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 difficult 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 fascinating that it doesn’t have to 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 groups.
As is the case with retro-inspired platformers, there’s not a lot to spoil. Our hero is a part of The Resistance in opposition to 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 choose), that are simply supernatural macguffins that give our Boy elemental get-ups with completely different powers connected.
These fits, which you’ll change between on the fly, actually simply provide you with other ways to leap, assault, and get by means 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 injury and bypass gaps too tight for a straight-spined Boy. The Ice Kunai swimsuit can throw projectiles and dangle on to sure surfaces. Mine Buster reveals hidden platforms and might make breakable partitions go increase.
However my favorite needs to be the beginning swimsuit, Berserk Boy, which helps you to zip by means of the 15 ranges with an electrically-charged leap. As soon as that leap bashes into an enemy, you’ll be able to leap once more in mid-air. And when you chain that transfer sufficient occasions, 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 severe 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 greatest bits come whenever you’re compelled to combine and match each swimsuit. Zip by means of enemies, change, deactivate a laser with kunai, change, grind on a rail, drill into the facet 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 permits you to select which is greatest suited (ha!) to your temper. Fight particularly might be steamrolled utilizing any swimsuit, so it actually comes down as to whether you like maintaining distance with kunai, getting up shut with fireplace slashes, or simply opting to fly over enemies when you have got the Hovering Wind swimsuit.
Switching fits has the largest influence whenever you’re replaying prior ranges, utilizing all of your new talents on levels that ought to be acquainted floor. Replaying levels for collectibles and whatnot might be arduous even in the very best platformers, particularly whenever you get to the robust, flashback-inducing sections. In Berserk Boy, although, skipping a very troublesome impediment course is as straightforward 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 are new whenever you revisit a degree, or relatively, the sections that have been beforehand inaccessible since you hadn’t unlocked the proper swimsuit but. That impossibly huge hole? You possibly can fly over it now. That locked yellow door? Blow it off its hinges with the Mine Buster. My eyes have been glued to the display screen’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 velocity 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 more durable problem and take a look at all the things I had discovered within the pursuit for all of the fits, however the sport as a substitute appears content material with recycling related obstacles in each nook. For instance, it would 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 it’s essential to 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 might be stated about different obstacles the place you’re repeatedly reminiscence matching the proper skill 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, fireplace whirlwinds – to achieve faster occasions.
Berserk Boy actually sings whenever you’re bouldering by means of levels with unstoppable power, all whereas the beautiful pixel artwork blurs like road lights do whenever you’re in a rushing automotive. That frantic power is just bolstered by a hyper-catchy theme tune 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 dissatisfied to roll credit after a short six hours with out having an opportunity to totally flex all the things I’d sorta-kinda mastered. The primary levels did not absolutely push me to my limits, nor did the time trial levels that I’d crushed to date, which was quietly deflating after I might 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 all the way down to the occasional run ‘n’ gun car sections – however extra importantly, this by no means appears like a flat retread of what’s come earlier than. Not one of the ranges have been difficult sufficient for my tastes, which could admittedly be a ability difficulty, though if my greatest 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.
