B. E.

A true masterpiece. This game takes the Metroidvania style, twisting and refining it into something original, and polishing it to a shine. The art and animation is stunning. The soundtrack and sound effects add an incredible level of immersion. The characters are intriguing, comedic, charming, just like the whole game. And then there's the actual game-play: challenging platforming and combat without ever feeling unfair. Should you take too much damage, you'll respawn at the last resting point, and have the chance to reclaim your lost money, if you can brave your way back to where you fell. As you progress through the game, you unlock new areas, new bosses, new tools that help you traverse and discover a location that was previously inaccessible, or customize your character with a brand new ability. The world feels huge as you walk through it, completely open for you to explore at your leisure, and each area is full of secrets to those willing to look. There's a fast travel system that lets you travel to big areas, or an innovative portal that you can set anywhere and travel back to as needed. Everything feels alive and brimming with mystery, the backstory of the infected world slowly being revealed by the fading memories of its survivors or discovered signs in the crumbling ruins. You might skip right over them, if you want. But I found myself wanting to explore everywhere, to learn everything I could. Playing straight through gives you a tragic ending, and you could leave it at that. But there are multiple endings if you're willing to put in the time and discover a few secrets. When the credits rolled, I couldn't believe it was made by so few people. And the DLC is free. And there's another game on the horizon, featuring another of it's fascinating characters. I could never recommend this game enough.