TUCSON, Ariz. — Riding a wild wave of 1990s nostalgia, "Infernax" coasts to glory on the shoulders of its mace-wielding hero.
The hero, Alcedor, obliterates cheap shot-taking enemies with a swing of his deadly weapon.
Returning home from battle to find his homeland ravaged by monsters, he romps and stomps his way through levels strewn with hidden secrets and chuckle-inducing menaces.
With inspirations drawn from the likes of "Zelda II: The Adventure of Link," "Castlevania" and "Metroid" games, "Infernax" is a retro gamer's delight.
While many games cash in on the legacy of gaming's golden era, few do so with as much skill and relish as "Infernax."
The dev team at Berzerk Studio must be loaded with talent.
References to past games abound, and meme-worthy moments pulse out of the oddball antics the game offers.
Bursting with oddball boss fights and multiple endings, replayability abounds.
True to its influences, the game leans on the difficult side at its base modes, but developers threw players a bone by adding a casual mode, that makes the proceedings less punishing.
A surprise early treat in the gaming year, "Infernax" wears its heritage proudly and is unfraid to bash its way into bold new directions.
It's a tricky proposition for a game to make you smile even as it crushes your soul, but "Infernax" is up to the task.
Publisher provided review code.
This story was originally published on KGUN9.com
