Infernax Review – Xbox Zone

infernax it’s a game that wants to hit the market and become practically an instant classic. To do this, the game displays many factors that usually accompany the most classic metroidvanias. Thus, we have an 8-bit artistic section that will transport us, whether we like it or not, to another era. We also have a soundtrack that will accompany us throughout the adventure with this marked chiptune. And finally, one of the hottest features lately, diabolical difficulty.

With all that, infernax He has more than enough base to achieve his goal. However, this inspiration from classic titles can make it somewhat soulless. But before we get to that, let’s review the parts. If you want to know more, don’t miss the after analysis.

Infernax does a lot of things right

I think it’s important to point that out. infernax not a bad game. It has what many indie lovers are looking for today, and even more than that, to be able to appeal to a wider audience.. But on the other hand, it’s also missing something that most indie games you see today have; originality.

infernax it’s a metroidvania Classic style. It’s impossible not to watch it and remember that NES castlevania and even nostalgia makes you smile.

Its development is basically similar to a classic castle. We have a weapon, in this case we also have a shield (which if we stand still will be used to block enemy attacks or projectiles) and we have certain skills, which now evolve the NES castlevania genre into something more modern, as we level up and buy gear. But this is not the main innovation of the team. And that’s it, Studio Berzerk gave the game some of the most original mechanics.

It’s time to make decisions

So our protagonist, the knight Alcedor, returns to his country after a long journey, and once he arrives here he discovers that the well-deserved rest will not be such, since it is infested with monsters who will dedicate themselves to doing difficult things. for us.

Really difficult, because the game is complicated with the desire. Any enemy from any corner can make you into mincemeat or throw you against a wall and end your life on the spot. And yet it is also true that the biggest enemies, the bosses, perhaps leave something to be desired. This is perhaps one of the points that caught my attention the most. Although any enemy three to a quarter can easily kill us, the truth is that many of their bosses will be a ride for us.

These big boss fights, they are usually easy to fight by finding their weak point, and if you learn their different attack modes, smaller enemies are sometimes more unpredictable. This is a negative point that interested me personally, because seeing what a sad skeleton is capable of doing to us, I didn’t even want to imagine what a huge demon could do to us.

On the other hand, as I said, infernax dare to try new playable mechanics such as decision making.

Occasionally, and more frequently than might be expected, infernax It immerses us in moments when we have to choose between two options, of which we do not know which can be worse. Do we let this unfortunate who suffers live or do we kill him as he asks? Which decision will be the wisest?

I tell you already. If you kill him, you’ll get this bittersweet feeling, and even your own people may see it as something negative, but if you don’t help him, who makes sure he doesn’t turn into a thirsty demon? of blood ?

These decisions are the axis of the originality of the game. That’s really what makes it primarily unique. The problem is that while the mechanic is fun the first 5 times, it then becomes tedious and, on many occasions, annoying. And that’s bad. Because if its main gameplay becomes tedious, and the rest of the game is 70% the same as the other games, we lack the originality expected of a good indie. This game is unfortunately not Inscription, Loop Hero or Celeste.

Let’s talk graphics.

One of the things he does well infernax is to take us back to our past with highly detailed 8-bit graphics. absurdly detailed.

It’s hard not to be captivated watching the sumptuous colors, well-designed shapes, enemies and main characters unfold before you. who shine especially in the scenes or in the moments of decision. At this point, the truth is that Berzerk Games he did an exquisite job. Details abound, and when you take down an enemy that can bleed (like a zombie), it’s normal for blood to splatter you and stay on Alcedor for a while. The death scenes, with a black background on a red background, are simply exquisite. and the game (as expected, is very smooth.

Sound: a matter of taste

Talking about the sound and music of this game, like many others, is a matter of taste. It is clear that the melodies that sound are very nineties and chiptuneras. But for my personal taste, I think the music does him a disservice in general. The song of the town of Alcedor and surrounding areas can be very annoying, as it is very “insistent” and repetitive.

What starts off as something that seems pretty epic, after a while it gets pretty tiredness. And this unfortunately happens in all scenarios of the game, in which in some cases you will prefer to lower the volume a little rather than continue listening to the same melody constantly.

When it comes to sound effects, there’s a lot of variety, from 8-bit era thunder, sword slashes, and even synth vocals for zombies. All this is very well developed, so we can say that in this aspect the sound section is quite remarkable.

Finally Infernax…

infernax It’s a good game, in fact it’s a very good game. But for my taste it lacks originality. The most innovative moments happen with the decisions that, although successful, soon start to feel somewhat… insufficient. Like Metroidvania, it’s fun and there’s always the point of having to come back for certain side quests or requests.

However, the most recommended thing is to play it and check it out, since the game we are lucky to have it available on Xbox Game Pass. If we add that fortunately is fully localized in Spanish You will surely have a few hours of entertainment ahead of you, between death and death.