Game of the Month #82 (November 2021) - The Messenger

As a demon army besieges his village, a young ninja ventures through a cursed world, to deliver a scroll paramount to his clan’s survival. What begins as a classic action platformer soon unravels into an expansive time-traveling adventure full of thrills, surprises, and humor.

I completed this game and its free DLC back in 2019 and LOVED it. This game is a gem and one of the best games I've played in the last few years. I highly recommend it. The gameplay is precise and the controls are spot on, the music is fantastic and the game goes into places you might not expect. It's also very well written. I don't think I'll replay it for the GotM, but it will be cool to see what others think about this game that was developped in my home town. ;)

This is my full blind playthrough of the game. Obviously, it contains spoilers and gameplay content so don't watch too much of it if you want to enjoy this game.

I finished this game last year and loved it as well! Here's my full review (gave it a 9/10).

Haven't played the free DLC yet, so I'll definitely check that out this month.

This game had not been on my radar before it won and I really wouldn't have wanted to miss it!

I'm already 2.5 hours into it and I love everything about it. The art style, the music, the controls, my discussions with the shopkeeper, the humour.

I've reached Searing Crag and I've beaten four bosses on the way, some of them challenging but never frustrating.

I have to be careful before I give this game too much praise early on, but it's already clicking with me.

So just had my first play session for this game:

I'm into the bamboo level now

I'm already enjoying this game. The controls are solid and the action is fluid. Things go at an brisk pace and it doesn't feel like it's harshly punishing me while still challenging me in the right places. I do feel it's missing directional attacks but that's currently my only criticism.

The store owner is great with his non-sequential stories as well as he's long prolong rant if you touch his cabinet too much. It also gives me option in what dialogue I talk to him about instead of random things which is a great small little detail

I'm gonna keep an open mind with The Messenger. I generally find platformers to be among my least enjoyed genres (only above rhythm which I don't even touch) so hoping to be surprised with this one.

So I am about 2 hours in so far, and I gotta say this game is pretty freaking good!

The controls are crisp, the music is amazing, the boss fights are intense but fair and the gameplay just makes you feel like a badass ninja.

This is exactly how a ninja game should be.

Edit: I forgot to mention that the game doesn't take itself too seriously and has a lot of humour, which is a breath of fresh air. All too often these sort of games are so dark and depressing.

Alright. I think I've gone on record at least once or twice by now that I claimed to actually join a GOTM round and then didn't end up actually doing so. But this time I mean it.
Ever since I played the original Ninja Gaiden for the first time this Summer, I got interested in The Messenger because of how many people seem to recommend it if you like the former game. Clearly, it's at least in parts heavily inspired by that NES game and I would love to see how a modern spiritual successor could potentially look like. I did hear though that it's not all that and changes form a bit later on. So, I feel prepared to find out what exactly that's gonna be.

I got the game ready to go and I just finished another somewhat Ninja Gaiden inspired platformer yesterday, so the timing is pretty much perfect. Looking forward to seeing what this is actually about.

- Matt

Great game, especially the first 60% of the game and DLC. That last 40%, well a bit too much back tracking for my liking. Dialog is fun and clever and it all handles beautifully. I'd play through it again for GotM but I've already beaten it twice and I'm still working through PS exclusives after finally acquiring a PS5.

Played this game back when it came out and absolutely loved it. The game feel is insanely good with the cloud jump being such a simple yet genius idea. When you get your full arsenal of moves it all just flows perfectly. A lot of smart twists on classic action platformer mechanics like having the goodie dispensing candles of Castlevania/Ninja Gaiden but makes them objects you use to extend your movement with the cloud step and rope. Once the game gets going you are rarely ever on the ground (and the longer the game goes there is less ground for you to even be on) for long as you glide, slash, and grapple your way through the levels.

The game is often compared to Ninja Gaiden but the expanded screen real estate and ability to move and slash simultaneously makes the game lack the constant tension, stress, and bullshit of Gaiden. If you are hoping this is the Bloodstained Curse of the Moon for Ninja Gaiden this is not it and is distinctly its own thing. Which is mostly a good thing since there are already 3 excellent NES Ninja Gaiden games and I would rather have the crazy fluid comedy adventure that is the Messenger over Ninja Gaiden 4. Must play for any fan of action platformers

I just put my first ~90mins into it and I'm absolutely loving it so far.
When I played the original Ninja Gaiden earlier this year, one of my biggest gripes with it was the boss fights. I hated them and how they interrupted the fantastic platforming for me. They felt finicky and often frustrating. I said on multiple occasions that I wish there was a Ninja Gaiden without boss fights and it might have been a perfect game for me.
The Messenger doesn't get rid of the boss fights, but it delivers super fun ones that actually flow well and feel satisfying to fight. So far this entire game is just taking everything I loved about Ninja Gaiden and improving what I disliked about that game.
I know this game changes pace in some way at some point, but so far this is honestly the spiritual successor that I was wishing for when I finished Ninja Gaiden and I trust it with anything it might throw at me in the future.

