The Messenger has to be one of the best controlling 2D games ever

[lunanto]

I have discovered this game thanks to Game Pass and after completing half of the game or so and having unlocked all (or most?) of the abilities and getting to grips with them, I think this game is up there when it comes to feelings with the controller.

Passing by through the stages, jumping, slashing and then jumping, using the hook, throwing shurikens like a true ninja... It is pretty cool to see how you improve and actions come naturally. It can't be any tighter and responsive.

Kudos to Sabotage. Don't abandon 2D games in the future, please.

 

[lightning16]

Yeah, this game feels wonderful to control. Late game movement in this game is some of the most satisfying I've personally ever seen.

 

[Deleted member 8468]

It's a really great game. Glad it got the visibility boost from Gamepass.

 

[Deleted member 37739]

Agreed - going through it now. The game feel and level design are outstanding.

Kudos to Sabotage. Don't abandon 2D games in the future, please.

Click to shrink...

Their next game is a top-down old-school RPG and, honestly, it looks great as well:




Edit: The Messenger's soundtrack also deserves a huge shout out.

 

[NabiscoFelt]

Agreed - going through it now. The game feel and level design are outstanding.

Edit: the soundtrack also deserves a huge shout out.

Click to shrink...

The soundtrack for this game is probably my favorite in an indie title. Straight bangers top to bottom

 

[dyelawn91]

Yeah, the movement feels pretty great. I think there's a pretty noticeable drop in quality in the second half of the game, but overall I enjoyed my time with it.

 

[Clive]

It was so, so good for the first half of the game but the second half was pure suffering for me so I sadly dropped it. Agree about the controls, it really felt tight and precise so if you died then it was your fault.

 

[Firima]

The game plays like a gorillion bucks but it's a shame the endgame is such a rotten fucking mess.

 

[badatorigami]

Played this on the switch with the joycons :(
Bounced off this game, Hollow Knight, and Celeste all because of how awful the joycon sticks are (didn't play on other systems because I like platformers on portable consoles and got them all before I realized how bad the joycons are).

Don't want to turn this into Joycon griping; do agree that The Messenger was great (will echo the weaker second half). While I didn't get to experience the great controls, I could see while playing it that it would feel great on a better controller.
Music was great too, so many earworms.

 

[CerealKi11a]

Edit: The Messenger's soundtrack also deserves a huge shout out.

Click to shrink...

I enjoyed The Messenger so much that I made Sea of Stars my first Kickstarter backing. The same composer as The Messenger is also working on Sea of Stars which is exciting.

 

[Mathieran]

I haven't played it, but I would nominate Dead Cells for that title.

 

[SmittyWerbenManJensen]

I'm replaying it right now, and I completely agree!

Game is even better on replay. I enjoyed it my first playthrough, but I think I'd give the game a 10/10 now after replaying most of it. It's a joy to control, the levels are fun, secrets are present but not ridiculous, great music and visuals, funny dialogue, good bosses, etc. All of your movements and skills feel so smooth and simple to pull off. It's really nice.

It's just what I need after playing Crosscode, which I really disliked and almost single-handedly ruined my interest in gaming for a while.

 

[Sulik2]

It did control well, I hated the 16 bit section of the game and quit playing it there though.

 

[retroman]

Yup, the controls were really smooth. Loved the game.

 

[oni-link]

Yeah it's great

 

[Like the hat?]

I don't think the game is some masterpiece, but controlwise it is absolutely sublime.

 

[Z-Brownie]

Agreed - going through it now. The game feel and level design are outstanding.



Their next game is a top-down old-school RPG and, honestly, it looks great as well:




Edit: The Messenger's soundtrack also deserves a huge shout out.

Click to shrink...

Jesus Christ ... this dev is godlike

 

[pswii60]

Yeah it controls incredibly well. Even moreso at 120fps.

Was gutted that their next game isn't going to be a platformer tbh

 

[Boomchil]

The soundtrack for this game is probably my favorite in an indie title. Straight bangers top to bottom

Click to shrink...

If you're into metal, I suggest to take a look at rainbowdragoneyes' bandcamp. That's the guy who made the soundtrack, he has several albums with the same type of chiptune music but with black metal voices over it.

 

[Ionic]

I also thought the movement in the game was really good. However I thought the levels were boring and when it opened up it became a complete slog. Total waste of good mechanics. The only fun progression the game had was getting better at not touching the ground as you went through screens over and over.

 

[Cosmic Voyager]

Jesus Christ ... this dev is godlike

Click to shrink...

