Berserk Boy
This Berserk Boy review was a long time coming and before I begin I’d like to give thanks to the BerserkBoy Games dev themselves for giving us a copy to review. I discussed this game a few years ago back when it was a beta, infamously earning myself a negative score low enough to become a punchline itself. Fortunately, the release version wasn't as brutal, offering a healthy number of stages of varying degrees of challenge. One of the things I felt worked really well with the beta was Berserk Boy's movement, specifically his dashes.
In games like Protodroid Delta, I praised movement as being a core mechanic for any Mega Man X-styled game whether it was 3D or 2D. Berserk Boy nails this down with the default Berserk form, as Kei lightning dashes into enemies, using them as platformers to cross over hazards. In early levels, objects and enemies are strategically placed, rewarding inquisitive players with collectible emblems and hostages. These are scattered across the game's fifteen levels, both required for the game's completion. In later levels, the platforming becomes tricky, requiring the player to utilize their powers in unique ways.
When the player finds 100% of the hostages for a level, they unlock an EX version of that level. These levels require the player to engage in time trials, offering a unique challenge separate from Berserk Boy. There are no checkpoints either and failure means returning to the beginning of the level. Between these and the latter levels, the platforming reminded me of the Klonoa series in its creativity. There are multiple ways to get across various levels as players can follow the intended path. They can also stray off the beaten path with different forms, like Soaring Wind, by taking flight.
In total, there are five different hub worlds with three "acts" in each zone. The structure usually goes as the first two stages being a "Get from Point A to Point B" 2D platformer deal. Similar to what one would see in Super Mario or Sonic. Some levels have bosses at the end, yet every third act features the Zone Boss at the end. There are four bosses guarding a specific elemental orb and defeating them unlocks a new element for Kei.
Berserk Boy's progression system gives players agency in how much of a challenge they want their experience to be. From the beginning, players can decide if they want unlimited lives or a limited number of lives i.e. "Retro" mode much like Crash Bandicoot 4. I notice other platformer titles following this format and it should be the standard moving forward. Lives are good for the "retro aesthetic" but if players are score hunting, deaths take away from a score enough to encourage players to perform cleanly. This was one of the few games that looked just as good with the CRT filter as it did without. That's because Berserk Boy is naturally a colorful game, much like the X series was at the time.
Even down to its story, Berserk Boy is retro-inspired as the plot centers around a group of heroes defeating a supervillain to prevent a doomed planet. The plot is very Sonic Adventure-ish with a lot less stakes involved than what one would see from Mega Man X. It's a plot that doesn't take itself seriously and has enough banter among the dialogue to get a chuckle or two out of me. The music helps tie the gameplay, story, and graphics together thanks to Tee Lopes. The very same Tee Lopes of Sonic Mania, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shredder's Revenge, and several other iconic soundtracks. Lopes continues to capture the spirit of the game he's composing for as Berserk Boy's flavor is a blend of tunes I would hear from X5 among others.
To get the "true ending," the player will need to collect emblems as mentioned earlier. However, the player will not collect every emblem on their "first run" as the first level alone requires abilities that Kei won't unlock until the latter half of the game. It's a neat way to extend the playtime of Berserk Boy and it's something seen in other Naughty Dog platformers. The Crash and Jax series were no stranger to this. It's the same feeling of finding Yoshi on top of Princess Peach's castle once the player collects all 120 stars. Granted, Berserk Boy doesn't ask the player to acquire every emblem, but two-thirds of them. Again, it's not that much different from Super Mario 64.
Overall, Berserk Boy was a fun title to observe from the beta years ago up until now. The developer and everyone who had made this project into a successful release worked hard on the final product. While I won't spoil the ending sequence, it gave me a certain "Rush" that reached Sonic levels. Arguably my favorite part of the game was the brief moment that the player was able to explore the boundary outside of the safe area. The dimly lit urban decay as the reprise of the main theme plays while Kei wanders through dangerous territory. It gave me Jack Move vibes and at times I wish I was able to explore that organic side of Berserk Boy.
Hopefully, there is a sequel that expands on a potential "Metroidvania-like" with this idea in mind. I don't believe anyone has attempted that with the Mega Man formula, but that would be impressive. Thankfully, games like Berserk Boy are still being created that encourage reviewers and fans of video games like myself to continue to dream about future game ideas. Hopefully, someone out there can take this idea and run with it!
Berserk Boy is currently available on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Nintendo Switch.