Valfaris

Valfaris is a video game. It is not art aping as a video game, it is not an unpublished novel pretending at being a video game, nor is it Pravda wearing the flayed skin of a video game. Valfaris is a video game, as it should be. In this 2D platformer, our laconic protagonist returns to his home to vanquish the evil that has infested it and quest for the truth. This noble mission is accompanied by one the best soundtracks to a video game that I have ever heard. The pixilation excellently done but it falls flat only because this animation style has become ubiquitous with indie games. I find the controls a bit stiff but after acclimatizing, this game plays smoothly and is consistent in its platforming and hitbox detection. I find the difficulty level quite manageable and most importantly this game is fun. I highly recommend you get it. The Steel Mantis and Big Sugar crew nailed this. 10/10

I seriously can't fathom why so little people have heard of Valfaris. Do yourself a favor - don't be one of them. Check out this masterpiece of a 2D action platfomer. Apart from everything else, it's also unique in a very original way - player CHOOSES the difficulty. No-no.. Not in the menu.. Not when starting the game... You can "vary" difficulty DURING gameplay using in-game tools! Player can either make the challenge easier, but partially sacrifice one's ability to upgrade gear, or make it truly challenging by avoiding checkpoints. Or anywhere in between! I have to say, this is one of the main reasons I enjoyed the experience - you're in control when it comes to both the gameplay AND the level of challenge. EXCELLENT job, guys!

Valfaris is a side-scrolling shooter, a tribute to games like Contra and Turrican. The game surprised me very positively, but there are some low points to be aware of: 1. There are a lot of weapons, but some of these I found simply useless. One type of pistol didn't even do any damage to a boss, despite having upgraded it a lot. 2. On the first run, the collectibles for upgrading weapons will not be enough to cover all the kinds that you will find along the way. I had painfully made it to the final boss with almost all the weapons at the third level, not knowing which to bet on more, but this was not enough to defeat him. I had to start all over again, this time choosing to upgrade the weapons I really needed. 3. There are serious difficulty spikes. In advanced levels, it becomes very difficult: if we want to make comparisons with Contra, think about Contra: Hard Corps. Though, the controls are razor-sharp, sound, graphics and animation are great. Also, once the game is over, if you decide to start a new game, you will retain all upgrades made so far, so you can continue to upgrade them. Plus, you will be given a bonus weapon for defeating the final boss. There are secret rooms. When you finish the game, the number of discovered secrets will appear along with the total number present in entire game, in case you want to discover them all on the second run. A few words about soundtrack. There are beautiful tracks that can fit perfectly on a music disc, and some are passable. In any case, all fits well and accompanies the player with atmospheres and guitar riffs in the right moments. Particular praise to the rhythm section - that really rocks! If you are a metalhead, the Deluxe version with separate MP3 audio tracks is highly recommended. Anyway, I recommend this game to anyone who likes the old-school shooters and to anyone who is not afraid of challenges. Arm yourself with your favorite drink and go destroy them all!

Can't believe it took me this long to finally play this game. As the title says, it's way better than their previous game: same high level visuals and music, less punishing and more dynamic gameplay. It's not that hard, even in Full Metal Mode (new game+), and I dropped Slain about halfway through. Valfaris got nothing on Contra or Metal Slug, because you don't die in one hit. But yeah, checkpoints are manual, weapon upgrades are optional, so you can make the game unbeatable all by yourself. It took me about 4 hours to beat it both times, nice lenght for run'n'gun. Only thing I didn't like is weapon upgrade system, because you can't respec your points and to upgrade every gun you'll need to beat the game 3 times. Well, maybe 2, if you'll find all secrets. You can beat it with any gun you want, but some just work better. Overall, highly recommend it. Really good, polished and finely tuned action game.

To me it's an excellent example of a game I could have played on Genesis, but with updated modern graphics and music. Professional metal soundtrack, and the pixel art is flat out incredible with a high level of detail and gorgeous rich colors. It's a shoot em up that's lenient by the standards of that genre, as you don't die in one hit, but still challenging. My first playthrough took over 8 hours, but subsequent ones are more in the area of 4 which makes it a great and full feeling game to play in one sitting. Your abilities are generous for the genre as well, as you have a melee attack which you can focus your play around if you wish. You can use it while moving, and it replenishes your 'mana' bar which is used for your heavy weapon and for your shield. The shield in particular is one of the modern sensibilities present in this retro style game, as it can be used for parrying melee and ranged attacks (catching projectiles and shooting them back), but you can be guard broken if trying to block with no 'mana.' There are very light RPG elements in the form of multiple weapons (light, heavy, and melee) which can be upgraded using "blood metal." Some are secret. The game feels noticeably different depending which weapons you use, making some areas and bosses easier or harder than others across playthroughs. It also features an innovative save system, where checkpoints are activated using collectible "resurrection idols," but this is optional. You may choose to risk replaying a longer section of the game in exchange for hoarding your idols, which can be traded at specific points for blood metals to get more upgrades. There's 8-10 levels which you move through seamlessly without transitions. It leans scifi but this is a fantasy world as well. The story is simple but builds an intriguing world which directly connects to the dev's previous game "Slain!" and sets up a sequel which I do believe is being made. It's epic, cool, and just feels good to play. Video games.