Berserk Boy Review

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Fast Facts

Going Berserk

Berserk Boy is a game set in the distant future, where a mad scientist is looking for ways to enslave humanity with the help of his army of darkness. Humans’ last hopes lie squarely on the shoulders of The Resistance. This is where Kei, a rookie hero, comes into play. He lends support to The Resistance with his mysterious powers, turning him into the eponymous Berserk Boy.

Berserk Boy is a 2D action platformer reminiscent of classic 8-bit and 16-bit era games. Players are thrown into a level and need to destroy the enemies in their path in order to reach the level’s boss. Luckily, our little protagonist has a unique way of attacking said enemies thanks to his Orbs.

At first, in his default outfit, Kei will beat enemies by punching them. He can also punch to break destructible obstacles in his path. Later, when having acquired his first Orb, he’ll instead be able to unleash an electric attack. However, the key to beating enemies lies in Kei’s dashing ability. With the Electric Orb, dashing into enemies creates a short tether with a B prompt that will allow players to dish out damage to enemies.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

In an interesting twist, the game also includes a Mega Man-like feature whereby particular bosses drop Orbs that Kei can acquire to then use their elemental characteristics. For example, one of the earlier bosses rewards Kei with a Fire Orb which be used not only to beat enemies with its unique skill set, but also to solve puzzles or reach new areas.

In addition to moving, attacking and dashing on level ground, Kei can reach new areas by wall jumping, slam breakable walls and also dashing in mid-air. If Kei’s health should get low, thankfully, health items to replenish it are available. You can also collect items to fill up a power meter that allows our hero to unleash a devastating attack.

Looks good, sounds good

Visually, Berserk Boy looks great. Each level has its own unique theme and utilises a rich colour palette that distinguishes each area from one another. The level of detail on Kei and the various enemies is quite surprising when considering the game’s style; it shows how far technology has come in terms of details for classic pixelated experiences.

The soundtrack for Berserk Boy is another banger from Tee Lopes, the same dude behind the Sonic Mania and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge scores (among others). It feels both familiar and new at the same time. Each level’s tune goes neatly hand-in-hand with its theme and visuals.

The pixelated genre is alive and well

As much as I can try to nitpick, there isn’t anything inherently wrong with Berserk Boy. However, there are certain sequences that do require a certain amount of skill and strong reflexes as you need to quickly juggle between your various abilities in order to keep progressing. As such, if you don’t master Kei’s skills, some sections of the game might test your patience.

Berserk Boy is a great addition to the 2D action platformer genre. While the story is a bit of a throwaway, the gameplay is solid. The unique take on the Mega Man formula works well, boss battles offer a fair challenge and levels’ unique themes offer a bevy of diverse terrains to get through by using the skills at your disposal. Berserk Boy is definitely one of the best gaming experiences of 2024 so far.

Rapid Reviews Rating

4.5 out of 5

4.5

Berserk Boy can be purchased on the Nintendo eShop.