Pretty fun Ninja Gaiden-alike (though nowhere near as challenging/infuriating) in the first half and then things switch up to a substandard Metroidvania for what's going to feel like the majority of the game. Total slog. It's cool how it switches over to a 16-bit tribute, it looks great, obviously a lot of work went in, but if it had done that and remained a platformer I'd have liked it a whole lot more. Shame!
The music is decent but I feel like with a lot of this throwback stuff it never manages to match the energy of the games it's trying to ape. There's nothing in here that's as driving and gets you pumped up as NG1's 4-2 theme, for instance. I don't know why it is - music composed without console limitations sounding inherently different? Beats me. I blame the Scott Pilgrim game, personally. Anyway the first half of The Messenger is pretty good!
The music is decent but I feel like with a lot of this throwback stuff it never manages to match the energy of the games it's trying to ape. There's nothing in here that's as driving and gets you pumped up as NG1's 4-2 theme, for instance. I don't know why it is - music composed without console limitations sounding inherently different? Beats me. I blame the Scott Pilgrim game, personally. Anyway the first half of The Messenger is pretty good!