If you were a gamer in the 1980’s, you were playing Mega Man. There is no question about this. Things were not like today, where each month has thirty great games that divide the interests of gamers. There were a couple of major games that released throughout the course of a gaming year, which all of the gamers played, and a few of those were titles in the Mega Man series.
Let’s Go Berserk
So now we have Berserk Boy, developed by Berserk Boy Games and published by Big Sugar and Berserk Boy Games. And since I opened this review up talking about Mega Man, this game must be exactly like it, right? Well, no…and yes! …and no. It clearly finds inspiration from Mega Man; from characters to concepts, this game looks the part. The main character even looks like a teenage version of the Blue Bomber (a little nickname Mega Man developed along the way). To play it is to find something similar, yet quite different.
It is the differences that really stand out in Berserk Boy. There will likely be MANY comparisons made between Berserk Boy and Mega Man, much like I opened with. As stated, the main character, Kei, shares a more-than-striking resemblance to Mega Man. He has a sidekick, Dizzie, who takes the role of Roll (heh). And Dizzie also plays double-fiddle as Rush from Capcom’s legendary franchise whenever Fiore, Berserk Boy’s talking bird companion, isn’t stepping into those shoes. Dr. Genos is the Dr. Wily of this game, and the part of Dr. Light is played by Berserk Boy’s commander, Leslie.
The cast is all here, as is the art and music (and oh boy, the music…we’ll get to that in just a moment), but from the moment you start playing, you’ll immediately notice some major differences. First, you’ll realize that you cannot attack. At all. Any aggressive actions will be handled briefly by Fiore (the aforementioned talking bird) until you discover your first Berserk Orb.
I Have The (Berserk Orb) Power
From a Mega Man perspective, Berserk Orbs can be seen as the powers earned from defeating the different bosses. In fact, Berserk Boy earns Berserk Orbs in exactly the same manner, apart from the first one. But they do so much more than simply change the color of the hero and the effect of his arm cannon. In Berserk Boy, each Berserk Orb is a new character entirely and a new way to progress through each of the multi-pathed stages.
Each Berserk Orb grants completely new abilities to Berserk Boy, and these can take a bit to learn. It’s not always as simple as an arm cannon, here. Berserk Boy doesn’t even gain the ability to shoot across the screen for some time. The first Berserk Orb, which equates to lightning or electric powers, is, perhaps, the most confusing of all of the powers. It’s the first Orb you get, and it can be quite daunting to get the hang of it.
Once you do, though, you’ll realize something peculiar: the game actually feels more like a Sonic the Hedgehog title than a Mega Man game. And, if you are like me, you may start to notice how Berserk Boy kind of looks like Sonic a bit, especially in his Lightning Form. You’ll fly across the stages, smashing into enemies with great speed, and you might half expect rings to scatter whenever you’re hit by a baddie. But then you’ll get your next Berserk Orb and realize that you’ve only been playing one of five different experiences.
When you gain a new Berserk Orb, you do not simply gain another attack option, you gain access to a new character. You are free to swap to any of your Berserk Orb forms at any time, and you have a pool of energy that powers each one. Every form has actions that are free to use, and each has actions that require an amount of your energy resource.
That resource quickly regenerates when you’re not using it, and you can also replenish it via pick-up items scattered throughout the levels. For instance, the stage may require you to fly a great distance. Flight is a power granted by one of the Berserk Orbs, but it drains your energy resource to use. By collecting energy items during your flight, you can stay airborne long enough to reach the other side.
Designed To Be Replayed
Each level is filled with creative placements of these energy pick-ups, along with several hidden secrets and areas. And you will need to find these to not only unlock special “EX” stages that put your skills on display, but to fully beat the game as well. Throughout the stages, there are people that need to be found, and locating all of them unlocks the “EX” offshoot of your current stage. But there are also Berserk Medals that need to be found in order to reach the game’s conclusion.
As such, there is a lot of replayability baked into the fabric of Berserk Boy, and these stages beg to be explored further. The first time you go through them, you’ll notice areas that are sectioned off due to your lacking of a particular Berserk Orb. In a sort of “Metroidvania” design applied to each stage, you’ll take mental notes of these areas as you await the particular form necessary to negotiate those areas of the stage. Attempting to gain access to every area of the stages to unlock their secrets is what Berserk Boy is all about. Well, that and doing it all in style.
