A stable, satisfying action-platformer with a couple of tough edges.
There’s quite a lot of nuance throughout the action-platformer style, and with later Mega Man video games particularly got here a heavier concentrate on exploration and replaying ranges with newly acquired powers. Berserk Boy is a fast-paced indie sport that channels the Mega Man X, Zero, and ZX video games–in addition to the Gunvolt sequence–to attempt to carve out its personal house on this very crowded style. It manages to supply a good bit of leisure throughout its 15 or so phases, however a pair hiccups maintain it again from attaining must-play standing.
Berserk Boy is at its weakest when it spends time doling out story beats that are not almost as fascinating as its gameplay. The premise is {that a} boy named Kei beneficial properties the power to remodel into Berserk Boy by way of an odd orb, and as he collects extra of them, he acquires much more transformations. Inside your private home base hub, you may converse to NPCs, go to a lab to enhance your powers, and choose new missions. Between end-of-area boss fights, you will even be tasked with working across the base to filter out enemies which have invaded, however these segments are pretty tedious. The hub could add a little bit of taste, nevertheless it will get in the way in which of the true star of Berserk Boy: the way in which that you would be able to fly by means of phases, swapping powers on the contact of a button.
Each stage options a number of checkpoint doorways that mean you can return to earlier components, if, as an example, you missed a collectible. Nonetheless quick you select to play by means of them, the degrees will be fairly prolonged, with plenty of secret passages to uncover and obstacles that require particular transformations to bypass. Along with platforming challenges, you will encounter fundamental enemies, mini-bosses, and some several types of collectibles; certainly one of these opens up a time trial mini-stage and the opposite finally ends up coming into play close to the sport’s conclusion. The latter collectible is definitely required to unlock end-game content material, which is greater than a bit irritating.
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Kei’s first transformation is one which grants lightning-based powers, together with a excessive pace sprint that permits you to zip throughout the display, placing enemies and enabling a lock-on projectile for additional harm (not not like how the aforementioned Gunvolt capabilities in his personal video games). The opposite Berserk Orbs you acquire unlock a flame-based outfit with drilling capabilities, an air-themed go well with that permits you to float, an ice ninja kind that may dangle onto transferring platforms, and an earth-based kind that permits you to scan doorways and platforms to unlock them. Later phases pressure you to change on the fly (typically actually), and so turning into conversant in every kind is essential, or it might be for those who even wanted something aside from the lightning kind to take out nearly each boss you encounter. If you happen to’re anticipating something near the problem of the toughest Mega Man video games, you’ll have to activate the Retro problem when beginning a brand new save file, which provides you a set variety of lives and harder enemies–in contrast with the limitless retries of Trendy mode.
By way of presentation, Berserk Boy boasts a vibrant colour palette and neat visible results, like a disappearing shadow path that seems as you run and bounce by means of every degree. Every world consists of three major phases that middle on a selected aspect/biome, and these are accompanied by the signature sounds of composer Tee Lopes, so relaxation assured your ears are in for a deal with. The benefit with which you’ll be able to swap Berserk varieties by way of the L and R buttons along with the remainder of the sleek controls make for a beautiful and easy journey throughout Berserk Boy’s multi-hour marketing campaign.
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Regardless of its strengths, the repetitive boss fights, lack of enemy selection, and tedious base protection segments throw a couple of bitter notes into the upbeat and satisfying jazz that’s Berserk Boy. One other challenge is that the lab the place you should purchase upgrades doesn’t fairly work as meant, with the well being upgrades I bought not registering in any respect in direction of my well being meter. That the true conclusion of the sport is gated behind amassing dozens of tokens throughout the sport’s 5 worlds is a particular misstep, however the total bundle will stay an attractive one for motion platformer followers.
Berserk Boy affords a fast-paced diversion that may enchantment to those that just like the pace of Sonic and the transformations of Mega Man. It’s aesthetically pleasing from begin to end, and the gameplay shines by means of most of its runtime. A handful of points preserve it from placing each toes solidly in must-play territory, however all instructed it’s a very good time and scratches that run, bounce, and shoot itch.