The Messenger game Review: Shuriken Sharp
The Messenger: A nugget that hides its game very well!First game in the all-new Sabotage Studio, The Messenger appears at first glance to be an action / platform game with 8-bit retro dynamics. However, he has much, much more to reveal…
In The Messenger, you play as a young ninja, eager for adventure, although forced to stay in his native village. It is without any desire that you go to the umpteenth training of one of the old wise men of the hamlet, who reminds you that you must prepare for the possible arrival of the Demon King, a mythical creature which will annihilate all souls who live in these places according to the prophecy. Unfortunately, not even time to drink the tea that the prophecy comes true: the Demon King disembarks, sows fire and blood before the legendary Hero of the West arrives on his flying mount to save you! Immediately, he makes you a messenger, giving you a Parchment to take to safe harbor crossing a world you have never known. A mission that you start with joy!
First important point which is not reflected in this summary: The Messenger swims in the second degree. Humor is omnipresent to such an extent that it becomes one of the great assets of the experience. After a few game screens, you will come across the merchant, a character of great importance in your adventure. Constantly, the latter questions your intelligence, taunts you, while reminding you from time to time that all this is only a video game, of which the hero (gifted with "speech" too), is just as aware. For example, this merchant will often tell you stories whose morality turns out to be preposterous, even in the wrong direction. Other times, it gets lost in philosophical speeches, especially if you insist a good twenty times to open the strange cupboard which thrones in a corner. The same goes for dialogues with bosses, the latter always having things to tell you.
THE NINJA OF OLD TIMES
The Messenger: A nugget that hides its game very well!
In appearance, The Messenger is a stylish 8-bit platform / action game right down to the pixel and decibel. Although a few enemies try to block your way, most obstacles call for the hero's agility. And devil, that the latter is agile! Few games provide such feelings of speed and control at the same time, thanks to the ability to hover, climb walls and use a grappling hook to hold on to anything and everything. The fluidity of the ninja's movements is exhilarating, especially when it is added to the main feature: the Cloud Leap, which allows you to jump again each time you attack an enemy, an object or even a projectile. Once all the skills are unlocked, we navigate the levels at a crazy speed, over ravines that seemed insurmountable an hour earlier.
The Messenger: A nugget that hides its game very well!
Obviously, the challenge fits the gameplay in an intelligent way, with many rooms appealing to your precision and your sense of timing. This is particularly the case with the Seals of Power, which are completely optional: these challenges, in hidden rooms, can be particularly devious, but are worth the detour since a (nice) reward awaits you if you find them all. For the rest of the challenge, we find the great classics such as switches to open doors for a certain time, mechanisms to activate or even numbers of tightrope walkers above peaks or bottomless holes. With a meticulous level design which is inspired by the biggest (in particular Mega Man, but also more recent titles), The Messenger does not miss the boat.THE TREE THAT HIDES THE FOREST
The Messenger: A nugget that hides its game very well!If we have already told you a lot, know that The Messenger is absolutely not the game you think. So this is where it’s going to be difficult for me to say a lot without spoiling you. Since the first teaser ended on a visual detail, this is the only thing that we will reveal in these lines (please, do not watch the trailers which already show too much). The Messenger is not content with its 8-bit design: know that the game, the character, the music and all the decorations can go into 16-bit mode thanks to magic doors. And if you think that it is only a visual element, you are wrong: like a Zelda III: A Link to the Past, each of the two versions of the world has its particularities and it will be necessary to pass from one to the other to discover the many tricks of the game. These constant twists between the 8-bit and 16-bit versions are a real pleasure of level design which, believe us, are worth the detour!
The Messenger: A nugget that hides its game very well!
How to go further without saying too much? This is a very complicated matter. We haven't even revealed THE main feature to you, which arrives after several hours of play. If you want to take full advantage of The Messenger, you'll have to take our word for it, or read another test that will tell you more at the risk of not not discover for yourself what remains an excellent surprise. Even the scenario reveals itself progressively, explaining among other things the 8-bit / 16-bit passages. Anyway, The Messenger is a must-have for all fans of retro games, but also of intelligent mechanics and demanding platform games without turning to pure Die & Retry. Frankly, go for it.The notes
+ Positive points
The awesome game design pirouette
Level design, full of good ideas
Goofy scenes breaking the fourth wall
Double retro style with mastered pixel art
Very good B.O.
The scenario which does not lack surprises
The challenges of the Seals of Power
Excellent lifespan, more than twelve hours
-Negative points
Lack of clarity during the last hours of play
Some unpleasant 8-bit tones
The Messenger is the game you have to discover without knowing anything about it. Forgetting the usual structure of 99% of video games, he initially gave us an action game / 8-bit platforms of very good quality before continuing the scenic, graphic and playful pirouettes for a striking and grandiose result. Armored with humor, he will speak particularly to fans of the "genre" thanks to exhilarating gameplay and multiple ideas that are revealed throughout the adventure. Forget the old-fashioned style of the first images, The Messenger is a bomb hidden under an old cape to better stick to your seat. A must !
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