- Matt

I'm 8.5 hours and 200+ deaths into the game and I've reached the point of the plot twist.

I'm not going to lie. I considered throwing my controller down once or twice and I questioned my ability to play a video game.

The bosses have such easy patterns, but I simply couldn't pull it off. The last couple of bosses took me more than 15/20 tries. None of the Metroid Dread bosses took more than 6.

I'm definitely going to continue because I love the story but if I encounter more levels like the last ones I'm going to call this game platformless rather than a platformer.

I'm 8.5 hours and 200+ deaths into the game and I've reached the point of the plot twist.

I'm not going to lie. I considered throwing my controller down once or twice and I questioned my ability to play a video game.

The bosses have such easy patterns, but I simply couldn't pull it off. The last couple of bosses took me more than 15/20 tries. None of the Metroid Dread bosses took more than 6.

I'm definitely going to continue because I love the story but if I encounter more levels like the last ones I'm going to call this game platformless rather than a platformer.

You're not alone, friend. I picked this up again to play the DLC after not touching it for a year, and the second boss of the DLC took me 25-30 tries. Same deal, nothing too crazy with the patterns I just sucked too much to execute properly and consistently. Eventually it happens though. ;)

I'm a bit over 2hrs in now, according to in-game time, and I'm still enjoying it a lot. I just went through the ice level and love the flow of that one. I set foot into the Tower of Time now, and I'm ready to see where this game is going now.

- Matt

Right EoW update:

I'm now into the second part of the game collecting the power seals in each level

So the game has ended it's Linear style and is now working in a more metroidvania style. I'm now not too sure about this as unlike other metoridvanis It does not make the next location natural to decide to go to due to you getting a new item which opens up previously inaccessible instead you getting clue hints to your next location. Which tbh feels like a quick get around due to the sudden gameplay change.

Apart form that though I love this game. The platform is fantastic and it very responsive. it's also hard but in a predictive way so I don't feel cheated when I fail at a section which is what annoys me with other platformers (looking at you Celeste). It's got some nice humour although the stories have now dried up from the shop keeper so that's no longer there. The graphics also later on nicely changes between 16-bit and 8-bit and it was so fluid that I didn't notice it at first. I haven't completed the game but form what I've played so far I can easily recommend it

Right EoW update:

I'm now into the second part of the game collecting the power seals in each level

So the game has ended it's Linear style and is now working in a more metroidvania style. I'm now not too sure about this as unlike other metoridvanis It does not make the next location natural to decide to go to due to you getting a new item which opens up previously inaccessible instead you getting clue hints to your next location. Which tbh feels like a quick get around due to the sudden gameplay change.

Apart form that though I love this game. The platform is fantastic and it very responsive. it's also hard but in a predictive way so I don't feel cheated when I fail at a section which is what annoys me with other platformers (looking at you Celeste). It's got some nice humour although the stories have now dried up from the shop keeper so that's no longer there. The graphics also later on nicely changes between 16-bit and 8-bit and it was so fluid that I didn't notice it at first. I haven't completed the game but form what I've played so far I can easily recommend it

yeah, I feel the same way about the last half of the game. The first half is amazing, but the shift over to an almost like Metroidvania is a bit weird and hurts the game in my opinion.

Just completed the base game. I can only say WOW! This game has singlehandedly made me reconsider my stance on brutal platformers. I loved it! Slaying demons to a kick-ass soundtrack made me feel like a badass super ninja.

I agree with previous comments in that my only gripe was with the amount of backtracking in the second half. Though for me it felt ok as I was revisiting those areas with new abilities.

Collected all power seals (some of those jumps were brutal). Finished the game with a tad over 300 deaths.

9/10

Gonna start on the DLC tonight.

I just finished the free DLC last night and had a great time with it. Here's my mini-review.

I just finished the free DLC last night and had a great time with it. Here's my mini-review.

Thanks for writing up a review, always interested in hearing others' experiences.

