as a legit good game, but The Messenger blew my expectations away when it comes to its ambition as a 2D game.
It's hard to talk about the game without spoiling too much, so I'll limit myself to what was shown in trailers, since one of the twists of the game is being able to hop between past and future versions of the levels you're traversing, which not only changes the layout and the look of the current stages, but it also bounces the player between NES-styled graphics and Genesis-styled ones, complete with accurate soundfont for each of the versions of the stage.
The game is mostly a straightforward action platformer with a bit of an interesting mechanic for air-hopping, kinda like how Shovel Knight can bounce off elements of the stage or enemies with his shovel. In this case, the Messenger can earn an extra jump each time he hits either an enemy or some other interactable stage element. It's not quite as intuitive as Shovel Knight, and it needs a bit to be mastered properly, but thanks to a very expansive and varied level design, along with a simple, but effective power up system, The Messenger proves to be one of those though as nail platformers that will challenge your expertise of the genre. The lack of lives isn't devoid of consequences, thanks to a little demon spirit who will bring you back to life everytime you die, in exchange of stealing any game currency you find for a limited time since your last respawn.
The boss battles are another highlight of the game. Very varied, impressive and each completely different in scope and patterns. It's hard not to gush about them without spoiling anything, but they're the kinds of boss battles that tend to be pretty memorable, even long after you finish the game.
The story also has quite a few interesting quirks in terms of events, though the constantly self-aware meta jokes may brove to be too much for many if you'd want something a bit more earnest and involved. I'm not against self-awareness, but games like Shovel Knight and Hi-Fi Rush managed to also have some emotional involvement along with it, if you catch my drift. Thankfully a lot of the jokes are actually good, so it's not like you won't get enjoyment out of it.
Also kudos to the composer, as the soundtrack may as well be the best element of the game. fantastic, memorable tunes, both for their past and future versions, I certainly look forward to see the work of this guy in the future.
I feel like the only thing keeping this title from getting a perfect score from me, aside from a few negligeable gripes, is the ending feeling a bit too sudden, it feels like it should've had at least one more boss phase to really top things off.
Despite this, it surely is an experience worth playing through, definitely one of the best indie offerings out there.
It's hard to talk about the game without spoiling too much, so I'll limit myself to what was shown in trailers, since one of the twists of the game is being able to hop between past and future versions of the levels you're traversing, which not only changes the layout and the look of the current stages, but it also bounces the player between NES-styled graphics and Genesis-styled ones, complete with accurate soundfont for each of the versions of the stage.
The game is mostly a straightforward action platformer with a bit of an interesting mechanic for air-hopping, kinda like how Shovel Knight can bounce off elements of the stage or enemies with his shovel. In this case, the Messenger can earn an extra jump each time he hits either an enemy or some other interactable stage element. It's not quite as intuitive as Shovel Knight, and it needs a bit to be mastered properly, but thanks to a very expansive and varied level design, along with a simple, but effective power up system, The Messenger proves to be one of those though as nail platformers that will challenge your expertise of the genre. The lack of lives isn't devoid of consequences, thanks to a little demon spirit who will bring you back to life everytime you die, in exchange of stealing any game currency you find for a limited time since your last respawn.
The boss battles are another highlight of the game. Very varied, impressive and each completely different in scope and patterns. It's hard not to gush about them without spoiling anything, but they're the kinds of boss battles that tend to be pretty memorable, even long after you finish the game.
The story also has quite a few interesting quirks in terms of events, though the constantly self-aware meta jokes may brove to be too much for many if you'd want something a bit more earnest and involved. I'm not against self-awareness, but games like Shovel Knight and Hi-Fi Rush managed to also have some emotional involvement along with it, if you catch my drift. Thankfully a lot of the jokes are actually good, so it's not like you won't get enjoyment out of it.
Also kudos to the composer, as the soundtrack may as well be the best element of the game. fantastic, memorable tunes, both for their past and future versions, I certainly look forward to see the work of this guy in the future.
I feel like the only thing keeping this title from getting a perfect score from me, aside from a few negligeable gripes, is the ending feeling a bit too sudden, it feels like it should've had at least one more boss phase to really top things off.
