Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider Assessment (PS5)

There are not any scarcity of 16-bit throwbacks on the PS Retailer, however some stand head and shoulders above the remaining. The forgettably named Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is one such launch: a white-knuckle mixture of Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Grasp on SEGA Genesis and Mega Man X on the Tremendous Nintendo, full with a Mode 7-inspired bike chase sequence and an H.R. Giger-infused cyberpunk pixel artwork aesthetic – that is important for retro lovers.

A politically charged storyline involving a totalitarian state backdrops the throwback motion, however all you really want to know is that you simply’re a man-made samurai-wielding tremendous soldier who’s rejected your true objective and launching an offensive in your creators. This units the stage for a number of assorted ranges, every with their very own distinctive flavour, foes, and boss fights. You may clear the marketing campaign inside a number of hours, however there’s replay worth to find all the secrets and techniques and reaching a excessive rating.

As you’d count on of the period the title’s impressed by, the gameplay is punishing – however not frustratingly so. Developer JoyMasher has neatly put in checkpoints to minimise repetition, and also you’ll start to grasp fight patterns fairly rapidly, providing you with a gratifying benefit over your foes. The controls are tight, permitting you to settle right into a circulation of platforming and fight, which is gratuitous and violent in the absolute best manner. (Some enemies will actually slide aside as you rip your sword by means of their torso.)

As you uncover secrets and techniques, you’ll unlock augments which may complement your playstyle. In some situations, these can be utilized to make the gameplay extra manageable – like growing your armour on the expense of your rating being capped – whereas others level out collectibles. Very like within the aforementioned Mega Man, you may deal with the degrees in any order, and also you’ll unlock new particular weapons with every boss you defeat, including a component of technique to the way you method the marketing campaign.

Every degree feels distinctive, and goes by means of phases that make sure the gameplay stays attention-grabbing and fascinating. And it’s all complemented by a jaw-dropping artwork model, which may really feel just a little grungy from time to time, however has some true standout set-piece moments – just like the boss enemies that fill your entire display. A CRT toggle is out there for true retro lovers, however we most popular to play with unfiltered, razor-sharp 4K pixels. And we beloved each minute.