Studio Pixel Punk utilized the art style's simplicity to perfection, crafting a world that is haunting. The combat is also quite fun, particularly once someone becomes accustomed to the parry system.
Bonfire Peaks is a puzzle game about guiding a character through a forest as they seek to burn boxes of their belongings. As players progress through the simultaneously gorgeous and intimidating setting, the puzzles will gradually grow more difficult as new mechanics are thrown in that demand flexible thinking to solve. The solutions are rarely obvious and if someone's train of thought barrels down an incorrect path, the puzzles might even seem indecipherable.
Bonfire Peaks is a must-play for puzzle and pixel art fans. Pixpil's Eastward is an impressive indie game that guides players through an immersive journey set in a fantastically detailed world. The story centers around John, a mute but strong man, and Sam, a bright-eyed and energetic young girl. Born and raised in an underground community, they venture into the outer world to learn that everything they have been thought is not quite right. With a gripping narrative, great writing, gorgeous visuals, and memorable side characters, Eastward is a haunting delight.
The gameplay is serviceable enough for what the pixel game is trying to do and, most importantly, doesn't detract from the story. Square Enix's Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster collection attracted some controversy due to its limited platform lineup, with it not coming to consoles. While that is disappointing, this collection is nevertheless a worthwhile option for PC players.
With plans to publish the first six entries in the series, these versions improve the visuals and add a few quality of life improvements to these JRPG classics. Currently, only Final Fantasy 1 - 4 are available; out of those, the fourth entry is the best. However, that will change once Final Fantasy 6 's pixel remaster hits Steam.
Released on September 15, , Flynn: Son of Crimson is an action-adventure game with a lot going for it. The combat system is complex and engaging, with the titular protagonist being provided with a respectable variety of weapons, abilities, and unique attacks. Pixel games love to adopt Metroidvania principles, but Flynn: Son of Crimson opts for a more streamlined approach containing unique levels.
However, the game still rewards a degree of exploration and backtracking to previous areas. Fun, short, fairly balanced, and beautiful, Flynn presents a solid way to spend a weekend.
One of the defining entries in the roguelike genre, Enter the Gungeon is bone-crushingly difficult, chaotic, and impossible to put down. After picking a playable character, people dive into the Gungeon as they fire their way through an array of floors, each one featuring randomly generated enemies, loot, and structures. Enter the Gungeon will frustrate players to no end, but its frantic gameplay and rewarding loot system are just too entertaining to ignore.
As far as pixel games are concerned, there aren't many bigger titles than Enter the Gungeon. Released in , Terraria does show its age in some ways, but it is still one of the most ambitious and best indie pixel games of all time. A sandbox title, Terraria is all about presenting players with the tools to interact with this impressive world in their own ways. Terraria 's pixel art is pleasant, colorful, and benefits from the variety afforded by the vast world.
There are prettier pixel games on the market, but few are better than Re-Logic's title. Currently available in early access, Rhythm Doctor shows that sometimes one button is more than enough. Taking on the role of a medical intern, the goal is to rhythmically bring a patient's heart back to life.
Simple as the concept may sound, Rhythm Doctor constantly shakes things up to ensure the gameplay or story never grows stale. The visuals are also quite striking, with the stages adapting to suit the characters presently being focused on. Rhythm Doctor is a pixel game worth keeping track of. Roguelikes are a dime a dozen, but when one gets it right, there is hardly anything better.
Skul: The Hero Slayer hasn't quite attracted the same attention as Dead Cells or Hades but it compares favorably with both of those games. Providing chaotic, back-breaking action spread over five striking and widely different areas, Skul: The Hero Slayer keeps things interesting through a head-swapping mechanic that unlocks new skills and playstyles.
Roguelikes live and die by their ability to turn failure into an incentive, and Skul: The Hero Slayer achieves that with ease while also offering great pixel art. There are approximately a billion RPG Maker games , so a project needs to be extra special to stand out from the plethora of good titles out there.
To the Moon breaks away from its RPG roots by opting against the use of a combat system, prioritizing puzzles and story progression above everything else. Later on, To the Moon received a Unity facelift, and it looks better than ever now. Atmospheric and heartfelt, To the Moon does what it sets out to do very well. Its pixel art hits a sweet spot between relative realism and dream-like fantasy. An adventure does need to have a world-altering goal to be unforgettable.
