The End Is Nigh

A worthwhile, if familiar, successor to Super Meat Boy.

Backtracking to previous levels can be a pain, but the number of optional collectibles, secret levels, and more make it worth your time

I can't talk about The End Is Nigh without comparing it to Super Meat Boy because in so many ways it feels like a conscious alternative to some of the defining properties of that rapid, colourful, classic game. But measured on its own qualities, The End Is Nigh is a good game, but not a memorable one.

At the end of the day, you probably already know if this game is right for you. If you couldn't get enough of Super Meat Boy and have spent the past seven years fiending for more punishing platformers, than The End of Nigh is something you should immediately inject into your veins. If you are usually iffy on super-challenging platformers, but curious if this is the one that will turn you around, keep on walking.

There's no doubt about it - The End Is Nigh delivers excellent platforming. It's a manageable challenge from start to finish, and a game that becomes more and more enjoyable as you slowly adapt to its seemingly unforgiving design. At the same time you'll never feel completely unstoppable like you would in other notable platform titles. It keeps you on your toes from start to finish and has a balance few other games associated with this genre manage to achieve.Where The End Is Nigh falls short is the fact it doesn't expand a great deal on the initial foundations laid by Super Meat Boy many years ago. What we have here is a spiritual successor, but with the open-ended adventure elements not having as notable an impact on the game as you may expect. The main character and settings in this aren't quite as likable as Meat Boy and his own game world, either. In saying this, if you are a fan of the source material and happen to enjoy well-crafted and tough platform games, check this one out.

The End is Nigh is another excellent platformer from Edmund McMillen, it’s everything Super Meat Boy was but even better paced and well designed. It’s worth playing though it will be challenging and frustrating for most players, but it’s the right type of challenge.

Anyone who enjoyed Super Meat Boy is likely to have a good time with The End is Nigh.

The End is Nigh is something for those who appreciate the challenge of a steep difficulty level, one that is hard but fair and which brings the player through a refined level design that makes the player rethink how to approach the game. A real piece of playable satisfaction that is certain to gain the hearts of those who enjoy this kind of challenge.

In summation, after 5+ hours, I have somewhat mixed feelings about The End is Nigh. On the one hand, it’s fun in a brutally challenging way, and it’s utterly unlike most other games I’ve played, other than those developed by Ed McMillen. On the other hand, the balance feels a bit skewed in the latter half of the game, and even the first half might prove too much except for truly hardcore fans. I would say that for those who like a hefty challenge and enjoy platformers, The End is Nigh is worth getting. For everybody else, it’s really not for you.

There's a lot to like in The End is Nigh, just try not to throw the Switch around when the game gets super tough. Someone could get hurt.