Despite this, it surely is an experience worth playing through, definitely one of the best indie offerings out there.
"metroidvania foda", "viajem no tempo" e "graficos malucos"
bota ai Ninja 3 que eu acerto
bota ai Ninja 3 que eu acerto
jogo daora, a gameplay é mt gostosinha e o estilo de arte é mt legal
sem duvidas a melhor parte desse jogo é a mudança de estilo grafico, mt pica
sem duvidas a melhor parte desse jogo é a mudança de estilo grafico, mt pica
At first glance, The Messenger leaves two powerful first impressions. The initial cutscene immediately evokes nostalgia for the NES classic, “Ninja Gaiden,” through its sounds, theme, and character design. The second impression reinforces this sentiment, presenting the game as a heartfelt and impressive tribute to Ninja Gaiden.
What truly makes The Messenger addictive? The controls. They are exceptional, allowing for phenomenal gameplay. The game masterfully reimagines the elements that made Ninja Gaiden great, integrating modern features for a smooth and enjoyable experience. Every action, from simple jumps to complex attack sequences, is executed seamlessly.
The game’s standout ability is present from the start: the Messenger can jump, attack, and jump again. This mechanic replaces the traditional double jump, allowing players to jump repeatedly as long as they hit something mid-air, whether it’s an enemy or part of the scenery. Many collectibles and secrets are hidden in areas that require precise use of this ability.
Now, let’s dive into the story. The game begins with the protagonist’s village being attacked by the “Demon King” and his army. Just when all seems lost, the “Hero of the East” arrives, easily defeating the invaders. He hands the protagonist a scroll, instructing him to deliver it to the top of the tallest mountain without explaining why, thus transforming the protagonist into the Messenger.
The game starts as a straightforward platformer, with the Messenger fighting bugs and collecting items. When he encounters a wall too high to jump over, he enters a Transdimensional Gate that leads to a “shop” run by the best character in the game, the “Shopkeeper.” This area feels more like a bazaar. After some banter, the Shopkeeper gives the Messenger “Climbing Claws,” similar to the wall-hanging claws in Ninja Gaiden.
The protagonist, whom I’ll call “Bill,” continues his journey with the claws, making the game quite linear. He travels to new areas, converses with the Shopkeeper, defeats area bosses, and occasionally receives new items to keep the gameplay engaging. The levels are long but interesting and intense. The difficulty increases steadily but never reaches the frustrating levels of the Ninja Gaiden series.
Initially, the stages are linear in true Ninja Gaiden style: move right, defeat enemies, and face a boss. The pacing of these events is excellent.
When you die, a small demon saves you but exacts a price, taking you back to the last checkpoint and then following you, stealing your money until you “pay off the debt” or he gets bored and leaves.
Returning to the story, Bill reaches the “Snowy Summit,” signaling the nearing end of the game. The Shopkeeper makes a meta-comment about this, which was a surprising moment for me.
At the mountaintop, Bill encounters the Shopkeeper and his companions, who summon a time tower for his final test. Inside the tower, Bill faces challenging obstacles and eventually fights a megazord-like boss. After defeating it, the game takes an unexpected turn. After several hours of gameplay, the visuals and music upgrade to 16-bit quality, significantly enhancing the game's beauty.
This graphical change does not alter the gameplay, which remains smooth and enjoyable. However, the game’s major twist is its transition from a linear platformer to a Metroidvania. This ambitious shift changes the game’s structure, requiring players to revisit previous stages to find new items.
Unlike Evoland, which also transitions between gaming generations but lacks personality, The Messenger incorporates this change seamlessly into its story. The time portals, allowing Bill to switch between 8-bit and 16-bit worlds, add a fresh mechanic that affects the game's paths and challenges.
However, finding musical notes to progress can be tedious. Only a few fast travel points are available, forcing players to traverse large maps on foot. This detracts from the exploration aspect of Metroidvanias and emphasizes the hunt for collectibles, making the experience less enjoyable.
Despite these flaws, The Messenger is incredibly fun and surprisingly long for an indie game. It offers a respectful parody of Ninja Gaiden while introducing new elements. The game's humor, especially in interactions with the Shopkeeper, adds a unique charm. Though not perfect, The Messenger’s ambition and love for the genre shine through, making it a worthwhile experience.
