Infernax - Review @ COG & Destructoid

INFERNAX REVIEW - A BLOODY GOOD TIME

When I set out to review Infernax, I thought I knew what I was getting into. It's basically just Castlevania with a bloodier aesthetic, I told myself. I was delightfully wrong. As I said in my preview of Infernax, this game is very self-aware about its gory and sometimes schlocky contents. Oddly enough, this allows it to touch on one subject Castlevania never quit for me: religious horror. I won't describe Infernax as nuanced, exactly, but there's something very raw about it at times. This title walks the line between straightforward gory fun and a surprisingly interesting, largely non-verbal exploration of faith.

The game also appears to have gone through some major difficulty rebalancing, especially on Classic mode. Gold is now significantly harder to come by, for example. This helps create a sense of genuine difficulty and resource scarcity that Classic mode was lacking before. Minibosses and quests add a lot to Infernax's world and story, and the game feels much more alive now. This is a tad bit ironic, as the game is also packed full of death, darkness, despair, and all that jazz. It is a bit short, but that doesn't matter when it's so hard on Classic mode.

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All in all, this review finds Infernax to be a bloody good time. Again, though, be sure you know exactly what you're getting into. Also, be wary of the platforming.

The Good

• Great religious horror
• Excellent atmosphere
• Lots of replay value
• Villain campaign
• Tons of fun boss fights

The Bad

• A bit short
• Classic mode is really hard
• So much high-stakes platforming
• Dungeons can be confusing
• Easy to lose gold

Overall score: 75

[…] Given its strict adherence to an '80s gaming mentality, Team Berzerk's tough, visceral platform adventure might not be for everyone. But, for those who crave sadomasochistic challenges, doomsday storytelling, and absolute lashings of the red stuff, Infernax offers up a cathartic dose of 8-bit heathenism. Just run through a few FromSoft titles beforehand… You'll need to warm up, after all.

Overall score: 8/10 (GREAT): Impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.