(REVIEW) Lunark is a Solid Pixel-Powered Flashback to 90s Cinematic Platforming

by Gamatroid 🕹️ 

A pixel-art sci-fi adventure set in the midst of a rebellion against a totalitarian regime, LUNARK is a modern take on the 2D cinematic platformer genre of the '90s. Run, jump, hang, climb, roll, and shoot your way through gorgeous and mysterious locations!

 GAME FACTS

• TITLE: Lunark
• RELEASE DATE: 4/5/2023
• MSRP: $19.99
• DEVELOPER: Canari Games
• PUBLISHER: Wayforward
• PLATFORMS: Xbox, PlayStation, Switch and PC
• PLAYED ON: PlayStation 5

As Leo, a courier with unique abilities and a mysterious past, you'll run, jump, hang, climb, roll, and shoot through gorgeously animated pixel-art environments ranging from a dystopian megalopolis to eerie caves to an alien forest. 

You must overcome traps, solve puzzles, earn upgrades, and battle enemy droids, and when you're not fighting for survival, you'll meet a cast of colorful characters who will put Leo's allegiances to the test. 

Uncover the dark origin of humanity's new home and the truth about yourself in this epic sci-fi adventure!

RETRO ROOTS

Lunark is very clearly inspired by the 90s classic Flashback, which in turn was inspired by Out of this World.

Flashback opening cinematic

Much like in Lunark, in Flashback you control your character in a 2D environment with very deliberate well animated moves, in the style of Prince of Persia, with rotoscoped-looking realistic animations. 

Flashback used rotoscoped animation

Flashback also continued the animated cinematics like in Out of This World. 

Flashback used animated cinematics much like Out of this World

Out of This World cinematic

In Flashback you have a semi-complicated control scheme to run, jump, climb and fight your way to freedom. While Lunark is very obviously inspired by Flashback, it makes a bunch of improvements that make it much more playable.

Lunark cinematics are similar in style to Flashback

REVIEW

Gameplay and controls are one area where this game will likely be hit or miss for gamers. 

On the one hand, if you were a fan of Flashback back in the day and had little to no issue with its controls, you will find Lunark is a much improved but similar experience. Personally I always liked the idea of Flashback's control scheme, but found it difficult to execute in practice. Lunark, on the other hand, employs similar controls but executes them in a much easier to understand way (at least for me). 

On the other hand, if you've never played Flashback, or you didn't like the way it controlled, Lunark may have a bit of a learning curve for you, which you may or may not click with.

In terms of replayability, Lunark does offer certain items to find, and if you wanted to get 100% of all secrets and power-ups you might need another playthrough, otherwise its about a 4.5-5 hour game, with limited reason for replay.

Lunark's graphics may also be a little hit or miss for gamers. 

On the one hand, the pixel art is colorful and well animated, and the cinematics are great. 

On the other hand, the pixel art is a bit chunkier than I typically like. 

I wish the graphic detail was closer to a game like Flashback, than what Lunark actually is, but you get used to the graphics quickly, and the smooth animations and well drawn environments more than make up for it.

The story is the stereotypical kind of typical dystopian future with a totalitarian government, robots and AIs, but overall I liked it and it kept me interested.

Thankfully the writing is well done and the text is just detailed enough to help support the narrative, but not overly detailed to the point where you'll want to skip ahead. 

I honestly found the writing length to be perfect and I wish more modern games with text-based dialog would do something similar.

The music and sound design is one area where Lunark really shines. I absolutely love the music in Lunark and it not only perfectly calls back to the style of Flashback (in a very good way) but it really stands on its own to support the action and be very enjoyable. While I don't think I'll be looking to purchase the OST, it is perfect in the game itself.

Lunark performs flawlessly on PS5, which you would expect from this type of game. The framerate was steady the entire time, and the game never crashed or had any issues. While some of the save points may seem a bit far between, this is not a technical issue, although it can be a bit annoying at times.

From an innovative standpoint, Lunark heavily relies on its inspiration, but executes it in an absolutely flawless way. If you've played the recently released Flashback 2, clearly that's not an easy task. 

While it may seem simple enough to emulate a classic experience, the truth is that Lunark took its inspiration but improved the control scheme to the point where its actually playable (I still can't really control Flashback well to this day.) Kudos to the devs.

At an MSRP of $19.99 and a length of about 4.5-5 hours, for me Lunark sits right at the edge of delivering sufficient value for its price. 

I was lucky to get it on sale at a significant discount ($3.99 versus its full $19.99 price), and that certainly helped make the experience more valuable for me. It's length doesn't concern me, and frankly keeps it from overstaying its welcome. 