What truly makes The Messenger addictive? The controls. They are exceptional, allowing for phenomenal gameplay. The game masterfully reimagines the elements that made Ninja Gaiden great, integrating modern features for a smooth and enjoyable experience. Every action, from simple jumps to complex attack sequences, is executed seamlessly.
The game’s standout ability is present from the start: the Messenger can jump, attack, and jump again. This mechanic replaces the traditional double jump, allowing players to jump repeatedly as long as they hit something mid-air, whether it’s an enemy or part of the scenery. Many collectibles and secrets are hidden in areas that require precise use of this ability.
Now, let’s dive into the story. The game begins with the protagonist’s village being attacked by the “Demon King” and his army. Just when all seems lost, the “Hero of the East” arrives, easily defeating the invaders. He hands the protagonist a scroll, instructing him to deliver it to the top of the tallest mountain without explaining why, thus transforming the protagonist into the Messenger.
The game starts as a straightforward platformer, with the Messenger fighting bugs and collecting items. When he encounters a wall too high to jump over, he enters a Transdimensional Gate that leads to a “shop” run by the best character in the game, the “Shopkeeper.” This area feels more like a bazaar. After some banter, the Shopkeeper gives the Messenger “Climbing Claws,” similar to the wall-hanging claws in Ninja Gaiden.
The protagonist, whom I’ll call “Bill,” continues his journey with the claws, making the game quite linear. He travels to new areas, converses with the Shopkeeper, defeats area bosses, and occasionally receives new items to keep the gameplay engaging. The levels are long but interesting and intense. The difficulty increases steadily but never reaches the frustrating levels of the Ninja Gaiden series.
Initially, the stages are linear in true Ninja Gaiden style: move right, defeat enemies, and face a boss. The pacing of these events is excellent.
When you die, a small demon saves you but exacts a price, taking you back to the last checkpoint and then following you, stealing your money until you “pay off the debt” or he gets bored and leaves.
Returning to the story, Bill reaches the “Snowy Summit,” signaling the nearing end of the game. The Shopkeeper makes a meta-comment about this, which was a surprising moment for me.
At the mountaintop, Bill encounters the Shopkeeper and his companions, who summon a time tower for his final test. Inside the tower, Bill faces challenging obstacles and eventually fights a megazord-like boss. After defeating it, the game takes an unexpected turn. After several hours of gameplay, the visuals and music upgrade to 16-bit quality, significantly enhancing the game's beauty.
This graphical change does not alter the gameplay, which remains smooth and enjoyable. However, the game’s major twist is its transition from a linear platformer to a Metroidvania. This ambitious shift changes the game’s structure, requiring players to revisit previous stages to find new items.
Unlike Evoland, which also transitions between gaming generations but lacks personality, The Messenger incorporates this change seamlessly into its story. The time portals, allowing Bill to switch between 8-bit and 16-bit worlds, add a fresh mechanic that affects the game's paths and challenges.
However, finding musical notes to progress can be tedious. Only a few fast travel points are available, forcing players to traverse large maps on foot. This detracts from the exploration aspect of Metroidvanias and emphasizes the hunt for collectibles, making the experience less enjoyable.
Despite these flaws, The Messenger is incredibly fun and surprisingly long for an indie game. It offers a respectful parody of Ninja Gaiden while introducing new elements. The game's humor, especially in interactions with the Shopkeeper, adds a unique charm. Though not perfect, The Messenger’s ambition and love for the genre shine through, making it a worthwhile experience.
First time beating a platform game, great experience but maybe by the fact I'm not used with these type of games the going back and forth thing at the same stages was something I didn't enjoy that much, but as I said maybe I still having to get used to it.
HOLY PEAK
👍
Pretty cool metroidvania. Not too long i think my save has like 15 hr on it. Fun platforming and time shifting mechanics. Probably the most fun part of the game is when the world opens up to become a metroidvania. Biggest gripes are the game's adherence to outdated game mechanics and lack of character progression. It's like they wanted to remake old ninja gaiden while only updating half of the shitty game design those games had. the time shards become useless halfway through the game just not enough upgrades. Fun to traverse the world but the reward for doing the fuck ton of backtracking to get all the power seals is NOT worth it
fun platformer with a good twist and a lot of charm.