A Short Hike tells the simple tale of Claire, a bird who sets out on a journey to find cellphone reception. This involves hiking up the Hawk Peak Trail. An open-world game set in a gorgeous environment, A Short Hike is relaxing and therapeutic.
Free of much in the way of stress, A Short Hike permits Claire and players to just breathe in the fresh air and enjoy the casual trip. It is a beautiful pixel art game. Blasphemous is known for its lovingly crafted and macabre world, its ghastly and twisted enemy and boss design many of these creatures would be right at home in any horror game , and its sophisticated pixel art.
These are no simplistic retro-inspired visuals. Moonlighter is like playing 2 different games. This roguelike RPG is a story about a shopkeeper named Will who dreams about being a hero in his village of Rynoka. With portals in his town leading to different realms, Will gets a chance to show his bravery. The game is split into 2 parts.
During the day, the protagonist manages their shop , communicates with villagers for special requests, and crafts new items. Players can price their items and interact with customers as well.
At night, it's time to enter the dungeons and wield a weapon against enemies for valuable loot. The game cycles between the shop and the dungeons. Other parts of Rynoka come in handy too. With any extra cash, players can visit local shops to upgrade weapons to suit their play style. For many, Square Enix is known solely as the creators of the ever-popular Final Fantasy franchise. In truth, the company has brought gamers a wide array of beloved franchises besides, such as Parasite Eve and Bushido Blade.
Another of their bigger titles of more recent years was Octopath Traveler. While this RPG bears a resemblance to the older Final Fantasy titles, its pixel art like that of Blasphemous employs a variety of advanced visual techniques.
While a lot of pixel art titles take a pure platforming approach the market has become sadly saturated with such , Killer Queen Black takes a competitive, team-based approach on the concept. The title, a refined version of the original Killer Queen , sees two teams of four battle it out on a variety of stages. Skelly Selest is another title that takes the quickfire arcade approach.
To do this, players are armed only with a simple gun and axe. Those accustomed to the likes of The Binding Of Isaac will know what to expect here: rooms full of waves of foes and randomly selected power-ups to pick from between said waves. All of this will be super apparent to anyone who has spent time with the popular title. Coffee Talk is a fascinating visual novel, set in an alternate take on contemporary Seattle.
Fantastic creatures like orcs live alongside humankind and, of course, share coffee shops. Which is where the player comes in. The goal of the game is to satisfy these often-mythological patrons while learning more about them and their lives.
Over the course of play, a variety of thought-provoking and utterly engrossing tales will be told. Owlboy is a sincere story about Otus, a boy who is also an owl. His life takes a turn when pirates appear, but that's just the beginning. In this game, progressing through dungeons requires puzzle solving and fighting enemies that obstruct the path. In order to fight, Otus carries his friends to target enemies or creatively uses his undemanding abilities.
It's heartwarming seeing his friends become his strength. Owlboy 's imaginative story and unique playstyle make the game all the more compelling.
The jaw-dropping, detailed pixel art is the best part of this game. From the background to the foreground, it's incredibly well designed. Katana ZERO 's retro, neon art paired with synth music creates an exhilarating atmosphere that complements the game's fast-paced nature. Critic Reviews. Score distribution:. Positive: 0 out of 4. Mixed: 4 out of 4. Negative: 0 out of 4. A Pixel Story is a fun platform puzzle game which takes you on a journey through the pixelated era.
It is full of homages to older games and movies and offers a healthy dose of humor and challenges, though the game gets a little repetitive after a while. All this publication's reviews Read full review. Video Chums. A Pixel Story is a promising retro tale but it fails to live up to the classic games that it's clearly inspired by.
You'll likely have fun in its colourful world but don't expect it to last as long as the journey itself. A Pixel Story has some great ideas, but also makes some mistakes, like focusing too much on the story.
The idea of mixing old and new features works, but the execution isn't outstanding. PlayStation Country. A Pixel Story promises a tribute to the classic games of yesteryear however falls unfortunately short of that goal. However, it is a competent platformer with solid puzzling mechanics and style. The only problem is, if you have played a few of these before then this may be the one too many.
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