Black Future '88

Black Future '88 is an intriguing, challenging but also supremely fun and rewarding game. It may be an audio-visual feast, but the tight gameplay, high degree of replayability and the sterling effort that has gone into overcoming many of the criticisms levelled at the genre mean it's not just a pretty face. If you're looking for a dose of intense cyberpunk action on your Switch, you can't go wrong with this one.

While I like the look and overall vibe of Black Future ‘88 there was never anything that really compelled me to keep playing, leveling up only unlocked things that I might find in Skymelt and while I found one playable character while exploring, I have no idea how I unlocked the second one. It's the little things like that make me feel Black Future ‘88 needs more polish and more carrot to live up to its full potential.

Black Future '88 is almost a quintessential throwback to '80s arcade games, with rock-solid gameplay taken straight from the era and mixed in with several interesting and unique gameplay twists.

The main hook in Black Future '88 is enough to recommend it to roguelike fans who want something a little different from the norm. There's a nice balance between trying to be thorough about collecting everything and rushing to make the most of your time, which is good enough to push most players out of their comfort zone. Those wanting something quick and different in the genre will find some joy in this title.

Black Future ’88 surprised me quite a bit. It’s a very rewarding and addicting game, and you’ll catch yourself saying “just one more run” every time you die. Its short length and fast pace makes it very conducive to replaying, and unlike some rogue-likes, it’s fun to play pretty much immediately. Even in a genre where a game like Dead Cells stands tall, this can certainly stand on its own merits. If you like rogue-likes and platforming action games even a little bit, this is an easy recommendation. It’s $20 on Steam and the Nintendo Switch eShop, and even though a successful run lasts 18 minutes or less, you can easily sink 10+ hours into it.

Of course, the lack of content and motivation is not so terrible if you play Black Future '88 on the Nintendo Switch in the subway, but for longer sessions, this game is not exactly intended. If you love the genre, then it's worth playing, but all others can pass by.

Black Future '88 is a thrilling roguelike that eventually feels like you are in a side-scrolling bullet hell shooter the higher you climb. Once you reach the top, you'll begin once again, just with a harder difficulty.

The novelty of the 80's throwback aesthetics makes Black Future '88 worthy of a purchase, if not also for the fact that it is the best shooter I have played in 2019.

With delightful visuals, pulsing music, and snappy gameplay, Black Future '88 is a solid roguelike that won't revolutionize the genre.

By focusing the game around risky play and speedrunning, SUPERSCARYSNAKES has made Black Future ’88 one of the most exciting and best-designed roguelikes to release in a long time.