(Reseña sacada de mi cuenta de Steam: APolChrome)
The Messenger es un juegazo. Y es que cuando lo empiezas te esperas que es un plataformas más, que está entretenido, pero ya está. Créeme que no. Por si acaso quieres jugarlo, va a contener spoilers la reseña, así que te recomiendo no seguir leyendo o leer sabiendo las consecuencias. Después de esa parte plataformera, el juego se convierte en un metroidvania sobresaliente que también combina de forma magistral la exploración y el plataformeo, haciéndolo un indie maravilloso. Voy a hablar largo y tendido, así que poneros cómodos y empezamos.
Jugablemente, es una maravilla. Al principio nos presenta un plataformas de juego de los 80 que está bastante bien. Un diseño de niveles bastante bueno, bastantes mecánicas que hacen a cada zona única, unas boss-fights increíbles y unos controles y mecánicas de movimiento sobresalientes. Hasta aquí, el juego está bastante bien, pero es que en un momento el juego pega un giro tremendo y ahora sorpresa, puedes viajar en el tiempo y tienes que recorrer todas las zonas como si de un metroidvania se tratase. Esto puede sonar a extensión artificial. Pero es que aquí reside el núcleo y mejores partes del videojuego.
La exploración que se luce The Messenger es una barbaridad. Recorrer los mundos es una gozada (gracias a las anteriormente mencionadas mecánicas de movimiento y controles) y realmente sientes que hay muchas cosas por hacer en zonas que son realmente pequeñas. Los sellos de poder, por ejemplo, expanden la exploración una barbaridad y nos permiten tener retos más difíciles apartados de la historia principal. Pero de la mecánica principal que quiero hablar es de los viajes en el tiempo.
Estos nos permiten alternar entre los 8 y 16 bits (cosa que le da un toque cómico al juego) y así cambiar el entorno en el que estamos. Esto al principio no se nota mucho, pero la mecánica se desarrolla muchísimo a lo largo del juego, basando muchos puzzles del entorno solo en cambiar de tiempo para poder avanzar o teniendo hasta mecánicas únicas en una línea que no hay en la otra. Donde más me han gustado las ideas a mí ha sido en el futuro. Siento que hay más variedad de jugabilidad, las boss-fights son sobresalientes y tiene mecánicas únicas que lo hacen diferente.
Audiovisualmente, es un 10. El juego visualmente es incrreíble, tanto en el estilo de 8 como en el de 16 bits, ofreciendo un diseño de zonas, enemigos, personajes y de todo genial. Pero es que ya la banda sonora de este videojuego no tiene ningún tipo de sentido. No entiendo cómo alguien puede hacer temazo tras temazo y encima dos versiones y que todas queden bien. Es una barbaridad. Encima mientras juegas, es como volver a los 80/90. Increíble.
Narrativamente, es donde me parece que más flojea The Messenger. No está mal y de hecho la trama me ha gustado bastante, pero cómo se cuenta la historia es un poco raro. Sí que es verdad que los personajes están muy bien hechos y tiene un humor bastante bueno, pero la historia se concentra sobre todo en el final, haciéndolo un poco extraño. Aunque lo compensa también con pequeñas historias que están bien. Está lejos de ser malo en este apartado, pero simplemente, es donde peor está el juego.
En resumen, The Messenger es una obra maestra moderna. Que no te deje engañar ese estilo simple y de los 80 o te parezca que va a ser un juego retro, porque estás ante una carta de amor al medio y a los juegos clásicos, que sabe innovar en lo suyo y ofrecer un juego diferente y divertidísimo que te enganchará hasta que te lo pases. Un must-play sin ningún tipo de duda
The Messenger es un juegazo. Y es que cuando lo empiezas te esperas que es un plataformas más, que está entretenido, pero ya está. Créeme que no. Por si acaso quieres jugarlo, va a contener spoilers la reseña, así que te recomiendo no seguir leyendo o leer sabiendo las consecuencias. Después de esa parte plataformera, el juego se convierte en un metroidvania sobresaliente que también combina de forma magistral la exploración y el plataformeo, haciéndolo un indie maravilloso. Voy a hablar largo y tendido, así que poneros cómodos y empezamos.
