A quite fun and addictive short and arcadey roguelike with very simple and easy to get control due to its original development also aimed at mobile. The gem-based economy and the random power-ups you get after each level helps keep things a little fresher between runs, and you are pushed into a risk/reward playstyle in order to keep up combos and earn more gems (Even if just for personal satisfaction, for some weird reason the rewards from them stop at a low cap) and when you get a good run and beat the boss, it's a great feeling...

...The problem comes with the "hard mode" you unlock after your first victory. I understand the intention of trying to give you more gems to unlock extra palettes, but I just can't shake the feeling its sole reasoning for its existence was "just fill the screen with more enemies lol" which just ends up being frustrating and a stain on the otherwise solid design.

Basically, just keep playing through Normal difficulty runs and don't approach the Hard mode unless you're an achievement maniac, you'll have much more fun with a breezy experience ideal for shorter periods.

I gotta admit, I didn't expect to have as much fun as I did.

I hadn't any previous experiences with Kojima's Metal Gear saga before playing this, and it was also my first hack and slash game, and overall I feel like this was a pretty nice introduction to both. The combat felt super satisfying, and I barely felt any attacks I didn't dodge or parry were the game's fault (although there were a few instances nonetheless) and, although there combos are somewhat lackluster, it feels good to chain lots of attacks to fill your energy bar and zandatsu various enemies at once.

The story is kinda weird, as it tries to juggle following up the world after the core MGS saga and being as standalone as possible, but nonetheless, it's very entertaining, that's the word I'd use. The shifting between serious topics and discussions to full-blown hilarious absurdity is near seamless, and I have to give props for that.

Overall I can recommend this to anyone seeking some great action. Don't be fooled by the "it's way too short" comments; the story mode is, yes, but besides that there's 2 DLC stories, collectibles and a nice amount of VR missions to waste hours in, so you won't feel you've wasted your money!

This is definitely one of the best "retro" games you could ever purchase. The core game is already great on it's own, with its challenging levels, fun and creative level design, items and bosses, and even a big potential for speedruning, accompanied of wonderful chiptunes... and then there's the extra content.

Plague of Shadows... is OK. I like Plague Knight and I had fun playing through the campaign, but some elements like the bomb customization don't feel very useful at all, as you'll mostly end up sticking with one combination that you like. Even if it is still good, it's the only one that actually feels like DLC.

Specter of Torment is incredible and easily my favorite game of them all. The overhaul the game receives is spectacular and Specter Knight himself controls perfectly, plus the idea of having a "home" to return to after stages was genius. Hell, I even got invested in the story. Splendid.

Finally, after a bit of delay, we got King of Cards, and as usual, it was a blast to play through. Even though I personally wasn't a fan of the more bite-sized stages, it was more than made up with the fantastic new locations, and of course, the always on point gameplay. Plus, Joustus is simply a delight to play and waste hours on, trying to complete your collection.

Yacht Games put all their love and care into this project, and they went out of their way to deliver on everything they promised back when they started their Kickstarter, I admire their dedication to this project and I'm grateful for getting to play it, as I had a big smile on my face during the whole time I was playing this. Its only downside is that Plague of Shadows is a slightly sore thumb in the catalogue, but even then that's only due to how amazing the other games are. This is absolutely worth every one of your pennies, you need to play this.