Infernax- More Than Just a Love Letter

When people talk about classic 2D action-adventure games such as Castlevania and even Metroid, a lot of the time I’m immediately uninterested. Something about the confusing level layouts, vague clues about where to go next, and crushing frame-perfect difficulty usually culminates in a series of frustrating deaths that causes me to stop playing a couple of hours in. This is why the 2022 game ‘Infernax’, published by The Arcade Crew, caught me by surprise. On the surface, it was all of these things combined, but it never caused me to throw down my controller in frustration. With tight controls, puzzles that weren’t overly obtuse, and a surprisingly engaging decision system, Infernax kept me coming back even after I’d beaten the game over five times. 

Story

Like most classic action-adventure platformers, the story presented in Infernax is largely simple and predictable. However, this lends to the style of Infernax rather well. Much like its forebears, the game centres around saving the world from an evil threat that isn’t fully revealed until the end of the game. Because of this, the only story you’ll really end up getting is from dialogue-sparse cutscenes which essentially tell you what is happening, and how to solve it (albeit in a more sophisticated manner).

Despite this simplicity, its hard to ignore the charm that Infernax provides. In an industry where stories keep getting larger and more intense, the expectation of a no frills narrative is a nice change of pace. However, this expectation is often trumped by something I didn’t expect coming in: choices that influence the world and your character. While it is true that these types of games usually have RPG systems, this is mostly limited to their gameplay. What Infernax does to stand out is integrate a decision system that is more impactful than you may think. For example, at one point you have the choice to either help a helpless skeleton or let it go free. Although the ‘good’ option seems quite obvious, sparing the creature leads it to kill a villager in the local town-putting you down a more ‘evil’ path, which actually surprised me on my first playthrough.

Being more complex than you might think, these choices are a welcome addition, and certainly add to the replayability of the game. This is especially true considering that there are over five unique endings depending on how you decide to play- ranging from ultimate good to ultimate evil (and even a special cowards ending which sees you finish the game in less than a minute). This is impressive, although that wasn’t the main reason for my multiple playthroughs- that honour lies with the gameplay.

Gameplay

Infernax plays beautifully, with tight controls allowing for the most accurate of movements to be completed with ease. You’re going to need it too- since the aesthetic isn’t the only thing that this game borrows from its predecessors: the difficulty follows suit. With hordes of enemies, pixel precise platforms and brutal bosses, Infernax certainly doesn’t pull any of its punches. This is why the gameplay feels so immediately fun. Lucky for you, however, the game doesn’t stop there. As you progress, you unlock new techniques (such as a plunging attack), new spells (like the ability to call forth raven allies), and new armors/weapons, which make facing the horrors from hell just a bit more bearable.

There are also two difficulty modes: classic (which gives you limited lives and sends you right back to your last save upon death) and casual (a more forgiving mode that lets you keep all of your gold and exp when you die- meaning not all is lost). These difficulties are welcome, and although it may spark another debate about difficulty in videogames, I’m of the opinion that choice is almost always better- especially when it lets more people experience the exhilarating highs of beating a boss with only one hit left after multiple tries.

Although there were some instances where the platforming felt a little too punishing (especially in regard to the limited lives), the majority of instances and combat encounters felt perfectly balanced in a way where 99% of my deaths felt like they were my fault. It’s important to note that the difficulty can be reduced at any time, but can’t be cranked back up to classic- making beating the whole game on this difficulty an impressive achievement. The constant threat of death and new enemies makes practically all screens you move to dynamic and fun- and it makes the sparse safe zones and towns feel that much more rewarding to reach.

You aren’t stuck with the original character- Alcedor- either. Once you’ve beaten the game, you can unlock further characters which yet again adds to the replayability. While the dungeons you return to and quests you replay on repeat playthroughs may begin to get stale, the different game styles certainly don’t- all the way to the very end.

Presentation

Infernax nails its homage to retro metroidvanias incredibly well. The 16-bit asthetic transports the player back to the early 90s, and it does so flawlessly. The colours and stand-out enemy designs make the most of its unique style, aiding the gameplay in a way that never becomes overwhelming. As soon as you finish one part of the game, a new platforming idea or combat mechanic comes into play- and with an entirely new area to explore and learn. In this way, Infernax is three for three in terms of replayability.

I can see the music of Infernax being potentially overlooked- with only a few tracks being used for towns, exploration and boss battles, but like most of the game, it is more complex than you’d think. As you make different choices towards good or evil, the music will change to reflect your effect on the world. Not to mention that these tracks never once got repetitive for me- even with many playthroughs.

Enemy design (and boss design especially) kept ramping up as the game continued- presenting me with more and more grotesque beings that felt so good to eventually beat. Beautiful backdrops and the contrasting design of each of the three towns only lend to the amazing way that Infernax presents itself to the player. I don’t think there’s much competition in trying to find a better-looking 16-bit platformer.

Conclusion

Infernax not only nails its attempts at being an homage to action/adventure titles of the early 90s, but it also makes its own strides in a way that feels more like an evolution of the genre- while still remaining true to its roots. As soon as an old way to play starts to lose its novelty, a new move or spell is introduced- allowing things to be constantly engaging and interesting. While faltering at some points with a couple frustrating deaths that I was convinced were not my fault (although they almost definitely were), the game kept me picking it up again and again through many playthroughs- extending the 6 hour first playthrough to an around 25-hour experience. And I was having a lot of fun throughout every minute of it. 

Infernax is not only a game for those with nostalgia for classic metroidvania titles, but for anyone looking for a surprisingly deep videogame that keeps throwing new ideas your way every chance it gets.