If you liked Flashback and you're itching for a modern update in a similar style, and you aren't concerned with replay value, you should go ahead and pick this up at full price. If you prefer games where you can play through them multiple times, or you never played Lunark's inspiration, you may want to wait for a sale like I did. 

VERDICT

Lunark is a really well made tribute to the cinematic platforming games of the 90s, like Flashback. For me the game is right at the low end of an 8 out of 10, and if I didn't love it the way I do, it would probably slip to a 7. While its graphics are a little blockier than I typically like my pixel-art, it still looks fantastic, and plays even better than the games that inspired it. If you liked games like Flashback back in the day you definitely need to give Lunark a try. If you never played the games that inspired it, it's still worth giving it a go, although you may find the controls to be a bit odd and you may want to wait for a sale before jumping in.

CRITIC CHECK-IN

• 8/10 - Gamatroid
• 8/10 - Nintendo Life 
• 8/10 - Hardcore Gamer
• 8.5/10 - God is a Geek
• 6/10 - Metro GameCentral
• 6/10 - VGChartz 

 

You can watch my beginning gameplay on PS5 in the YouTube video below:

You can read about how our reviews work here. 

If you like my work and would like to help support my efforts you can buy me a coffee:

(REVIEW) Abathor is a Great Pixel Powered Action Game Inspired by 16-Bit Arcade Legends

by Gamatroid 🕹️ 

"Know, oh prince, that in the years when Atlantis ruled the oceans, sins and arrogance unleashed fierce demons. When everything seemed lost, four heroes arrived to close the Gates of Abathor."

 GAME FACTS

• TITLE: Abathor
• RELEASE DATE: 7/25/2024
• MSRP: $14.99
• DEVELOPER: Pow Pixel Games
• PUBLISHER: Jandusoft
• PLATFORMS: Xbox, PlayStation, Switch and PC
• PLAYED ON: PlayStation 5

The Atlantean civilization has angered the gods. They have sent hordes of monsters to punish Atlantis by destroying the continent. Players must cooperate and compete to save Atlantis, going through a series of challenges of increasing difficulty. 

In their progress, our heroes will fight against ferocious demons and primordial gods, against the living and against the dead, against flying beasts and crawling horrors, they will dodge dangers and traps and descend into chilling abysses. But they will also compete against each other for the loot and the spoils, plundering treasures and offering them to the gods to receive their favor.

Abathor is a 2D platformer with action roguelite influences and up to 4 players in local mode. Fight against an army of monsters through more than 50 stages of increasing difficulty and incredible final bosses. Traverse the entire continent of Atlantis and delve into lore based on Plato’s writings and Athanasius’ map. Re-live the arcade experience of the 80s and 90s.

RETRO ROOTS

Abathor's developer cites Rastan and Golden Axe as sources of inspiration, and it's easy to see why. Rastan is the most immediate visual call back, as the main barbarian character, Crantor, is a dead ringer for the main protagonist of Rastan, and even the gameplay reminds me more of Rastan than anything else, although there are certainly differences that take it beyond its influences.

Rastan - Arcade Archives

The influence from Golden Axe is likely seen in the multiplayer aspect of the game, since there don't really seem to be many references to the game. However, there is one sequence where you ride on an eagle's back which would be a call back to one of the levels from Golden Axe (although the eagle in Golden Axe was WAY bigger).

Golden Axe supported two player multiplayer

See? Golden Axe's eagle was HUGE

REVIEW

Gameplay & Mechanics

Abathor is very well designed, although it's clear it is a small budget indie game. This isn't a knock on the game at all, but there are various areas where you can tell it could have been polished and refined just a bit more if the team had more time and a slightly higher budget. Slight awkwardness aside, Abathor has fun action based gameplay and just slight platforming, similar to that in a Castlevania game (although probably not as punishing). 

The four playable characters add a lot to the game's replayability, as each has very distinct strengths and weaknesses that impact gameplay significantly. For example, Crantor (the male barbarian) has a huge sword swing that does 3.5x damage, Sias (the female warrior) is the only character that can block incoming attacks (and I really love that feature, so I use her a lot), Kritias (the ninja) has an upward sword dragon punch-like attack that's awesome and powerful, and Azaes (the white haired warrior) has an ability where he kills enemies with a short range magic attack and then absorbs their soul which powers up his sword attack. 

In addition to having multiple characters, the game supports four player simultaneous multiplayer. I didn't get a chance to try that out, but it sounds really cool.

