THE MESSENGER
Doubling as a throwback to classic side scrolling action titles like Ninja Gaiden and a metroidvania (of sorts), The Messenger is perhaps one of the most interesting indie games to have come out in the last few years, and while its metroidvania side of things is a bit of a hit and a miss, as far as replicating the thrill of old-school Ninja Gaiden is concerned, it sticks the landing perfectly. Its expertly designed levels often combine dangerously placed enemies with areas that need perfectly skilled platforming to manoeuvre around, which holds doubly true for some of its hidden areas (which become much more crucial to progression later on). The Messenger also has some of the most well designed and challenging boss fights we’ve seen in a game all year, with every battle being a thrilling and memorable one.
