Berserk Boy has been tipped as a Mega Man-inspired 16-bit journey, nevertheless it’s really nearer to Inti Creates Gunvolt sequence, and even then feels markedly totally different.
Happening in a future world the place a scientist named Dr. Genos has gone rogue, you play Kei, a younger boy who groups up with firebird Fiore to battle his technique to saving the universe. The narrative isn’t significantly noteworthy, nevertheless it’s properly dealt with with engaging intermittent stills and fast dialogue exchanges. It’s actually much less intrusive than the Gunvolt sequence on this respect, interjecting simply sufficient story to make issues complete with out making you labour by means of excruciatingly drawn-out reams of waffle. As an alternative, its waffle is transient, sometimes mildly amusing, and largely to the purpose.
Berserk Boy attracts on a number of influences and cherry picks components from varied titles to construct a stable, honed motion journey all its personal. There are shades of Mega Man Battle Community in its hub part; the aforementioned Gunvolt in its fight hooks; and lots of a 2D platformer in the way you negotiate the springs, spikes, and pitfalls of its multi-tiered surroundings.
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Protagonist Kei decides to hitch the resistance with assistance from his newfound energy: the Berserk Orb. This purple ball of lightning slots into your fast menu, and transforms him from a boy with mild assaults to a speedy, devastating power.
Berserk Boy affords 5 main Sectors to beat, every cut up right into a set of prolonged sub-stages. You get your bearings in New Hope Metropolis, and between missions return to the Lab, the place you’ll be able to discuss to varied resistance troopers for info updates, and crucially, entry a store for everlasting character upgrades. These embrace issues like elevated well being, extra highly effective assaults, longer combos, and improved sprint talents, amongst a number of others.
Since you’ll be able to revisit any cleared stage, it’s potential to grind for money, do you have to really feel so inclined, to extend your purse and your total energy profile. There’s a contact of Metroidvania labored in, too, with inaccessible elements of levels requiring sure power-ups to bypass. Backtracking to search out hidden areas significantly will increase the sport’s total scope, and finally unlocks an alternate ‘EX’ mission for every stage.
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Whereas some power-ups may be purchased, the 5 Berserk Orbs can solely be received from Genos’ minion bosses, every remodeling Kei with new particular assaults and capabilities that change the way in which you deconstruct the surroundings. End New Hope Metropolis and defeat its flaming boss, for instance, and also you win the Flame Orb. This completely acquired Berserk Energy will rework Kei right into a fiery red-haired twister, affording him talents just like the drill assault, one which might burrow by means of sure patches of surroundings.
This talent permits you to go briefly subterranean, too, so you’ll be able to navigate beneath low-hanging spikes — a capability that is useful when backtracking for stranded troopers to liberate (of which there are no less than a dozen scattered round every stage) and out of attain Berserk Icons. We additionally actually loved the Kunai-flinging ninja guise granted for sector three, casting its future jungle as a run-and-gun, projectile-based panorama. Every guise additionally comes with its personal tremendous assault, engaged with a stab of the set off button, prompting a momentary fullscreen illustration earlier than being unleashed.
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It isn’t very similar to Mega Man in any respect, actually. It is quick, unfastened, and much much less regimented, being extra arcade-action-oriented with a set of distinctive bells and whistles. You aren’t pushed to battle bosses utilizing specific varieties, however somewhat to experiment with no matter works. And all of it hangs collectively very properly. It feels much less leaden than sure Japanese alternate options, shifting with searing tempo and an upbeat vibe. 4 levels in and you need to have a complete understanding of the sport’s structuring.
Whereas the store, in our opinion, is mildly too costly from the outset, it isn’t an excessively troublesome recreation in case you try to make headway with out it. Every Orb type you purchase has totally different capabilities, some excelling in fist fight somewhat than dashing, or aerial fight somewhat than floor. You possibly can swap Berserk varieties on the fly with the shoulder button, which turns into integral as early as Sector Two, the place you’re prompted to frequently change guises to skate by means of. It’s all cleverly applied and makes stage traversal regularly fascinating. There are car part interludes, too, including selection to the combo, the place you hop and hearth by means of pressured scrolling sections.
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Moreover, Berserk Boy’s combo system may be very pleasurable to toy with. Reaching an S-Rank on a stage is often so simple as pulling off an honest most combo and never dropping a life, and the layouts actually encourage lean, dash-based chaining. Once you smash into an enemy, dealing them harm, a follow-up blow is prompted, permitting you to press the ‘B’ button to ship out a shockwave. It could be potential for skilled gamers to chain whole levels by the use of dashing, though don’t quote us on that. Both method, chaining enemies is an easy and enjoyable pursuit, and sometimes required to keep away from spike pits. Its engineering works higher, in our opinion, than sure entries within the Gunvolt sequence.
Graphically, Berserk Boy is fairly. The backgrounds are good, the sprites daring and properly animated — though we should admit to liking sure frames greater than others, and sure transformative guises over others. This, nevertheless, is trivial and a matter of style. The music is top-notch, composed by Sonic Mania’s Tee Lopes, driving the journey with catchy, toe-tapping themes.
A few of the bosses might have used some beefing up. Stage bosses and assaults are usually repeated, and so they’re hardly ever pitched on a significant scale. There are some difficult engagements afterward that encourage you to experiment with switching Berserk powers. The levels themselves, nevertheless, are a tad overlong. You’ll usually defeat a boss, after which hold going till you attain an exit portal. Whereas actually enjoyable, they frequently really feel like they need to be ending sooner.
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We did encounter one glitch the like of which we haven’t seen since Sonic 2 on the Sega Grasp System, taking successful in drill type that lodged us within the wall. After a lot struggling, we ended up transported exterior the stage’s play space, operating alongside in a bizarre no man’s land. It solely occurred as soon as and is sort of unlikely to occur once more, nevertheless it’s price mentioning nonetheless.
Conclusion
Its very cheap price ticket isn’t the primary promoting level of Berserk Boy. Relatively, it’s a really competently made indie motion journey that has the texture of a 16-bit title, powered by the oomph of current-day consoles. It’s way more arcadey than each Mega Man and Gunvolt; sooner, and altogether extra fascinating owing to its a number of character varieties and deft stage design. Its hub world is definitely navigable, and the improve store, Metroidvania backtracking, and prisoner liberating side-missions encourage gamers to squeeze probably the most from the expertise. There are minor, trivial features that would have been tightened up barely, and the impartial growth side isn’t fully within the background. For what it makes an attempt, nevertheless, Berserk Boy may be very profitable, frequently displaying up bigger growth studios with its creativity, and comes straightforward to suggest to 2D motion lovers.