Steam Next Fest is kicking off 2024 with some truly great games, giving you the chance to play a plethora of upcoming releases for free. So platforming fans need to have Berserk Boy on their list. If you’re a fan of old-school platformers, Mega Man especially, and want something slick, fast-paced, and incredible sounding, this is for you. There’s a bit of Sonic Mania and Shovel Knight in here too, as reimaginings of classic genres continue to prove that developers can reinvent them.
Berserk Boy is already a great platform game, and it isn’t even out yet. I’ve been playing the Steam Next Fest demo, and want to tell you why you should, too. If you’re someone who grew up on old-school SNES and Genesis platformers or know your way around modern interpretations of the genre like The Messenger, Sonic Mania, Shovel Knight, and even the likes of Metroid, this is a game for you. That’s right, Berserk Boy even incorporates some Metroidvania elements for good measure.
Similarly to how you use different boss powers on the fly in Mega Man, Berserk Boy lets you choose between multiple elements on the go, with Lightning taking center stage in the Steam Next Fest demo. It’s fast, fluid, vibrant, and incredibly easy to get lost in the vibes. I adore the presentation, and found myself chaining together lightning dashes to create this great mix of combat and platforming that’s all rolled into one.
While Mega Man is the obvious comparison, Berserk Boy’s music also deserves a mention. Even from the demo alone, it’s filled with total bangers, with Sonic Mania and TMNT Shredder’s Revenge lead composer Tee Lopes writing the tunes. That alone should tell you what Berserk Boy is all about; honoring the retro influences of the past while improving them in the modern era.
I’m super excited to see what developer BerserkBoy Games has cooking with its debut title, so if you’re a fan of retro-inspired platformers, you need to give it a look.
You can find Berserk Boy’s demo right here during Steam Next Fest, the full game is releasing on Wednesday, March 6, 2024.
If you’re looking for more we’ve got all you need to know about the best Metroidvania games and action-adventure games currently available on PC, which should keep you busy after Berserk Boy’s demo.
You can also follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides, or grab our PCGN deals tracker to net yourself some bargains.