Jugablemente, es una maravilla. Al principio nos presenta un plataformas de juego de los 80 que está bastante bien. Un diseño de niveles bastante bueno, bastantes mecánicas que hacen a cada zona única, unas boss-fights increíbles y unos controles y mecánicas de movimiento sobresalientes. Hasta aquí, el juego está bastante bien, pero es que en un momento el juego pega un giro tremendo y ahora sorpresa, puedes viajar en el tiempo y tienes que recorrer todas las zonas como si de un metroidvania se tratase. Esto puede sonar a extensión artificial. Pero es que aquí reside el núcleo y mejores partes del videojuego.
La exploración que se luce The Messenger es una barbaridad. Recorrer los mundos es una gozada (gracias a las anteriormente mencionadas mecánicas de movimiento y controles) y realmente sientes que hay muchas cosas por hacer en zonas que son realmente pequeñas. Los sellos de poder, por ejemplo, expanden la exploración una barbaridad y nos permiten tener retos más difíciles apartados de la historia principal. Pero de la mecánica principal que quiero hablar es de los viajes en el tiempo.
Estos nos permiten alternar entre los 8 y 16 bits (cosa que le da un toque cómico al juego) y así cambiar el entorno en el que estamos. Esto al principio no se nota mucho, pero la mecánica se desarrolla muchísimo a lo largo del juego, basando muchos puzzles del entorno solo en cambiar de tiempo para poder avanzar o teniendo hasta mecánicas únicas en una línea que no hay en la otra. Donde más me han gustado las ideas a mí ha sido en el futuro. Siento que hay más variedad de jugabilidad, las boss-fights son sobresalientes y tiene mecánicas únicas que lo hacen diferente.
Audiovisualmente, es un 10. El juego visualmente es incrreíble, tanto en el estilo de 8 como en el de 16 bits, ofreciendo un diseño de zonas, enemigos, personajes y de todo genial. Pero es que ya la banda sonora de este videojuego no tiene ningún tipo de sentido. No entiendo cómo alguien puede hacer temazo tras temazo y encima dos versiones y que todas queden bien. Es una barbaridad. Encima mientras juegas, es como volver a los 80/90. Increíble.
Narrativamente, es donde me parece que más flojea The Messenger. No está mal y de hecho la trama me ha gustado bastante, pero cómo se cuenta la historia es un poco raro. Sí que es verdad que los personajes están muy bien hechos y tiene un humor bastante bueno, pero la historia se concentra sobre todo en el final, haciéndolo un poco extraño. Aunque lo compensa también con pequeñas historias que están bien. Está lejos de ser malo en este apartado, pero simplemente, es donde peor está el juego.
En resumen, The Messenger es una obra maestra moderna. Que no te deje engañar ese estilo simple y de los 80 o te parezca que va a ser un juego retro, porque estás ante una carta de amor al medio y a los juegos clásicos, que sabe innovar en lo suyo y ofrecer un juego diferente y divertidísimo que te enganchará hasta que te lo pases. Un must-play sin ningún tipo de duda
Un plataformas muy bueno, con un humor más que disfrutable y un giro que le da la vuelta a todo sin cambiar nada. Sin duda un juegazo que no se lleva la nota máxima porque hay alguna pequeña colisión que se siente injusta pero por lo demás redondísimo.
Wow I suck at this game
Full of surprises.
dificil
Went to play this when I heard it was worth playing before Sea of Stars and absolutely loved the game. Controls are extremely tight and the game is super satisfying to play. I felt a bit lost at first in the second half of the game and I think it could have been a bit smother with less cryptic messages but even so I enjoyed it greatly.
The Messenger é um jogo que brinca com a evolução dos Jogos 2Ds pixel art de uma forma extremamente criativa e divertida. O jogo é um deleite para pessoas como eu que amam plataformers antigos, principalmente como Ninja Gaiden.
As músicas e bossfights são muito boas, além do jogo passar uma boa mensagem no final de tudo.
Meu único problema se dá ao sistema de portais (fast-travel) que é muito limitado, mas de resto é um jogo formidável.