Now I think we're straying into the hyperbole territory lol.

They've released one game so far that is a very solid experience and their next game looks promising, which is all well and good, but to call them "godlike" based on that thin CV is pretty funny to me haha

 

[Deleted member 37739]

I'm replaying it right now, and I completely agree!

Game is even better on replay. I enjoyed it my first playthrough, but I think I'd give the game a 10/10 now after replaying most of it. It's a joy to control, the levels are fun, secrets are present but not ridiculous, great music and visuals, funny dialogue, good bosses, etc. All of your movements and skills feel so smooth and simple to pull off. It's really nice.

It's just what I need after playing Crosscode, which I really disliked and almost single-handedly ruined my interest in gaming for a while.

Click to shrink...

I've been eyeballing Crosscode for a while and have been really tempted to jump on it. What was it that you didn't like about it?

 

[Ethical Hedonism]

Incredible game, hit all the right notes with me and left me wanting more.

 

[mhayes86]

It was a fantastic game that I had a blast playing. At one point I stopped for some reason or another, but was able to easily jump right back into it. I can't wait to see what else they're doing. The soundtrack was really good as well.

Agreed - going through it now. The game feel and level design are outstanding.



Their next game is a top-down old-school RPG and, honestly, it looks great as well:




Edit: The Messenger's soundtrack also deserves a huge shout out.

Click to shrink...

Well now. *makes note*
Thanks for highlighting this!

 

[Ramsiege]

It was so, so good for the first half of the game but the second half was pure suffering for me so I sadly dropped it. Agree about the controls, it really felt tight and precise so if you died then it was your fault.

Click to shrink...

My thoughts exactly. Loved the first half, was wondering why it didn't make the top 100 platformers list here on era, then got to the second half and it was no longer a mystery lol

 

[SmittyWerbenManJensen]

I've been eyeballing Crosscode for a while and have been really tempted to jump on it. What was it that you didn't like about it?

Click to shrink...

It was super tedious. Excessive amounts of very complicated puzzles and combat that isn't too much fun (in my opinion). Buying good gear is a chore because it involves having the right components/materials, which you get from defeating enemies and destroying objects in the over world. Story isn't that great. Music is okay. Platforming is very frustrating at times because different platforms in the environment have different heights, so I was always falling off and missing jumps that I thought would be okay. It was just a very frustrating experience. It has some positives, but I think the negatives are too big to ignore.

Check out the OT for the game. A lot of the posters feel similarly and have shared their thoughts.

 

[Z-Brownie]

Now I think we're straying into the hyperbole territory lol.

They've released one game so far that is a very solid experience and their next game looks promising, which is all well and good, but to call them "godlike" based on that thin CV is pretty funny to me haha

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Oh, sorry for my "hype", but i actually think the messenger is a masterpiece in all areas, without any flaw. If they can repeat the work on what i saw on that trailer, i do think they can join my "panteon", but it's just my opnion about something i like.

 

[Deleted member 37739]

It was super tedious. Excessive amounts of very complicated puzzles and combat that isn't too much fun (in my opinion). Buying good gear is a chore because it involves having the right components/materials, which you get from defeating enemies and destroying objects in the over world. Story isn't that great. Music is okay. Platforming is very frustrating at times because different platforms in the environment have different heights, so I was always falling off and missing jumps that I thought would be okay. It was just a very frustrating experience. It has some positives, but I think the negatives are too big to ignore.

Check out the OT for the game. A lot of the posters feel similarly and have shared their thoughts.

Click to shrink...

Thanks for that, will pop into the OT and take a look. I'd seen a few mixed reviews from journalists, but yeah, the idea of having an over-world grind for materials is pretty off-putting. A few people online pitched it as a 2D Zelda-like experience (which I'm very in the mood for), but it sounds very different.

Oh, sorry for my "hype", but i actually think the messenger is a masterpiece in all areas, without any flaw. If they can repeat the work on what i saw on that trailer, i do think they can join my "panteon", but it's just my opnion about something i like.

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I'm actually really interested in the second half. I've not reached it yet, but it seems pretty divisive. I love me some Metroidvania so I'm very curious to see how they pull it off.

 

[Cosmic Voyager]

Oh, sorry for my "hype", but i actually think the messenger is a masterpiece in all areas, without any flaw. If they can repeat the work on what i saw on that trailer, i do think they can join my "panteon", but it's just my opnion about something i like.

Click to shrink...

Fair enough, hope Sea of Stars lives up to your expectations!

