Berserk Boy is the legally distinct lovechild of Sonic The Hedgehog and Mega Man X, on account of the way it fondly emulates the Blue Blur’s speedy momentum and the Dorky Mega’s numerous power-altering fits. That anatomically tough relationship is attractive by itself, however even when these retro motion platformers simply register as historic relics in your reminiscence, Berserk Boy does sufficient that’s new and attention-grabbing that it doesn’t must depend on aping its inspirations. My solely beef is that credit rolled earlier than I used to be correctly given an opportunity to check my newfound robo-bashing muscle tissues.
As is the case with retro-inspired platformers, there’s not a lot to spoil. Our hero is a part of The Resistance towards evil robots, the manifestations of darkish power, and a “rebuild the world anew” plot acted out by a wide-grinning anime scientist. That’s till the day he comes head to head with one of many 5 Berserk Balls (Chaos Emeralds, Infinity Stones, take your decide), that are simply supernatural macguffins that give our Boy elemental get-ups with completely different powers connected.
These fits, which you’ll be able to change between on the fly, actually simply provide you with other ways to leap, assault, and get by way of beforehand inaccessible areas in previous ranges. The Flame Drill swimsuit, for example, permits you to burrow into the bottom to keep away from incoming harm and bypass gaps too tight for a straight-spined Boy. The Ice Kunai swimsuit can throw projectiles and grasp on to sure surfaces. Mine Buster reveals hidden platforms and may make breakable partitions go growth.
However my favorite needs to be the beginning swimsuit, Berserk Boy, which helps you to zip by way of the 15 ranges with an electrically-charged leap. As soon as that leap bashes into an enemy, you may leap once more in mid-air. And when you chain that transfer sufficient instances, you nearly really feel like such an unstoppable electrical present devastating enemies that, after some time, they registered in my thoughts as platforms – no, leap restoratives – versus critical threats.
Platforming in every swimsuit reaches that robust steadiness between testing each your final minute reflexes and your fast problem-solving expertise. Although, Berserk Boy’s finest bits come while you’re pressured to combine and match each swimsuit. Zip by way of enemies, change, deactivate a laser with kunai, change, grind on a rail, drill into the aspect of a wall, and… breathe. Once more, there’s actual joyous momentum in chaining each swimsuit’s distinct movesets.
Whereas some corridors require sure expertise to get previous, I actually love that the sport means that you can select which is finest suited (ha!) in your temper. Fight specifically could be steamrolled utilizing any swimsuit, so it actually comes down as to if you like conserving distance with kunai, getting up shut with hearth slashes, or simply opting to fly over enemies when you’ve got the Hovering Wind swimsuit.
Switching fits has the most important influence while you’re replaying prior ranges, utilizing all of your new talents on levels that needs to be acquainted floor. Replaying levels for collectibles and whatnot could be arduous even in the most effective platformers, particularly while you get to the robust, flashback-inducing sections. In Berserk Boy, although, skipping a very tough impediment course is as simple as flying over it together with your new wind swimsuit, making back-tracking a breeze for fellow collectible-obsessives who’re too lazy to repeat the identical pixel-perfect jumps twice.
What’s extra transformative are the issues which might be new while you revisit a stage, or relatively, the sections that had been beforehand inaccessible since you hadn’t unlocked the fitting swimsuit but. That impossibly huge hole? You’ll be able to fly over it now. That locked yellow door? Blow it off its hinges with the Mine Buster. My eyes had been glued to the display’s edges on subsequent playthroughs, on the hunt for secrets and techniques and hidden pathways, and having that effort rewarded is oh-so satisfying.
Berserk Boy hits some minor pace bumps throughout these reruns, although. (I say minor as a result of levels solely final between 4 to 10 minutes a pop.) I anticipated these secret sections to offer a harder problem and take a look at all the pieces I had realized within the pursuit for all of the fits, however the recreation as a substitute appears content material with recycling related obstacles in each nook. For instance, it’d take you a minute to determine what to do the primary time you come throughout a spikey crawl area. The fifth time? You already know you could burrow into the bottom utilizing Flame Drill, and the sport doesn’t remix that impediment to make it any extra of a dynamic, head-scratching problem at any level. And the identical could be stated about different obstacles the place you’re constantly reminiscence matching the fitting capacity to a roadblock.
Talking of the secrets and techniques, all ranges even have hidden resistance fighters that you may rescue, and doing so unlocks particular time trial levels that fortunately focuses solely on that speedy platforming – stringing collectively dashes, hops, hearth whirlwinds – to succeed in faster instances.
Berserk Boy actually sings while you’re bouldering by way of levels with unstoppable power, all whereas the beautiful pixel artwork blurs like road lights do while you’re in a rushing automotive. That frantic power is just bolstered by a hyper-catchy theme music courtesy of Sonic Mania’s composer Tee Lopes. However with a lot selection in movesets and a lot potential for tense, lightning quick performs, I used to be barely upset to roll credit after a quick six hours with out having an opportunity to totally flex all the pieces I’d sorta-kinda mastered. The primary levels did not totally push me to my limits, nor did the time trial levels that I’d overwhelmed to date, which was quietly deflating after I would been given a style for what’s potential.
Regardless, Berserk Boy is a cheery motion platformer that makes Sonic’s excessive speeds readable and Mega Man’s unlockable powers genuinely thrilling. There’s actual fondness for these beloved video games – even right down to the occasional run ‘n’ gun automobile sections – however extra importantly, this by no means looks like a flat retread of what’s come earlier than. Not one of the ranges had been difficult sufficient for my tastes, which could admittedly be a ability difficulty, though if my largest critique boils down to easily wanting extra, then I believe that’s fairly a promising signal.
This evaluation is predicated on a evaluation construct of the sport, supplied by publishers Berserk Boy Video games.