As músicas e bossfights são muito boas, além do jogo passar uma boa mensagem no final de tudo.
Meu único problema se dá ao sistema de portais (fast-travel) que é muito limitado, mas de resto é um jogo formidável.
eu mal vejo gente falando sobre messenger, ele é uma pérola
Got to the part where it goes full metroidvania but then it went off of ps+ so realistically I probably won't get back to this one. Amazing music and bosses! Highly recommend playing, wish I could've finished it... maybe someday
One of the best metroidvania's out there
peak.......
They really dropped the ball with the metroidvania part, everything else was pretty solid.
Um plataforma muito divertido e desafiante com uma mecânica muito interessante de alternar os bits.
pretty good
This review contains spoilers
revisiting an old favourite and holy fuck it's still so good! why do i never hear people talking about this game, it's so fun and creative, has such a cool twist gimmick and has one of the most bumping soundtracks known to humankind. Every area feels so distinct and memorable, with fun platforming puzzles and secrets everywhere and tons of unique mechanics, despite having played through it before i was hooked for most of my time replaying it.
I do have my issues with this game, I think the transition into a metroidvania is fucking awesome but the game isn't quite designed for it; you run out of upgrades almost immediately, shopkeeper dialogue and story beats fade out almost entirely until the end, and some of the linear NES gaiden-style level design can be frustrating to replay countless times. I also wish the ending lore had been set up earlier, because you really do learn about the final area and boss right before you head in, barely any foreshadowing or setup other than the loredump right beforehand.
But these are ultimately small nitpicks in a game I truly treasure, it feels like such a passion project from beginning to end and I wish it had the attention it deserves. A joy to replay, please please please try it out if you haven't before
I do have my issues with this game, I think the transition into a metroidvania is fucking awesome but the game isn't quite designed for it; you run out of upgrades almost immediately, shopkeeper dialogue and story beats fade out almost entirely until the end, and some of the linear NES gaiden-style level design can be frustrating to replay countless times. I also wish the ending lore had been set up earlier, because you really do learn about the final area and boss right before you head in, barely any foreshadowing or setup other than the loredump right beforehand.
But these are ultimately small nitpicks in a game I truly treasure, it feels like such a passion project from beginning to end and I wish it had the attention it deserves. A joy to replay, please please please try it out if you haven't before
Very few games have thrown me for a loop as hard as The Messenger did. I went into it thinking it was a simplistic, yet fun and challenging homage to classic NES platformers, Ninja Gaiden especially. It felt like a modernized, more accessible take on that type of game, almost like Shovel Knight in that sense. It was really cool, but nothing insane. Then the second half of the game hit and I was completely blown away. What I thought was just a cute little homage to the NES era of gaming turned into a dimension swapping, time traveling metroidvania which completely smacks you in the face with “IM RETRO BITCH!” Yet it still manages to maintain the same general gameplay as the first half, it introduces the metroidvania stuff in such a natural way. Out of all the games out there that have you revisit levels to find new things to beat the game, The Messenger does it in possibly the coolest way I’ve ever seen. While I adore this game conceptually, it does occasionally falter in execution, specifically in the second half. Again, it’s a really cool switch up, but due to the fast travel system being pretty damn limiting, there’s still a lot of backtracking involved. Since you do play through new versions of the levels alongside the old ones, it can still be pretty fun at times seeing how the levels change from old to new. But more often than not, I found myself just kind of being annoyed that I had to do pointless wandering through levels I’ve already played, especially when I didn’t actually know where to go. Also I’m not huge on the writing, it’s clearly not the focus but I find the humor style kind of😐it doesn’t really do much for me. Conceptually one of the coolest games I think I’ve ever played, and while it occasionally falters in the execution, it mostly manages to stick the landing.
great mechanics, a fun twist partway through the game that recontextualizes the game world, fantastic music and beautiful pixel art (especially in the second half). only thing bogging it down is the abysmal writing. it tries so hard to be funny and quirky and fails horrendously and will drop massive amounts of dialogue at once and it’s all bad. even worse than the comedy are the attempts at serious storytelling. fantastic game if you make up your own story along the way and skip the cutscenes
holy smokes batman
DISCLAIMER:
This review is entirely for my own sake. You are welcome to read it but it may or may not contain spoilers for the whole game.