Visuals & Art Direction 

Abathor's visual design is well designed and detailed pixel art that seems just a bit more pixelated than the best games from the 16-bit era. Character and enemy animations are detailed, and stages have a lot of environmental detail and animation, like the rolling waves in the background in the first stage. Bosses are generally large and well animated too. Overall a really good looking game, and it also has a CRT filter effect that adds to the nostalgia. I actually prefer to play with the CRT filter most of the time.

Story & Narrative

The story in Abathor is interesting detailed enough to keep the action going, but it doesn't overstay its welcome. It feels very similar to other classic fantasy action games, but it's also more detailed than most games of the 8 and 16 bit era. Overall the story is well done and improves the experience.  

Audio & Music

Abathor's music and sound fx are good, sounding much like the 16-bit games that provide inspiration. I found a few of the opening and early game tracks reminded me quite a bit of Golden Axe, although nothing feels like a straight rip-off, more just inspired by it. My only complaint is the music isn't louder in comparison to the sound fx. I would really prefer for the music to shine.

Technical Performance

As you might expect, the game generally performs flawlessly on modern hardware, especially on the PS5 where I played it. I would assume it also performs well on Switch, but I didn't get a chance to try that version to be certain.

Innovation & Originality

Abathor is highly inspired by games of the 16-bit era, but it brings enough of its own ideas to stand on its own. Having four unique characters to control, each with their own distinct strengths and weaknesses, is really good by itself, but having the ability to play simultaneous muliplayer really sets it apart from its inspiration. Rastan was only one player, and Golden Axe was only two player maximum. Having the ability to play all four at once is really interesting. The different difficulty levels are also a good twist on the classic formula, feeling closer to something like Ninja Gaiden Black than Golden Axe. 

Value vs Price

For $14.99, Abathor is priced just right. It is very replayable, even though it isn't a metroidvania, and the multiple characters really add to its replayability. Even though you can switch characters each time you have to start a run over once you run out of continue tokens, I tended to stick with the same character throughout each playthrough. I've put about 15 hours in so far, and I could see playing through it a few more times to explore the Epic Mode difficulty (and to get the true ending) and experiment playing with the different characters. While you could wait for a sale, I think it's more than worth the experience at full price.  

VERDICT

Abathor is a good, well-made modern pixel-powered action game, heavily inspired by the great classic arcade games of the 16-bit era like Rastan and Golden Axe. It has great graphics and music, tight controls, and lots of replay value. Even at full price it's a great experience, and I would wholly recommend it to any action game fans.

CRITIC CONSENSUS

• 8/10 - Gamatroid
• 7/10 - Nintendo Life 
• 9/10 - PlayStation Universe
• 7.5/10 - The Games Machine
• 8/10 - Gamers Heroes
• 7.5/10 - GameGrin 

 

You can watch my beginning gameplay on PS5 in the YouTube video below:

You can read about how our reviews work here. 

If you like my work and would like to help support my efforts you can buy me a coffee:

(REVIEW) Resident Evil Requiem is a REturn to Greatness

by Gamatroid 🕹️ 

 

A new era of survival horror arrives with Resident Evil Requiem, the ninth title in the mainline Resident Evil series. Experience terrifying survival horror with FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft, and dive into pulse-pounding action with legendary agent Leon S. Kennedy. Both of their journeys and unique gameplay styles intertwine into a heart-stopping, emotional experience that will chill you to your core.

 GAME FACTS

• TITLE: Resident Evil Requiem
• RELEASE DATE: 2/27/2026
• MSRP: $69.99
• DEVELOPER: Capcom
• PUBLISHER: Capcom
• PLATFORMS: Xbox, PlayStation, Switch 2 and PC
• PLAYED ON: PlayStation 5

 

Experience the series' classic survival horror through combat, investigations, puzzles and resource management. Gameplay allows you to freely switch between first and third-person views to face the horrors in a way that suits your playstyle.

 

RETRO ROOTS

Resident Evil started way back on the very first PlayStation, and it was the reason I had to get a PS1. Most games before that weren't truly scary, and I was more than ready for the next generation of more mature games.

Resident Evil Requiem is the latest entry in this long running game series, and incorporates a lot of features that intend to bring the series back to its roots. One feature, is the game's inclusion of "mansion-like" environments in a clear nod to the original Spencer Mansion in Resident Evil 1. (I didn't see any dogs jump through windows, but Requiem has it's own share of jump scares.)

The original Resident Evil was cheesy like an 80s horror movie, but it was also creepy, bloody and more mature than anything else we had seen to that point. Gamers who had grown up playing since childhood were now in their teen years, or older, and were more than ready for something less childish.

