Beholgar

[h3]Overview[/h3] I just finished Beholgar. It’s an awesome but pretty tough retro metroidvania. The movement and how you progress through the game feel a lot like Castlevania. It’s super linear and short, but packed full of stuff and enemies. The platforming is fun, though it can be really punishing. [h3]Playtime and Achievements[/h3] I got 6 out of 10 achievements in about 4 hours. If you’re going for the platinum, plan on around 7–10 hours. [h3]Abilities, Weapons, and Progression[/h3] You collect 5 weapons and 3 special attacks. Those special attacks also help you move forward in the game: [list] [*]A big fireball that smashes certain walls [*]A ground pound that breaks special floors [*]An ice block you shoot and freeze so you can climb higher [/list] You can also unlock the ability to hang from ledges and a double jump. There are different throwables that help a lot when you’re trying to get around. [h3]Exploration, Enemies, and Navigation[/h3] Every area has a good mix of different enemies. Checkpoints are everywhere. You can fast travel from any checkpoint to the start of any area, but you can’t jump straight to a specific checkpoint. There’s no map, so backtracking means you have to remember where everything is. [h3]Bosses[/h3] The bosses are fun but mostly easy. The final boss was way too easy. The one before that was the toughest because you have to jump between tiny platforms to dodge its attacks. [h3]Visual Style[/h3] The art looks great. It’s pure old-school retro and really brings back memories of the Nintendo and Super Nintendo days. [h3]Drawbacks[/h3] A few things bugged me: [list] [*]Sometimes if there are too many sprites on screen, your double jump input doesn’t register. [*]Items that enemies drop can fall through the floor and you can’t pick them up. [*]There’s a dodge/roll button, but you still take contact damage from enemies. You can buy an expensive amulet that lets you roll through them safely, but it costs a lot. [*]No map makes backtracking kind of annoying since you have to rely on memory. [h3]Final Verdict[/h3] Overall this is a solid, fun, short game. I’d definitely recommend it if you’re in the mood for a classic retro-style metroidvania. [b]Score: 8/10[/b]