Infernax

The idea behind this game is really bold. What if you could take the imcomprehensible and awkward innovations of sequels such as Zelda II or Castlevania Simon's Quest, but actually try to make a good game out of them?

To my surprise Infernax really manage to archieve what they set out to do here. The game design is very faithful to 8bit game design, but with enough modern touches and direction to make the experience less frustrating, including a casual mode with more frequent checkpoints and keeping some xp after death.

Visually its 8bit, right from the rigid animations and colour schemes. A nice homage that bigone era, but with some high quality animations that show their artistic talent, and these feel perfectly appropriate within the game.

The game presents itself as a short, moslty linear metroidvania. Like Simon's Quest, you interact with NPCs to get quests and the occasional tip to find secrets, but there is no odd translation in here. There are some instances of 4th wall breaks, and for the most part the game keeps this campy lighthearted fun. There is a hidden morality system that gives it some replay value, and of course the need to use a guide to archieve complete endings, but considering the game this also feels fitting.

Moment to moment gameplay feels like castlevania, except with a less rigid jump arch. The hardest parts of the game end up being the platforming sections, as the bosses tend to have very limited movesets that are easy to memorize. Its good fun, though pit deaths will always be annoying in these sort of games.

Its not revolutionary or mindblowing good, but a solid playthrough for anyone who has nostalgia for this era and is up to a challenging title.