On a scale of 1 - 10, it's an 11, and I'd give it a 12.
Jokes aside, let it be known that I generally do not like video games that are difficult for the sake of being difficult and most boss rush games (as an example, I stopped playing Cuphead around the 3rd boss because I really was not having fun). I decided to go play Furi because all my friends had given it a lot of hubbub and the soundtrack is filled with bangers.
For all the attention that this game gets for being difficult and uncompromising though, more attention should be given to just how well designed the overall experience is. The tutorial is literally a boss and gets you right into the actual meat of the game, which is a bold design choice yet also makes complete sense; it quickly adapts you to what you have to face for the rest of the game. Every boss has a distinctly different design with their own characteristics and forces you to adapt to a slightly different strategy every time, keeping you on your toes. But this isn't an issue at all, because the game is more than happy to let you adapt. You can regain your health via successful parrying and shooting green bullets (think of it as risk leading to reward), and getting knocked down only results in the boss resetting its phase. Since you still have 3 overall tries and you get another try every new phase, there is more than enough time to adapt. The fighting itself is a good mix between bullet hell, close quarters combat, and dodge and punish; all of these aspects are touched on with no excess. And in the case you suck at one of these aspects or parrying, there's a practice mode where you can hone up your skills to your own delight. Worthwhile, because boy does it feel good to get a successful parry on attacks.
Now granted, I took care in making sure I only fought one boss a day (with the exception being the last day, because I don't count the Beat as a boss and I just wanted to finish the game by the time I got to the Star), both to make sure I was doing other things with my day, and so I definitely wouldn't get burnt out from getting too angry, as was often the case with these very intense and difficult games. But not once did I get angry, which shocked me. It was just a thrill getting down to the action and having a fight of a lifetime 9 times in a row. Final shoutouts go to the Edge, which is one of the best designed bosses I've ever seen in a video game; you either get your ass handed to you in a minute, or you know what you're doing and you blaze by him in 4 minutes. One of the toughest bosses in the game, yet it doesn't waste your time as an HP sponge like many other tough bosses of video games.
Needless to say, this was a pleasant surprise, but a more than welcome one. Furi is worth playing even if you don't usually like difficult video games, and that's the highest compliment I can give it.
Jokes aside, let it be known that I generally do not like video games that are difficult for the sake of being difficult and most boss rush games (as an example, I stopped playing Cuphead around the 3rd boss because I really was not having fun). I decided to go play Furi because all my friends had given it a lot of hubbub and the soundtrack is filled with bangers.
For all the attention that this game gets for being difficult and uncompromising though, more attention should be given to just how well designed the overall experience is. The tutorial is literally a boss and gets you right into the actual meat of the game, which is a bold design choice yet also makes complete sense; it quickly adapts you to what you have to face for the rest of the game. Every boss has a distinctly different design with their own characteristics and forces you to adapt to a slightly different strategy every time, keeping you on your toes. But this isn't an issue at all, because the game is more than happy to let you adapt. You can regain your health via successful parrying and shooting green bullets (think of it as risk leading to reward), and getting knocked down only results in the boss resetting its phase. Since you still have 3 overall tries and you get another try every new phase, there is more than enough time to adapt. The fighting itself is a good mix between bullet hell, close quarters combat, and dodge and punish; all of these aspects are touched on with no excess. And in the case you suck at one of these aspects or parrying, there's a practice mode where you can hone up your skills to your own delight. Worthwhile, because boy does it feel good to get a successful parry on attacks.
Now granted, I took care in making sure I only fought one boss a day (with the exception being the last day, because I don't count the Beat as a boss and I just wanted to finish the game by the time I got to the Star), both to make sure I was doing other things with my day, and so I definitely wouldn't get burnt out from getting too angry, as was often the case with these very intense and difficult games. But not once did I get angry, which shocked me. It was just a thrill getting down to the action and having a fight of a lifetime 9 times in a row. Final shoutouts go to the Edge, which is one of the best designed bosses I've ever seen in a video game; you either get your ass handed to you in a minute, or you know what you're doing and you blaze by him in 4 minutes. One of the toughest bosses in the game, yet it doesn't waste your time as an HP sponge like many other tough bosses of video games.
Needless to say, this was a pleasant surprise, but a more than welcome one. Furi is worth playing even if you don't usually like difficult video games, and that's the highest compliment I can give it.