This review contains spoilers
I honestly don’t know why I despised this game so much. I have a few theories (we’ll get to them) but they don’t really account for how negatively I feel towards this game. Maybe I’m just not the target audience, or maybe I just didn’t “get it.” Either way, I’d like to talk about it.
For those who don’t know, The Messenger has a twist about half way through, and people have varying reactions to it. I am strongly in the negative camp. My main problem is how the world is designed. It wants so badly to be a “Metroidvania,” but it already built its levels around the old school, action platformer design that the first half of the game was going for. What this means is that you have a very linear world, and to build the Metroidvania around it, you have to branch out of that initial world. This doesn’t work well, because you have to retread so much ground, over and over again, but never in interesting ways. Each screen is designed to be cleared in one way, so you just have to play the same sections repeatedly until you stumble upon a secret. For me at least, it was exhausting to just be running through the same levels looking for any clue of where to go next. Then when I thought I had an idea of where I was supposed to go, I would travel there, only for it to be a dead end. Maybe this was a fault of mine, but it really sucked to have to go backwards through the same exact screens I just already went through, because I guessed wrong.
Other games in the genre sidestep this issue via two solutions: non-linear level design, and shortcuts that cut back on backtracking. The Messenger has several links in between levels, but this doesn’t solve the issue of going down a linear branch off of the main route, and then having to go back. The only way to keep this design and alleviate the tedium is to teleport out. The only problem here is that places on the overworld to teleport to are too far spread out. Other games avoid this problem by always having somewhere close by where you can go if you get stuck.
Metroidvanias are all about having these large maps where progression is gated by upgrades. The best ones understand the value of multiple different progression paths. I don’t want to directly compare to other games (because I’m HEAVILY biased), but it is very unfortunate that in those moments where I did find a dead end, it was a progression path, I was just missing an upgrade. I think I got more unlucky than most, but I did find almost every pathway, and nearly cleared the whole map before I got a key upgrade that allowed me to access those next “gated areas.”
Combat is pretty dull imo. The movement system, and one button combat hinders both player expression, and how far the devs are able to push the boss design. I understand that it was designed to call back to retro titles, but I don’t understand why we couldn’t improve on the base those games gave us. Game design has evolved to give us better solutions to common design problems. For example, the devs got rid of a limited life system, because that creates a lot of tedium. If they are willing to compromise here, I don’t understand why they can’t try to improve on basic gameplay. The retro aesthetic, animation, and level design already call back to those games, is that not enough?
I don’t know if anyone else was nearly as bothered by the writing in this game as I was, but it was incredibly annoying to say the least. I get the more meta, aware approach to writing can be fun, but they don’t expand upon that premise. It’s always little quips about archetypes and tropes. Its relentless, and maybe my least favorite part of the whole game. Maybe it’s just not my type of “comedy,” but I found it very amateur.
Some of the music was just as bothersome. Don’t get me wrong, I love chiptune music, but a few of the tracks became really grating. I don’t think I’ve played another game where I was constantly thinking about how bad the music was, which is a shame. Some of the tracks were pretty good, but the rotten few spoil my overall perception of the soundtrack.
I have some other minor nitpicks, such as the tacked on upgrade system, but I’ll save that for another time. It really sucks that The Messenger doesn’t capitalize on its premise more, because I think it's a really interesting one. I’m just glad that these guys were successful, because Sea of Stars looks fantastic, and I look forward to playing that (the demo was great).
For those who don’t know, The Messenger has a twist about half way through, and people have varying reactions to it. I am strongly in the negative camp. My main problem is how the world is designed. It wants so badly to be a “Metroidvania,” but it already built its levels around the old school, action platformer design that the first half of the game was going for. What this means is that you have a very linear world, and to build the Metroidvania around it, you have to branch out of that initial world. This doesn’t work well, because you have to retread so much ground, over and over again, but never in interesting ways. Each screen is designed to be cleared in one way, so you just have to play the same sections repeatedly until you stumble upon a secret. For me at least, it was exhausting to just be running through the same levels looking for any clue of where to go next. Then when I thought I had an idea of where I was supposed to go, I would travel there, only for it to be a dead end. Maybe this was a fault of mine, but it really sucked to have to go backwards through the same exact screens I just already went through, because I guessed wrong.
Other games in the genre sidestep this issue via two solutions: non-linear level design, and shortcuts that cut back on backtracking. The Messenger has several links in between levels, but this doesn’t solve the issue of going down a linear branch off of the main route, and then having to go back. The only way to keep this design and alleviate the tedium is to teleport out. The only problem here is that places on the overworld to teleport to are too far spread out. Other games avoid this problem by always having somewhere close by where you can go if you get stuck.
Metroidvanias are all about having these large maps where progression is gated by upgrades. The best ones understand the value of multiple different progression paths. I don’t want to directly compare to other games (because I’m HEAVILY biased), but it is very unfortunate that in those moments where I did find a dead end, it was a progression path, I was just missing an upgrade. I think I got more unlucky than most, but I did find almost every pathway, and nearly cleared the whole map before I got a key upgrade that allowed me to access those next “gated areas.”
