Time-bending action platformer game for PC
The Messenger is a premium action for PC made by developer Sabotage Studio. This retro 2D platformer centers around a young ninja who journeys through a cursed world and is tasked with delivering an important scroll that would help save his village from an invading demon army.
Similar to Dead Cells or Skul: The Hero Slayer, The Messenger feature charming pixel graphics, fast-paced and challenging gameplay, as well as open-world exploration inspired by Metroidvania titles. The game also features an award-winning original soundtrack that was created by a renowned chiptune composer using the popular Famitracker software.
An adventure through time
The Messenger starts in a small ninja village ravaged by the Demon King. You’re one of the ninjas who survived, and a mysterious westerner gives you a mysterious scroll to deliver to the top of the mountain to save your clan. When you get there, you’re instead given a new mission, sending you 500 years into the future to defeat the general of the demon army.
Thus, begins your journey through dual timelines. The two worlds you’ll be exploring feature 8-bit and 16-bit graphics as a nod to the classic game console generations that inspired them. A blue-robbed shopkeeper will offer upgrades, and a demon companion named Quarble saves you from death. They will help as you face a variety of enemies and bosses you’ll encounter on your adventures.
There are various hidden secrets spread throughout both timelines for you to discover. You also get to choose from multiple branching paths that will affect your playthrough depending on which one you take. However, this Metroidvania aspect to the gameplay ends up being poorly executed. The second half of the game becomes a series of tedious fetch quests and constant backtracking to unlock sections of the map.
Half-awesome, half-baked
The Messenger starts off strong with solid gameplay that will keep you engaged with its moment-to-moment action and intriguing story. However, by the time you reach the second half, things start to shift and focus on tiresome quests that feel more like fodder than actually contributing to the experience. It’s still a lot of fun to play if it’s a bit uneven overall.
