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Games we love: "Infernax"

Game review by Elmer Lexmond

We still find time to play some games now and then, and a lucky find by one of our Game Designers, Elmer Lexmond, is Infernax. Read on to find out more about his thoughts on the game. 

After a grueling campaign abroad, Duke Alcedor returns to his homeland only to find it in shambles. Without moments rest, he embarks on a quest to vanquish the Evil that has taken root.

The setup is simple but effective and launches players into a violent 2D open world action platformer. Punishing platforming and combat challenges are the bread and butter of Infernax. The game is heavily influenced by classic games like Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, but it does a great job of adding some modern touches. Compared to its inspirations, mechanics are tighter, and the two difficulty levels let player choose how much punishment they are willing to put up with.

The twist that Infernax adds to the traditional formula is its morality system. At various points in the game players get to make a binary choice, that changes how certain parts of the game unfold. While this little gimmick adds some replay value to the game, it sometimes feels like reading tea leaves when it comes to predicting the outcome of your decisions. I do still welcome the addition as it breathes some life into the world and breaks up the action of the game.

The presentation of the game is in keeping with the retro feel of the gameplay, sporting a pixelated art style. The full screen splash art that appears before bosses and choices looks great, but the main game itself is a bit bland. Environments and characters aren’t very memorable and, apart from its wonderfully excessive gore, don’t stand out amongst the other pixel art games that are on the market.

All this results in a difficult but fair experience that only occasionally crosses the line into artificial difficulty. There is plenty of content to enjoy with a solid main quest, loads of fun side content and some replay value due to the in-game choices. A solid recommendation for lovers of classic action platformer with some modern quality of life improvements.

Want to see for yourself? Check out Infernax via the link below: 

Infernax on Steam