Check out the image below of the review scores EGM gave it back in the day. Almost everyone loved the first Resident Evil. Only "Andy" seemed to have any issues, and clearly he was a Nintendo fan boy from his Mario RPG review, so what can you expect?

REVIEW

Gameplay & Mechanics

The gameplay is defined by its dual-protagonist system, featuring the seasoned Leon S. Kennedy and the newcomer Grace Ashcroft. This structure creates a compelling mechanical rhythm; while Leon’s segments lean into the refined, kinetic third-person combat seen in the Resident Evil 4 remake, complete with tactical parries and a new, weightier hatchet mechanic, Grace’s chapters pivot toward a tense, first-person survival experience. Her lack of military training necessitates a reliance on environmental manipulation, stealth, and the innovative "Blood Collector" system to manage the terrifyingly persistent Blister Heads. 

Controls feel exceptionally responsive across both perspectives, allowing for fluid movement that never sacrifices the "heft" necessary for horror. The balance of challenge is finely tuned, rewarding players who master the parry timing or the intricacies of the hemolytic injector crafting loop. With various difficulty modes and a plethora of post-game unlocks, the game offers substantial replay value that encourages multiple runs to optimize routes and uncover every secret. 

Visuals & Art Direction 

Resident Evil Requiem is damn beautiful to look at. Visually, the RE Engine continues to push boundaries, delivering a hauntingly beautiful presentation of the Rhodes Hill Chronic Care Center. The technical quality is staggering, with next-level environmental persistence and visceral gore effects that make every encounter feel impactful. 

The art direction leans heavily into the franchise's gothic and industrial roots, using a muted, oppressive color palette that heightens the sense of dread in the derelict hospital wings. This aesthetic is perfectly complemented by the narrative, which serves as a poignant "requiem" for the series' history. 

Story & Narrative

The story is surprisingly emotional, focusing on Grace’s personal search for her mother, Alyssa Ashcroft, while Leon grapples with his own trauma as he hunts the shadowy Victor Gideon. The dialogue feels more grounded and less campy than previous entries, though Leon’s signature wit remains intact, delivered through cinematic cutscenes that are as polished as the gameplay itself.

Audio & Music

The immersion is further deepened by a stellar audio design that turns every creaking floorboard or distant, muffled breath into a threat. The musical score is atmospheric and adaptive, swelling during Leon’s bombastic set pieces and receding into a minimalist, unnerving hum during Grace’s more vulnerable moments. 

Technical Performance

On a technical level, the game is remarkably stable, featuring near-instant load times and high-performance modes that maintain a rock-solid 60fps even during complex boss fights. The user interface remains clean and intuitive, ensuring that inventory management, a series staple, never feels like a chore. 

Innovation & Originality

While the game largely relies on perfected versions of existing mechanics, its innovation lies in how seamlessly it weaves these disparate styles together, setting a new industry standard for dual-protagonist narratives. 

Value vs Price

Even at $69.99, given the density of the 12-hour campaign and the high quality of the production, Resident Evil Requiem offers immense value for its price, standing as a polished, definitive celebration of survival horror. No reason to wait on a sale for this one. Just go get it! 

VERDICT

Resident Evil Requiem is a return to form for the series, which had found great success in its recent Ethan Winters entries, but had gotten away from the core characters we know and love. After the disaster that was Resident Evil 6, and the side stories explored in 7 and 8, it's great to see Leon, the T-Virus and Raccoon City return in such a splendid way. Grace is a great character as well, balancing vulnerability with effectiveness in a way that almost makes me forget about the disaster that was Ashley in Resident Evil 4 (almost). Resident Evil Requiem is sure to please both series veterans and newcomers alike. I'm glad to see Capcom return the series to greatness, and makes me eager to see where they go next.

CRITIC CONSENSUS

For greater context, take a look at our rating versus ratings that other critics are giving Resident Evil Requiem across different popular platforms:

• 9/10 - Gamatroid
• 9/10 - IGN
• 8/10 - GameSpot
• 9.2/10 - PC Gamer (92/100 raw score)
• 9.75/10 - Game Informer
• 9.5/10 - Destructoid

You can watch my beginning gameplay on PS5 in the YouTube video below:

You can read about how our reviews work here. 

(REVIEW) Console Archives: Ninja Gaiden II The Dark Sword of Chaos

by Gamatroid 🕹️ 

 

And once again, the battle of the Dragon Ninja begins... "NINJA GAIDEN II: THE DARK SWORD OF CHAOS" was released by TECMO in 1990 for an 8-bit home console. In this side-scrolling action game, the Dragon Ninja, Ryu Hayabusa, fights with his clan's legendary Dragon Sword against Ashtar and his Sword of Chaos to stop the resurrection of an evil god.