Berserk Boy exudes style. Every form grants a playstyle which looks and feels awesome. Better yet, the level design incorporates each form in a way that has you switching on the fly, quickly switching your brain to several completely different styles as you navigate through hazards, enemies, and other obstacles. The art and animations are appealing throughout the action, though I do wish there was more going on in the backgrounds. Still, each stage is filled with hidden areas and places to flaunt your skill with style. And, of course, each stage has its incredible music.
Music Man
Ah, the music. A part of me wants to simply write an entire review on the music alone. Tee Lopes has been consistently masterful with his recent soundtrack contributions, and his excellence is on full display here. Again, very akin to Mega Man games of old, one of the best parts of starting a new stage in Berserk Boy is hearing the accompanying musical track. Trust me, you’re going to want to listen to every track in the game, and they’ll be echoing in your head long after you’ve turned the game off. In a game that is fantastically polished, saying that one of the best parts is the music is no small statement.
Polishes And Blemishes
But that polish shines throughout. Though I had the rare issue here and there, most everything in the game is smooth sailing. Considering all of the unique elements present in each stage, with some that change gears to include sections that effectively turn the game into a shoot ’em up, the polish on hand is quite incredible. Berserk Boy is clearly a labor of love for Berserk Boy Games.
Unfortunately, there are some blemishes in Berserk Boy’s arsenal. First, though most of the game is quite polished, there was a time when one of the doors opened that should have stayed locked due to me not having enough progression. Of course, I progressed through the door and got the secrets contained within. But, when I circled back, the game remembered that I shouldn’t have access yet and made sure to keep the door shut. I tried everything to get out, but I was trapped, so I had to restart the level.
There was also a time when the warping from checkpoint to checkpoint wouldn’t work, and this apparently confused the game since I couldn’t choose the checkpoints or even leave the screen, forcing me to reset the game. These were the only major bugs that I encountered, and, though they were pretty big ones, they were easy to work around. Plus, they only happened one time each, and they both happened before a patch was released, so here’s hoping they were, or will be, addressed.
A few minor, non-bug issues also cause a few stumbles in Berserk Boy’s triumph. The enemy variety is fairly low, and that includes bosses and normal enemies. I also wouldn’t have minded if the game was a bit longer, too, though the replayability helps tremendously, here. However, a forced bit of replayability and slight vagueness of it (you must find a random NPC to give the medals to) is a bit unnerving in its implementation.
Another minor personal issue I had is that it took me some time to come to grips with the controls across each of the forms. I had some detailed discussions with myself as I pressed the wrong button time and again, just before my doom, until I finally had that epiphany when everything meshed in my mind. This could be my own issue, but, given the fact that so many forms are required in quick succession for certain areas, which is an aspect that is otherwise well-done and awesome, my brain was spinning. Your mileage may vary with this, of course.
A Real Boy
These are minor quibbles, though. Once you do get it all sorted, the gameplay is sublime. You’ll have confidence as you trek through each stage, knowing the plethora of tools in your shed for every situation. You’ll tackle some sections exactly as the game intends, and you’ll “break the game” in other areas as you push your skills to the limit to creatively bypass them, laughing all the way. And Berserk Boy not only wants this to happen, it encourages it in many ways.
Berserk Boy isn’t perfect, but neither was every Mega Man, Sonic the Hedgehog, or the other games that inspired this gem. One thing that this game has in spades is fun factor. It makes you feel awesome to play it, and you’ll consistently think about different ways to tackle each stage to get all of the goodies with style and speed. You’ll jam to the incredible soundtrack, enjoy the creative and challenging stage design, and long to discover every secret found within Berserk Boy. As you do it all, it may occur to you that this is the first venture in what may be an outstanding series to come. It may be easy to compare Berserk Boy with its inspirations, but when it comes to giving a fantastic first impression, there really is no comparison.
Sincere thanks to Berserk Boy Games for providing the review code for Berserk Boy. You can find Seasoned Gaming’s review policy here.