 

[onpoint]

I detested this game but the controls were not an issue for me. It does control quite well.

 

[dralla]

It's a great game

and that sound track

The Messenger - Harnessing the Wind (Howling Grotto Future) Extended

Music that has been extended to play for 30 minutes Leave requests in the comments

www.youtube.com

 

[dred]

It controls like a dream, especially once you've put some time into it and really mastered the controls. I'm doing a NG+ playthrough right now and it just feels so good, it's amazing how much easier things have been with all the movement abilities unlocked. I hope we get a sequel someday.

It's a great game

and that sound track

The Messenger - Harnessing the Wind (Howling Grotto Future) Extended

Music that has been extended to play for 30 minutes Leave requests in the comments

www.youtube.com

Click to shrink...

My 6 year old daughter puts the soundtrack on every night when she's going to bed, haha. It's good stuff.

 

[Z-Brownie]

I'm actually really interested in the second half. I've not reached it yet, but it seems pretty divisive. I love me some Metroidvania so I'm very curious to see how they pull it off.

Click to shrink...

to me, it was a huge surprise, since i did not even knew it existed haha

Fair enough, hope Sea of Stars lives up to your expectations!

Click to shrink...

Me too, i hate being hyped and i always set myself for deception

 

[Xavi]

Yep it's great and the pre alpha demo they released for SoS was absolutely amazing. The OST is shaping up to be great too.

 

[KillstealWolf]

I actually booted it up again yesterday to try a bit of the Beach themed Free DLC, the surfing minigame was a battletoads turbo tunnels bit of fun.

Also that soundtrack is great as well.

 

[Chief Malik]

This shit is still on gamepass, downloading now

 

[lunanto]

Agreed - going through it now. The game feel and level design are outstanding.



Their next game is a top-down old-school RPG and, honestly, it looks great as well:




Edit: The Messenger's soundtrack also deserves a huge shout out.

Click to shrink...

Wow those graphics look amazing. Shame that turn based games are not my cup of tea!

 

[Soul Lab]

The Messenger is such a fantastic game. I love the 2nd half of the game even more than the first

 

[Gnomepowered]

Played this on the switch with the joycons :(
Bounced off this game, Hollow Knight, and Celeste all because of how awful the joycon sticks are (didn't play on other systems because I like platformers on portable consoles and got them all before I realized how bad the joycons are).

Don't want to turn this into Joycon griping; do agree that The Messenger was great (will echo the weaker second half). While I didn't get to experience the great controls, I could see while playing it that it would feel great on a better controller.
Music was great too, so many earworms.

Click to shrink...

Not totally on topic for the thread I guess but I also love platformers on portable systems and my experience significantly improved with the purchase of a Hori D-Pad joycon. I actually don't hate the Joycon d-pad buttons but this is just so much more comfortable and feels way more natural. If you are talking about using the actual analog sticks, that's something else entirely, I use the D-pad for 2D games when possible. This isn't wireless so it only works in handheld, but if you're playing portably that's fine. I'm still searching for the perfect TV mode Switch controller for platformers, since my Pro controller D-pad has issues with diagonals and Switch has higher input lag with USB controllers, apparently (I sometimes use my Genesis Mini controller, or an arcade stick or PS4 controller with an adapter, or a Pokken controller, or a Gamecube controller... so many options, and none of them are just right).

 

[Deleted member 31923]

You can remove "controlling" from your thread title and it still works. It's one of the best 2D games ever, and certainly a highlight of the Switch indie lineup.

 

[Bosh]

I have discovered this game thanks to Game Pass and after completing half of the game or so and having unlocked all (or most?) of the abilities and getting to grips with them, I think this game is up there when it comes to feelings with the controller.

Passing by through the stages, jumping, slashing and then jumping, using the hook, throwing shurikens like a true ninja... It is pretty cool to see how you improve and actions come naturally. It can't be any tighter and responsive.

Kudos to Sabotage. Don't abandon 2D games in the future, please.

Click to shrink...

If you love the movement you should defineitly play the original Ninja Gaiden series. All of them are great (And 3 is phenominal if you have save states, US version had a really weird difficulty upon Game Over which is not present in 1/2 so this negates that). The Messenger in terms of movement & attacking feels closet to 3. I played through them for the first time a month before going into The Messenger and they are fantastic from a 2020 perspective.

They are start to finish levels unlike The Messenger but its core is still there.