Combat is pretty dull imo. The movement system, and one button combat hinders both player expression, and how far the devs are able to push the boss design. I understand that it was designed to call back to retro titles, but I don’t understand why we couldn’t improve on the base those games gave us. Game design has evolved to give us better solutions to common design problems. For example, the devs got rid of a limited life system, because that creates a lot of tedium. If they are willing to compromise here, I don’t understand why they can’t try to improve on basic gameplay. The retro aesthetic, animation, and level design already call back to those games, is that not enough?
I don’t know if anyone else was nearly as bothered by the writing in this game as I was, but it was incredibly annoying to say the least. I get the more meta, aware approach to writing can be fun, but they don’t expand upon that premise. It’s always little quips about archetypes and tropes. Its relentless, and maybe my least favorite part of the whole game. Maybe it’s just not my type of “comedy,” but I found it very amateur.
Some of the music was just as bothersome. Don’t get me wrong, I love chiptune music, but a few of the tracks became really grating. I don’t think I’ve played another game where I was constantly thinking about how bad the music was, which is a shame. Some of the tracks were pretty good, but the rotten few spoil my overall perception of the soundtrack.
I have some other minor nitpicks, such as the tacked on upgrade system, but I’ll save that for another time. It really sucks that The Messenger doesn’t capitalize on its premise more, because I think it's a really interesting one. I’m just glad that these guys were successful, because Sea of Stars looks fantastic, and I look forward to playing that (the demo was great).
2 Comments
@Sitara I don't really understand what your issue is with my review. All the things you mention I either expanded upon, or said it was personal preference. A good example would be I state that the ultra-linearity of older arcade action games doesn't fit well when you slap a metroidvania on top. Most other metroidvanias aren't ultra-linear, so i don't understand how you can claim they are designed the same.
I said I don't like the combat, because it feels really limited. You just say its fun and move on. No I don't think its fun, its fine to disagree, but its not bait. Like I said it feels like they are limited with one-dimensional controls, and aren't able to build very many interesting encounters out of the combat. "even though the combat + movement and cloudstepping makes for fun fusion of platforming and combat," isn't an argument because its not a fact. Its an opinion (which to clarify is fine to have).
Most of the writing in the game is comedic in some respect. Who would have guessed that people find different things funny. Once again, just preferences, I'm not sure why you are mad at me for having preferences in what I find comedic.
I don't understand how you interpretted my review as some ultra negative hit-piece. I never said I hated anything here, just that I found it lacking in one way or another. Yet you think I hated everything. In the music section, I specifically said that I both liked some of the songs in The Messenger, and that I like chiptune music. Yet you claim that I hate the music and would hate other 'top tier stuff'. I don't understand why you thought I was so negative when it is a 2/5 AKA just below average. I had criticisms for the game, not hatred.
I said I don't like the combat, because it feels really limited. You just say its fun and move on. No I don't think its fun, its fine to disagree, but its not bait. Like I said it feels like they are limited with one-dimensional controls, and aren't able to build very many interesting encounters out of the combat. "even though the combat + movement and cloudstepping makes for fun fusion of platforming and combat," isn't an argument because its not a fact. Its an opinion (which to clarify is fine to have).
Most of the writing in the game is comedic in some respect. Who would have guessed that people find different things funny. Once again, just preferences, I'm not sure why you are mad at me for having preferences in what I find comedic.
I don't understand how you interpretted my review as some ultra negative hit-piece. I never said I hated anything here, just that I found it lacking in one way or another. Yet you think I hated everything. In the music section, I specifically said that I both liked some of the songs in The Messenger, and that I like chiptune music. Yet you claim that I hate the music and would hate other 'top tier stuff'. I don't understand why you thought I was so negative when it is a 2/5 AKA just below average. I had criticisms for the game, not hatred.
Sitara
4 months ago
- you hate that it's a metroidvania that follows the same design as every other metroidvania and that you have to backtrack
- you hate the combat even though the combat + movement and cloudstepping makes for fun fusion of platforming and combat
- you hate the writing even though it was incredibly funny, had great mini stories, and had a fantastic world
- you hate the music. This one is just insane. Every track is a banger. EVERY. SINGLE. TRACK. The fact you think the music in this game is bad makes me think you probably hate other fantastic OSTs that are chiptune, like genesis era sonic, snes square RPGS, or any other top tier stuff. Just this opinion alone on the music being bad is asinine. The way they switch between 8/16 bit is also so cool and ties into the story. I can't honestly believe anyone could hate this soundtrack, it's completely mind boggling.
The only nitpick I'll give you is the upgrade system is very lame. You can fully upgrade way before you are even 25% through the game, which sucks.
The fact that out of all your reviews this is rated LOWEST is also just laughable.