The Messenger

The Bottom Line: An 8/10 modern evolution of retro platforming that rewards patience through a slow opening with incredibly tight movement, fantastic boss fights, and a surprisingly funny narrative. (100% Achievement Completion) The "Crunch" (Mechanics & Combat): Once this game takes off its training wheels, the mechanical depth is fantastic. While I initially felt the absence of a standard "dash," the movement tech they built instead is incredibly solid and well-thought-out. The mechanics have a steep learning curve early on, but once mastered, they offer incredible flow. The boss fights are a major highlight, and the unexpected gameplay shifts (like surfing and dragon riding) keep the loop fresh. The Picnic Panic DLC is also a highly enjoyable addition that builds perfectly on the base mechanics. The "Flow" (Pacing & Narrative): Prospective players need to know: the first few levels are undeniably slow and a bit too easy. It borders on boring early on, and I questioned if I’d even finish it. Push past this. The pacing ramps up beautifully, and the story flows surprisingly well despite some random, chaotic events. The characters are genuinely funny, and the dialogue interactions provide a great breather between high-stress platforming sections. The Setup (Hardware & Controls): Flawless performance on the Steam Deck. Crucial advice for controller players: Remap your primary attack button (default X/Square) to your right bumper (R1/RB), and map your 'B' (Circle) button actions to a left bumper or trigger (L1/L2). The late-game mechanics require constant simultaneous jumping, attacking, and maneuvering. The default face-button layout is much too cumbersome for the speed required, but shifting these crucial inputs to the shoulder buttons completely fixes the mechanical friction.

Finally beat this after many years in the backlog. It's quite fantastic, as most everyone agrees, but it's difficult...lots of precision platforming required and the bosses are no push-overs. Still, it's fun and it's quite humorous too. Definitely one of the best in the genre!

There's a lot to love about this homage to Ninja Gaiden and similar games. The action and platforming are incredibly precise, and the writing has some genuine humor behind it. I'm not sure where I stand on what I spent the majority of my time doing once I got to the Metroidvania aspect of it, as it seemed a bit disjointed from the narrative. I still had fun platforming and challenging myself to get all the power seals, but by the end I was mostly relieved to have finished the game.