 

[NabiscoFelt]

Thanks for that, will pop into the OT and take a look. I'd seen a few mixed reviews from journalists, but yeah, the idea of having an over-world grind for materials is pretty off-putting. A few people online pitched it as a 2D Zelda-like experience (which I'm very in the mood for), but it sounds very different.

Click to shrink...

If you want another opinion, I think CrossCode is an absolutely phenomenal video game and probably my favorite indie title. Personally thought the combat, puzzles, and exploration were all amazing. You never really need to grind for materials since you can get good gear/trading materials from exploring or sidequests (which are almost universally well-done, at least from a gameplay standpoint), and if you're really struggling with the platforming parts it's pretty easy to check elevation by shooting a projectile at an ambiguous spot. The only problems I had were technical issues related to the Switch port.

On the other hand, while the game is inspired heavily by 2D Zeldas, it is first and foremost an action RPG. If you don't like RPG stuff, you probably won't like the game. The 2D Zelda inspiration mainly shows up in the dungeons, but the puzzles there are much more complicated (but imo a lot more fun) than Zelda titles.

 

[GrayDock]

One of the best 2D sidescrollers that I have played.
And it's music...

 

[hikarutilmitt]

I loved it all the way through, but the only slight I can give it is actually in the way the glider controls. If it either deployed while holding the jump button or was its own button to deploy I think it be at least a little tighter. That the game has controls where your jump height is affected by the time you hold the button (like most platformers) means pressing the button again at just the right height to get maximum height and also glide was a little annoying. Nintendo realized this folly with SMB3 and changed/fixed it with SMW. I would almost prefer it as a button instead of deploying automatically while holding the button because it would give you even more control.

 

[Deleted member 36578]

The messenger kicks so much ass and their next game looks awesome as well. Glad to see an appreciation topic for it!

 

[badatorigami]

Not totally on topic for the thread I guess but I also love platformers on portable systems and my experience significantly improved with the purchase of a Hori D-Pad joycon. I actually don't hate the Joycon d-pad buttons but this is just so much more comfortable and feels way more natural. If you are talking about using the actual analog sticks, that's something else entirely, I use the D-pad for 2D games when possible. This isn't wireless so it only works in handheld, but if you're playing portably that's fine. I'm still searching for the perfect TV mode Switch controller for platformers, since my Pro controller D-pad has issues with diagonals and Switch has higher input lag with USB controllers, apparently (I sometimes use my Genesis Mini controller, or an arcade stick or PS4 controller with an adapter, or a Pokken controller, or a Gamecube controller... so many options, and none of them are just right).

Click to shrink...

Hey, thanks!
Actually waiting for my order of the Hori Split Pad Pro to arrive; the general consensus is that both the sticks and d-pad on it are good, so fingers crossed!
For TV mode, have you looked into the 8bitdo sn30 pro+?

 

[Deleted member 37739]

If you want another opinion, I think CrossCode is an absolutely phenomenal video game and probably my favorite indie title. Personally thought the combat, puzzles, and exploration were all amazing. You never really need to grind for materials since you can get good gear/trading materials from exploring or sidequests (which are almost universally well-done, at least from a gameplay standpoint), and if you're really struggling with the platforming parts it's pretty easy to check elevation by shooting a projectile at an ambiguous spot. The only problems I had were technical issues related to the Switch port.

On the other hand, while the game is inspired heavily by 2D Zeldas, it is first and foremost an action RPG. If you don't like RPG stuff, you probably won't like the game. The 2D Zelda inspiration mainly shows up in the dungeons, but the puzzles there are much more complicated (but imo a lot more fun) than Zelda titles.

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Honestly, that sounds like music to my ears - maybe I'll just have to bite the bullet and see for myself. It's only £15.99 in any case and supporting indie developers is never wasted money.

 

[Gnomepowered]

Hey, thanks!
Actually waiting for my order of the Hori Split Pad Pro to arrive; the general consensus is that both the sticks and d-pad on it are good, so fingers crossed!
For TV mode, have you looked into the 8bitdo sn30 pro+?

Click to shrink...

I had looked into it but read that either this or the earlier model had similar issues to the Pro controller with the D-pad, and couldn't find anything on whether it had been improved with the newer revision, and other than the D-pad I actually love the Pro controller. I noticed issues with diagonals on the Retro-bit 6-button Genesis controller I got for my Genesis Mini, too, which makes me a little anxious to pull the trigger on a 50$ controller. If the D-pad is good it would probably be worth it though, my girlfriend currently refuses to play Tetris with me because she doesn't like the Joycons and gets a little too ragey when the Pro controller accidentally hard drops.