Janosik

The game is good. It's fast-paced. It's fun and simple.

Janosik is a free retro platformer that surprised me with how much actual game is packed into such a small package. I play as Janosik, a legendary Slovak highlander, as I make my way through a large mountain castle to rescue my captured companions from Count Von Zur. The story is simple, but I do not think it needs to be complicated. The main reason I enjoyed it is the platforming and exploration, and the game gets into that very quickly without wasting time. The castle is set up like a small Metroidvania, with connected areas, secrets and different routes to explore. I spend a lot of my time jumping across hazards, fighting enemies, collecting gold and looking for upgrades. There are also abilities that open up more options as I progress, including a double jump and other useful improvements. I like that the game gives me reasons to explore instead of simply putting a straight path in front of me. Finding a hidden area or a useful upgrade makes wandering around the castle feel worthwhile. The controls are probably the strongest part for me. Janosik moves quickly and the platforming feels responsive, which is important when the game starts throwing more difficult jumps and enemies at me. I can attack, roll and use other abilities while moving through the levels, so the game has a nice balance between platforming and combat. The difficulty can get tougher around certain enemies and bosses, but I generally feel like I can improve through practice rather than the game simply throwing unfair obstacles at me. There are also checkpoints around the more difficult sections, which keeps the frustration under control. I also really like the pixel art. It has that old school platformer look without feeling completely stuck in the past, and the hand drawn environments give the different parts of the castle enough character. The Slovak folklore inspiration also makes the game feel a little different from the usual fantasy platformer. Janosik himself is based on a real legendary figure, and I like that the game takes those stories and turns them into something playful with supernatural elements. The soundtrack fits the retro style well too and helps give the castle a bit more atmosphere. The biggest problem for me is the length. The full game is only around two hours, so I can get through the main adventure fairly quickly. There are secrets and things to collect that give me some reason to explore further, but I still finish feeling like the game could have gone on for longer. The simplicity also means I do not get the huge amount of abilities or systems that I would expect from a much larger Metroidvania. I do not really see that as a major flaw for a free game, but it does stop me from giving it one of my highest ratings. I also think some of the later platforming and boss sections could have been balanced a little better. Most of the challenge feels reasonable, but there are moments where the difficulty jumps up and I have to repeat a section more than I would like. The basic combat can also become predictable because I am mostly using the same attacks against fairly straightforward enemies. Thankfully, the exploration and movement are good enough that I do not mind these limitations too much. The game knows what it wants to be and does not bury the simple platforming under unnecessary systems. Overall, Janosik is a really enjoyable little platformer that gives me exactly the kind of short retro experience I can appreciate. I like the responsive movement, interconnected castle, secrets, upgrades, pixel art and the unusual Slovak folklore setting. The short length and fairly simple combat keep it from reaching the same level as the bigger Metroidvania games I have played, but the fact that it is completely free and has no microtransactions makes the package even easier to appreciate. For me, it is a small game with a lot of charm that does a good job with the fundamentals and leaves me wishing there was simply more of it. Rating: 7.9/10