 

 GAME FACTS

• TITLE: Console Archives: Ninja Gaiden II
• RELEASE DATE: 2/5/2026
• MSRP: $7.99
• DEVELOPER: HAMSTER
• PUBLISHER: HAMSTER
• PLATFORMS: PlayStation and Switch
• PLAYED ON: PlayStation 5

 

 

The title gained worldwide popularity for the thrill of conquering demanding stages with ninja actions, combined with cinematic "Tecmo Theater" cutscenes that look just like a movie.

 

 

 

Gameplay revolves around a 2D cinematic puzzle-platformer structure with no traditional side-scrolling. Progression occurs screen-by-screen, often requiring leaps of faith between static scenes. The core loop combines precise platforming (jumping, climbing, grabbing ledges), environmental puzzles (manipulating valves, lifts, steam vents), high-tension chase sequences from robotic enemies, and hacking mechanics. 

 

 

 

RETRO ROOTS

Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos was originally released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in May 1990 in North America (slightly earlier in Japan). 

I can't recall when I first played it, but I think it must have been a rental. I remember falling in love with the cutscenes and the overall story. I swear I had the Nintendo Power strategy guide at some point, but I don't have it anymore.

I remember the actual gameplay being fairly painful and very difficult, but I loved the cutscenes so much I would put up with the rest of the game in order to unlock the next part of the story.

All these years later though, I love the game itself too, although I still love the cutscenes more.

But I wasn't the only one who loved it. Critics were also in love with Ninja Gaiden II. Just look at the below review from EGM back in the day:

REVIEW

This is a critique of the overall quality and accuracy of the game port, not the original game itself. 

Gameplay & Mechanics

Mostly the controls work just as you would expect, with a slight lag to the input that is common in many emulations of classic games. Not terrible mind you, but not as snappy as the original NES interface (I went back to play my original NES version just to verify). But if you haven't played an original NES in a while you won't notice the difference.

 

Visuals & Art Direction 

If you've ever played an Arcade Archives release, you know what to expect from the various screen filters. The "A" set of filters apply varying degrees of blurring and scanlines, while the "B" filters also apply scanbars, which I really don't enjoy. I think I tend to stick to either the A2 or A3 filter, if that helps narrow it down for you. Other than the filters, everything else look accurate.

Story & Narrative

No changes here. All is just as great as the original you know and love.

 

Audio & Music

Audio is mostly exactly as you remember it, except... there is an audio channel that is oddly more pronounced in this release than in any other release I've played, including online emulation, and it also sounds slightly different than the NES original. I play this game a lot though, so I immediately picked up on it. If you haven't played in quite a while you likely won't even notice.

Technical Performance

From what I can tell the game performs amazingly, with all the same flicker and slow down you experienced in the NES original. Trust me this is a good thing.

 

Innovation & Originality

As far as originality for an emulation release, all of the Arcade (and now Console) Archive games seem pretty lacking in this regard to me. I would never expect an Atari 50 Digital Eclipse-style treatment for every game released, but including scans of actual manuals instead of simple onscreen text would be nice, as would scans of the original box art and other little touches like that. Other than the standard scanline filters, and common QoL stuff like save states, this is a pretty straightforward release. Not bad mind you, but not pushing the envelope either.

  

Value vs Price

For $7.99, the game feels a bit barebones. For full price you still get one of the greatest games ever released on the NES, and you also get the Japanese version as well (although the game is virtually identical except you can't understand the text in the cutscenes). I certainly think the game's full price is at the top of what they should be able to charge for games like this, but if you aren't dying to play the game immediately you might wait for a sale. To me, it's a much better bargain at $4.99 or below (although I did pay full price for it.)

VERDICT

For one of the very first Console Archive releases, Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos is certainly a competent release. Everything is just as you would expect if you ever played an Arcade Archives release.

The retail price is just a bit higher than I would feel comfortable with, given the barebones nature of this release, but that's a small complaint. 

The only thing that's a bit strange is that accentuated audio channel that doesn't sound like that in any other release of the game I've played. Honestly I forgot about it after playing for a bit, but if you play other versions of it regularly, you will likely notice it right away. Not terrible mind you, but just odd that it's not 100% accurate. Maybe they'll patch it out one of these days. 

Overall, this is one of the greatest video games ever made, and if you don't have another way to play it, you should pick this up.

You can watch my beginning gameplay, and a brief walkthrough of the menu options, of Console Archives - Ninja Gaiden II: The Dark Sword of Chaos on PS5 in the YouTube video below:

You can read about how our reviews work here.