I just finished the DLC, wasn't as good as the base game on account of the unsatisfying ending, and the increased difficulty. The first boss had me in tears.

It took me about 3.5 hours to 100% with about 70 deaths.

Afterwards I looked at my controller and the coating around the buttons was all peeling off. My fingers are also extremely sore and my right hand is a bit shaky lol.

Thanks for writing up a review, always interested in hearing others' experiences.

I just finished the DLC, wasn't as good as the base game on account of the unsatisfying ending, and the increased difficulty. The first boss had me in tears.

It took me about 3.5 hours to 100% with about 70 deaths.

Afterwards I looked at my controller and the coating around the buttons was all peeling off. My fingers are also extremely sore and my right hand is a bit shaky lol.

Oof yeah, that first DLC boss was brutal, back when I played this game. I do remember having a harder time overall with the boss on top of the tower of time though, that fight took me well over 3 hours, probably due to how aggressive I was playing the fight.

So a bit about this game. I beat it maybe a year ago and I loved every moment of it. When I was initially playing it with my brother, he was consistently complaining about the indie pun humor/4th wall breaking (nudge nudge) that seemed to be quite strong in the dialog but I found it to be delightful. Some people can't stand the writing between the shopkeep and the main character but I loved it and I found it to always be a point of unexpected humor. I think that the game takes a while to introduce its central mechanic but when it gets there, oh boy is it a joy. And the DLC was an absolutely INCREDIBLE treat in regards to what it adds. I had no idea what to expect and it kept on delivering for me. I decided to 100% the game at the time and I have no regrets. Traversing large areas can be a pain in regards to the time it takes but you, as a player, tremendously improve with the platforming/mobility mechanics that the game offers, Looking forward to seeing what others think about it. I hope you can make it past the game's main gimmick to see it shine.

I had a pretty lengthy playing session tonight and I'm getting into the groove of the new mechanics added after a certain point in the game.

I realized that just straight up replaying the levels again and exploring all the loose ends on the map without looking for anything specific is already enough to do for making some progress and letting the game guide you in a direction. Decrypting the music note hints and hunting those down is definitely not the only worthwhile thing to do now. I already discovered some interesting new areas just by exploring. Some of which I clearly need something else to properly get into. So, there is already a lot more than meets the eye here.
I also began to actually clear out the stages for power seals, something I thought I would most likely pass on earlier. But it just feels so natural to get them done while exploring for new things anyway.
I got a couple of stages 100% cleared by now. I only found one music note so far though, and I couldn't figure out the hint to the next one even after looking for quite a while. So I decided to just buy the map marker in the shop and I'm going to take that one on the next time I play.

- Matt

After I've beaten The Messenger the savefile displayed the completion time, which out of curiosity I've decided to compare with the time here on HLTB. At that moment I've felt guilt for using HLTB for so long but never contributing back. I've registered an account and did my first submission, and here I am.

I'm going to echo the sentiment of not liking the Metroidvania aspect of this game. The first part of the game is stellar, the second one drags a bit due the backtracking. While it's fast and fluid to move around, it still takes time and it's not that fun when you already cleared such a path before. That little riddles (typical from point and click games) make it even worse.

Do you know what this game needed? A screw attack.

Negativity towards the Metroidvania part aside, this game is awesome. The pixel art and the music are second to none, and the 8-bit to 16-bit thing never gets old.

Oh, and the Shopkeeper, chatting with him always brought a smile to my face.



I'm writing out of memory from my two playthroughs last year and as I'm writing it I'm feeling tempted to start a third one...

well I've completed the game now and Holy exposition Batman!! That was a huge info dump at the end to introduce the final boss. I feel that the demon king should've been the final boss in terms of story concept... in terms of gameplay he was far too easy as a boss though. Yeah ultimately the second half was weaker then the first more linear half but It's still a sold 9 for me. I did feel the bosses got easier by the end Excluding the Phantom who put up a good fight but Barma'thazel is still the hardest boss for me but the platforming in the new section still kept there difficulty going so happy for that.

1 final note and the special thanks during the credits was longer then the real credits and included things such as Oddworld Inhabitants, Captain Morgan and Stackoverflow
I'll start the DLC tomorrow

I'll try and write up a full review tomorrow

I'm joining a GotM again finally! I've played for an hour and reached the Howling Grotto. I'm having a good time so far but managed to get distracted during both boss fights. I'm gonna blame my boss deaths on that. It was easy to just pick up and go and loading up felt like jumping into a quality snes game which was nice.

I'm also enjoying the Shopkeeper and all the stories.