NOTE: The playtime includes the Picnic Panic DLC. I should also mention I played this after finishing Sea of Stars, which might affect my understanding and enjoyment of the story, world and lore.
I went in expecting a basic side-scrolling platformer. I got exactly what I expected, PLUS a completely unexpected whole metroidvania on top.
Starting with the simple levels, the game felt quite basic. Cloudstepping was interesting and fun, the dialogue quips with the bosses were entertaining; but what stood out the most was the Shopkeeper, very funny but also deep and interesting stories (it was also curious to find elements of those stories in the overworld)
I knew there was going to be a way to go back to old levels because I kept seeing secrets that I couldn't reach with my current skills, so once I got to the new artstyle I assumed I would be able to repeat levels with all skills unlocked. Imagine my surprise when the game kept going until it seemed to reach an ending by revealing the loop.
I was even more surprised when the game revealed it's real twist by turning the game into a metroidvania. Making everything an interconnected map with collectibles and with a different level layout for both artstyles.
Finding collectibles was fun, but the reward for getting them felt underwhelming. As did most of the upgrades, making currency feel relatively useless.
The story was slightly deeper than it seemed in the first chapter, but still quite simple. It doesn't really take itself too seriously. I did, however, very much enjoy the parallels with Sea of Stars. Hearing returning tracks, seeing familiar enemies and particularly re-exploring the Sunken Shrine andacquiring its Music Note. It was nice to see where all the clues were planted for the sequel.
Speaking of unserious, the DLC is as silly as it can be. It's still as fun as the base game, plus more minigames (funnily enough, this game is the first time I learned how punch-out actually works) and the reward for getting all DLC collectibles is a bit more interesting, or at least it would be if I wanted to play New Game +.
Overall, this game is not the best platformer, nor is it the greatest metroidvania, but it is fun enough and along with the humor it is most definitely enjoyable and recommended.
This review is entirely for my own sake. You are welcome to read it but it may or may not contain spoilers for the whole game.
NOTE: The playtime includes the Picnic Panic DLC. I should also mention I played this after finishing Sea of Stars, which might affect my understanding and enjoyment of the story, world and lore.
I went in expecting a basic side-scrolling platformer. I got exactly what I expected, PLUS a completely unexpected whole metroidvania on top.
Starting with the simple levels, the game felt quite basic. Cloudstepping was interesting and fun, the dialogue quips with the bosses were entertaining; but what stood out the most was the Shopkeeper, very funny but also deep and interesting stories (it was also curious to find elements of those stories in the overworld)
I knew there was going to be a way to go back to old levels because I kept seeing secrets that I couldn't reach with my current skills, so once I got to the new artstyle I assumed I would be able to repeat levels with all skills unlocked. Imagine my surprise when the game kept going until it seemed to reach an ending by revealing the loop.
I was even more surprised when the game revealed it's real twist by turning the game into a metroidvania. Making everything an interconnected map with collectibles and with a different level layout for both artstyles.
Finding collectibles was fun, but the reward for getting them felt underwhelming. As did most of the upgrades, making currency feel relatively useless.
The story was slightly deeper than it seemed in the first chapter, but still quite simple. It doesn't really take itself too seriously. I did, however, very much enjoy the parallels with Sea of Stars. Hearing returning tracks, seeing familiar enemies and particularly re-exploring the Sunken Shrine andacquiring its Music Note. It was nice to see where all the clues were planted for the sequel.
Speaking of unserious, the DLC is as silly as it can be. It's still as fun as the base game, plus more minigames (funnily enough, this game is the first time I learned how punch-out actually works) and the reward for getting all DLC collectibles is a bit more interesting, or at least it would be if I wanted to play New Game +.
Overall, this game is not the best platformer, nor is it the greatest metroidvania, but it is fun enough and along with the humor it is most definitely enjoyable and recommended.
Fun game and love the ost. The old school 2d platformer that this is just isn’t for me. Gave it a try due to it leaving so extra in a few days. Just isn’t for me unfortunately but it has its moments. 3.5/5
Pô, esse jogo não precisava ser tão perfeito assim