Infernax

From the moment you step onto these demon-infested lands to the moment you deal the killing blow to the game’s final boss, you’ll experience plenty of surprises – the Konami Code does something really cool, for example. Infernax’s retro soundtrack that rips from start to finish, beautiful art, challenging gameplay, and a fun Castlevania-inspired design, make it worth the price of admission.

Impressive efforts with a few noticeable problems holding them back. Won't astound everyone, but is worth your time and cash.

While Infernax is tough, it's resolutely fair - you can't really make the game 'easy', but you can absolutely mitigate the difficulty or take a break doing something else when you get stuck. Don't expect a simple ride, though, and don't expect to take the right decisions on a first playthrough - not that anything seems particularly 'right' in this beautifully bloody little world. It's only familiarity that lets Infernax down - there's nothing really new here, but it's all done and delivered so well that you won't really care unless you're desperate for a completely fresh experience. In which case why play a faux-retro NES throwback to begin with? A cut above most efforts in the subgenre, Infernax both demands and requires attention.

This really is one of our favourite old-school indie titles to hit Game Pass in the last few months and we urge retro fans to nab it at the earliest possible opportunity, as it's a super-satisfying love letter to the glory days of Castlevania and an excellent and addictive little game in its own right.

Infernax by Berzerk Studios

Infernax Deux or Die highlights the best mechanics of the base game and does so in a simple way, this time expanding the adventure so that two players can face hordes of enemies and free the world from demonic forces.

By successfully combining different elements of classic games, Infernax doesn't suffer from issues that come with nostalgia and only use this nostalgic theme to its advantage and nothing more. That being said, lack of any new or innovative gameplay mechanic or Feature prevents infernax from becoming one of the best indie games of all time. at the end of the day, Infernax is a beautiful game with clever usage of RPG elements and a standard level design that could entertain you for hours.

As the closing act meets its end, a litter of bodies left in your wake, Infernax achieves a rare thing. It becomes more than its influences, more than a simple genre piece, but a powerful entity in its own right. The only negatives that rise from the ground are a few boss battles being easy to defeat… and that’s it. Robust, neatly wove, disgusting and wholeheartedly engaging, Infernax is a fantastic example of influence creating new greatness.

Infernax is one of the best indie games I’ve played in a long time. It’s a great throwback to not only Castlevania 2, but other great NES games from my childhood as well. The gameplay here is solid, the story is fun and humorous, and there are plenty of extra goodies to keep players coming back for more. The game is a bit on the difficult side, but there are plenty of fun options to play the game as you want to. Infernax can be completed in about 4 hours, but with all the extra endings, the replay value here is high. I feel like this one is well worth the $19.99 asking price for anyone who loves games in this style, or older gamers looking for a throwback from their childhood.

Infernax is the heir to Castlevania (the NES one) that I didn't know I craved, but it was almost impossible to break away from once I started playing! Equipped with an interesting storyline, highly enjoyable pixel art graphics and an electrifying soundtrack, Infernax gets completed over and over again to the rhythm of "Another game and that's it", accompanying the player with an intelligent progression of pace and difficulty. Not really cheap for an indie game, but it's worth the price.