The Messenger (PC) Review

Ninja-tastic.

 The Messenger is a 2D platformer brought to us by indie studio Sabotage and published by Devolver Digital. Focusing on a ninja's journey to reach the top of a mountain to deliver a sacred scroll to protect his clan, The Messenger is inspired by the likes of the brutal Ninja Gaiden games, and it's one of the year's biggest surprises for me.

You are the titular messenger out to save his ninja clan from a demon threat by delivering a sacred scroll to the top of a mountain. Along the way, you'll come to know that a great deal of time travel is involved and you'll be traveling back and forth between present and future in order to eradicate the demon threat. The story was fun overall thanks to some great writing, plethora of likeable characters, and the humours interactions with said characters. For the most part, the plot is self-aware and it doesn't seem to care with frequent fourth-wall breaks that were pretty entertaining.

The story was interesting thanks to many 

fun moments and likable characters.

 The Messenger is a 2D platformer in the vein of the old NES Ninja Gaiden games. You start off by controlling the messenger as he slashes enemies with his sword while jumping through platforms. Initially, you start with a basic sword but you receive a special air-jump technique early on which grants you an extra jump after successfully hitting enemies and objects. Later on, you also get access to the likes of a hook shot, which latches on to enemies, and a glider that decreases your descent all from the shop. At certain points in levels, you'll come across checkpoints, some of which are conveniently placed alongside shops.

 Speaking of shops, by spending time shards (the game's abundant currency) there, you can buy a slew of upgrades from new moves to learn, health boosts, to passive upgrades such as replenishing more health at checkpoints. There's also a special ability to lookout for, which is throwing ranged shurikens at enemies that depletes Ki, your energy meter. Of course you cant talk about the shop without mentioning its sassy shopkeeper, who always has something new to say by cracking up fun stories and interacting with him over the course of the story.

The gameplay is solid and snappy, though

I recommend that you use a controller.

 The best parts of the gameplay are when you're fighting against bosses. While most have a simple strategy to note down, the real challenge lies in evading and memorizing their onslaught of oncoming attacks while staying alive yourself. Much of the fights were cool and refreshingly, some bosses generally end up being nice for a change after you beat them. That being said, you'll die a lot in the game, which isn't entirely a bad thing since much of them can be attributed to you messing up. When you die, a cheeky creature named Quarble will accompany you and take all time shards you collect for a brief period in exchange for allowing you to live. It's a unique twist to the traditional live system and I wish more games would implement this feature.

The Messenger is difficult at times, 

but remains a fair challenge.

 In a surprising twist, The Messenger is also a Metroidvania! This is where the game slows down considerably and takes a huge shift to a more exploration-based focus. In order to access the final boss area, you'll have to hunt down several music notes scattered throughout the levels. So a great deal of backtracking is in store, thankfully, there's a new twist to it: time travel. Basically, there will several time wraps that will teleport you between the present and future in which you can manipulate the environment to enter paths that were once unaccusable. You also change appearance based on what time you're in too. Additionally, it's not all recycled material as there a couple of new areas to explore as well as several bosses to beat too.

 Furthermore, it took me over 15 hours to slash through the main story. In terms of replay-value, there's little incentive to go back as once you finish the first playthrough, as you've basically seen much of what the game has to offer. There are secret seals that, upon collecting, will grant a neat bonus but make no mistake, they're a pain to get. Still, it's worth the asking price as the adventure is a pretty lengthy one. 

 Many indie games today follow a retro-styled approach to the visuals and sound design, and The Messenger is no different. While it's hard being impressed after playing dozens of games using the same aesthetic, the game is still pleasant to look at. When switching between 8 and 16-bit visuals, you can tell that a great deal of effort went into making them feel authentic as possible to the eras that inspired the game. The sprites, backgrounds, and even the small touches such as the lighting and water effects were detailed and colorful. The soundtrack is also good with many great tracks to listen to. A big standout for me was the catchy Autumn Hills theme.

The Messenger is a treat to watch.

 I wasn't expecting much when I first played The Messenger, but I was pleasantly surprised with the game's charming cast and addictive gameplay. Throw in neat a retro-aesthetic and The Messenger is among my favorite games of the year so far. Despite some pacing issues in the second act and lack of enemy variety, it was fun zipping through stages and slashing through enemies along the way. It's not for the easily frustrated as the game demand constant focus, but if that sounds like your cup of tea, then jump right in. At $20, you can't go wrong with The Messenger... unless you're not a fan of platformers...