I’ve been following the development of Berserk Boy for a long time, ever since seeing a post on Twitter showing off some sprites and mechanics that went a little viral. I’m a huge fan of action platformers, especially ones like Mega Man X, Rocket Knight, the Gunvolt series, and more! I was entranced by the deliberate flow of the gameplay shown, which felt so well thought-out with its design and the promise of more forms to use that I couldn’t help but get hyped up about this one.
Berserk Boy
Developer: BERSERKBOY GAMES
Price: $20.00
Platform: PS4, PS5, PC (reviewed), Xbox Series & Nintendo Switch
MonsterVine was supplied with Steam code for review
The story does about as much as it needs to do in its efforts to frame all of the action and levels. You play as Kei, a rookie hero who obtained the power of a Berserk Orb! The Berserk Orb is a power mcguffin that allows Kei (and others) to assume the power of an elemental form. Of course, it wouldn’t feel right if there wasn’t a power-hungry evil genius trying to get all the Berserk Orbs and that would be Dr. Genos!
The music was composed by the always excellent Tee Lopez so you know this has a really nice and varied soundtrack that has equal parts absolute ear-worm bangers and songs that are the perfect accent piece to a slower moment in the game. That and the absolutely excellent pixel art found throughout it made the whole game jump off the screen and immerse you in a fun and engaging way. I felt the atmosphere and general vibe they establish with visuals + Music does a better job hooking you than the story does which feels so old school in the best way. Sometimes you don’t need a sweeping, epic story to accompany a love letter to fans of action-platforming it seems!
Let’s talk a little bit about the gameplay, and I’ll start with how the lightning form works, as it is what a lot of the sections are designed for. You can dash off in any of the 8 directions at high speeds, and if you hit an enemy you will bounce off of them and you will see an electric chain connecting the two of you. At this point, you could dash off and maybe attempt to hit another enemy (if you hit an enemy you regain your air dash) and you can tag them as well, or shoot out a powerful electric burst to do big damage! Now, while you can dash again after hitting an enemy, your electric burst will not be able to be used again until you land on the ground. This is where it all starts to get your gears turning. Can I link one more enemy? Is it too far from the first? Will I be able to continue my momentum if I commit to linking every enemy in range?
Just the base form is a ton of fun to use, and of course, there is a shop to upgrade skills and get new ones, so this dance only gets more complex as time goes on. Take that, and factor in 4 more forms that all have their mechanics, attacks, upgrades, and ways to interact with the stage and you have some amazingly complex potential for you to unlock in Berserk Boy, that certainly seems to be the intention with its design and the developer pushes it to the limit.
The other forms are very cool, but they feel a little bit more specific than the lightning one but honestly, that is fine because the main form is the link between them all. With some smart playing, you will be changing forms constantly, pulling off crazy platforming feats, and enemies won’t stand a chance! Speaking of enemies, I do have to say that I think enemy variety is a weak point in this game, I wish we had some more types to put into the puzzle, but I suspect it may be the way it is on purpose. But it doesn’t change that a smidge more, or even just visual redesigns for areas would make it all feel much more fresh, the rooms that spawn a bunch of enemies are the least interesting part of the game once you make it halfway through it.
The Final Word
All in all, Berserk Boy turned out to be exactly what I had hoped it would be when I saw the previews of early development. It is hot-blooded, high-octane action platforming excellence that the layman will enjoy the run, but enthusiasts of the genre will find a thrilling test of their skills and innovation as you try to keep that combo up and get the highest score possible. A great price point, an awesome developer, and a TON of talent on display make this a must-have for any fans of the genre.
– MonsterVine Rating: 4.5 out of 5 – Great
