Rated on:
switch
On too:
Playstation 5, Playstation 4, Xbox One, PC
Editor:
Die Arcade-Crew
Developer:
Berzerk-Studio
Release:
February 14, 2022
For the first 10 minutes of Infernax, I was faced with the choice of killing or sparing anyone who asked to die. I decided to kill her, and without a moment’s hesitation, my character’s mace crushed her skull. Her face was mutilated, with eyes popping out the sides as the club destroyed everything between her nose and the vertebra on the back of her head. It’s a brutal introduction to the “kill or spare” voting system that shows up a few times in Infernax, and it was just a taste of the carnage that would soon color my crusader’s journey to defeat evil once and for all .
Infernax’s fast and beautiful prologue is reminiscent of Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest, from which this game seems to be heavily inspired. It plays right after you start a new game and sets up what’s in store for you. Infernax is, on the one hand, a homage to the old retro games – sometimes to a fault if you don’t like the blistering difficulty of the NES era – and on the other hand Berzerk Studio’s daring to create something new. For the most part, it skillfully replicates the experiences that shaped this era of gaming.
Click here to view embedded media
You start Infernax as a crusader returning to your homeland, but you haven’t lost your urge to crusade. Cities like Darsov are being overrun by mysterious monsters, seemingly controlled by an evil figure. Pentacles and other satanic relics and images are scattered throughout to remind you that demons and other monstrous beings now haunt these once holy lands. But Alcedor has the power of prayer and a bloody mace at his side. Over the next 10 hours, I would defeat hundreds of monsters, decide the fate of evildoers and unlucky ones, complete quests, and cheekily solve problems while trying to track down and destroy five orbs protecting the great demonic villain plaguing the land . All the while I was always intrigued by what was in the next dungeon or what some mischievous plan some mysterious citizen was up to. Combat alone was enough to get me ahead, but the world Berzerk built was just as interesting.
The game’s Castlevania II inspiration is present throughout Darsov and adjacent areas, and Berzerk skillfully ups the ante, using troubled citizens like cursed husbands or nightmare-ridden children to enjoy the misery that blankets the land. From the start, I believed in Berzerk’s tale of a fiendish figure bringing dark magic to this otherwise normal and sacred place, and not once did it fail in that premise.
Infernax includes some light Metroid and Castlevania style elements that bring new life, entrances and secrets to places you’ve explored dozens of times. A previously unreachable house is just a short jump away after acquiring an ability that will take you high into the sky. You can buy a spell that makes teleporting from one shrine to the next a breeze, and you can buy another that could be the key to discovering a sunken castle. In addition to more subtle world changes like these, a constant cycle of day and night keeps you on your toes. There are more enemies during the day, but they’re easier to kill than the battle-hardened ones that only appear at night.
Click here to view embedded media
I started Infernax with a basic weapon but quickly learned the Shield Charm which saved my life on more than one occasion by reducing the damage I would take. By the time the credits rolled I had several weapons, armor pieces, potion bottles, and over half a dozen spells at my disposal. I found many of these essentials, such as a potion that restored my mana, which in turn allowed me to use my steal life spell again. This spell drains health from nearby enemies to restore my own, and was essential for reaching the deepest depths of Infernax’s many dungeons. Seeing my arsenal grow was great, but I was disappointed that weapons and armor didn’t really change my approach to combat. When I bought a new club it felt the same as the one I used before – it just hits harder. When I first booted up Infernax and saw that I had four weapon slots, I was excited to see how different weapons could mix up the action. Unfortunately, combat doesn’t develop much as the game progresses, apart from spells that heavily affect how you approach combat.
I mostly used spells that boosted my health and boosted my defenses, but more offensive magic, like the ability to infuse my weapon with holy light that can be thrown at enemies from afar, was in hand more than a couple of times .
Some spells help with exploration, although I wish Infernax communicated more clearly when you need a spell to advance in certain areas. For example, you unlock an ability that allows your hero to shoot high in the air. Shortly thereafter, you’ll unlock an ability that lets you zoom through the air either left or right. More than once I ran into a gap that looked like I needed to quickly charge right with these two abilities and then immediately launch up. However, I was never able to pull off this maneuver. Instead, I was missing a spell that summons a crow that could fly to a lever that reveals a bridge. I loved this spell and how it contributed to my ability to move forward. Unfortunately, Infernax doesn’t always clearly state what skills you’ll need to overcome certain obstacles, leading to some of those frustrating moments.
Click here to view embedded media
Such annoyances are minor bugs, however, because in my 10 hours with Infernax, I spent less than an hour dealing with issues like these. Some dungeon layouts are frustrating, and losing all of your lives will send you straight back to your last save. This meant I had to constantly remember to save at the shrine just outside the dungeon before actually entering it. Thankfully, Infernax’s difficulty feels fair, and I almost always felt like it was my fault for dying and not an element beyond my control.
If you’re playing in classic mode, you’ll be sent back to your last save point when you’ve used up all your life. Because saving is manual only, if you don’t save for an hour, a few mistakes can cost you a full hour of progress. Of course, you can always switch off classic mode to play casual mode, which saves some of your money and experience when the game is over. I stuck with Classic throughout my journey, even with the pesky progression resets. I liked that the casual mode was a bit more accessible, but unfortunately you can’t switch back to classic once you switch to casual, which is a shame because I mostly enjoyed the challenge of Classic.
My time with Infernax was marked by wonderful “ahh ha!” moments of discovery, a challenging gameplay loop, unique bosses, and tons of beautiful 8-bit gore and guts. I just hope that a sequel (which I’d love to see) cleans up and streamlines some of the minor frustrations that have spoiled this otherwise fun and retro romp.
From the moment you enter these demon-infested lands to the moment you deal the killing blow to the game’s final boss, you’re in for a lot of surprises – the Konami code, for example, does something really cool. Infernax’s retro soundtrack that rips from start to finish, beautiful art, challenging gameplay, and a fun Castlevania-inspired design make it well worth the price of admission.
This review is for the Switch version of Infernax. The game is also available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.
Result: 8
About Game Informer’s review system This may interest you : Two Hundred Ways out now on Xbox.
Buy
Those: https://www.gameinformer.com/review/infernax/8-bit-blood-on-my-hands
–
