The Messenger

« The Messenger is a prime example on how to study the fundamental rules of a genre that has been replicated a million times before. To then follow these rules, bend them and eventually break them into something of its own calibre of quality is something quite special indeed. »

« This is just a immensely well-made game that has a rock-solid foundation with the hero’s movements and controls. On top of that, it layers on an onslaught of laudatory elements, whether it’s a winning, humorous tone, the excellent linear level design, or the marvels of the late-game exploration. »

« The Messenger is the real deal. It's the most polished, thoughtful, and accurate tribute to retro gaming that I've seen in a very long time. I recommend it wholeheartedly. »

« The Messenger surpassed my expectations in its first two hours. Then it went on to become one of the most joyful, rewarding, and memorable gaming experiences I’ve ever had. To say developer Sabotage succeeded at making a great platformer is a huge understatement. The Messenger transcends the platformer genre and should be played by everyone, regardless if it’s their style of game. »

« The Messenger is without a doubt one of the best indies available on the Switch right now. It has a lot of competition with the sudden sea of metroidvania games available, but its stunning look, fantastic soundtrack, and clever writing coupled with the amazing gameplay put it a step above the rest. When I walk away from a game every night only wanting to play more, there's little to complain about. »

« The Messenger is not just a brilliant love letter to the 8-bit and 16-bit games that inspired it. It’s proof that even in a market saturated with retro-style platformers, there are still clever ways to approach the genre. It is one of the most well-designed games I have ever played on both a gameplay and storytelling level. Sabotage really created something special here and I can’t wait to see what they come up with next. »

« The Messenger is a real accomplishment for the fledgling Sabotage Studio. There are development teams that work for years trying to come within the same hemisphere of quality that The Messenger comfortably resides at. Its gameplay is both polished and electric, fostering a constant desire to push forward and discover every secret that its world contains. While some of the writing isn’t executed as well as it could be, the sum of The Messenger‘s parts absolutely makes up for this single, flawed fragment. It’s an essential title for anyone’s library of Switch games and I really hope at some point it gets a physical release. »

« I cannot say enough about The Messenger. The retro side-scrolling action works in both 8-bit and 16-bit. The story is one of the best in any retro game I’ve ever played. The soundtrack is absolute dynamite. There are some nitpicky things here and there mostly in the controls department, but nothing that kills the vibe. The Messenger is a love letter to a bygone era that drops me right back into those wonderful times as soon as I turn on the Switch. »

« The Messenger is a great game in every way possible. It has an interesting story, deep characters, and some of the best humor of any indie game. Some people may say that it isn't a true metroidvania, and they are partially right, but it really opens up later in the game. Drawing inspiration from Ninja Gaiden has NES nostalgia, packaged with some of the smoothest gameplay ever. The controls are easy to learn and critical to master. No mechanic is unused, which gives it a fine-tuned quality. Overall, The Messenger is an extremely worthwhile game for anyone from NES lovers to indie game enthusiasts. »

« Esto es un juegazo de los que no se ven todos los días. Divertidísimo de principio a fin, con un gameplay súper pulido que engancha cosa mala y no para de sorprender. El rollo ninja en 2D está llevado de lujo, con un diseño de niveles brillante y momentos que te sacan una sonrisa constantemente. Además, tiene un encanto especial que mezcla humor, acción y nostalgia de forma increíble. De esos títulos que empiezas por curiosidad y acabas recomendando a todo el mundo sin pensarlo. Una auténtica joya. »

« Another of the great surprises of modern pixel nostalgia, The Messenger takes the inspiration of Ninja Gaiden (NES) and takes it to its highest peak, the story, the rhythm, the gameplay, the animations and the aesthetics stand out in every way. A surprise to see how 8-bit dominates perfectly as well as 16-bit, a great nod perfectly linked to the story. Ninja Gaiden took inspiration from The Messenger again and they released a title recently, but it doesn't live up to the freshness of The Messenger. Bavo »

« le jeu pue sa race cest pas bien c'est nul cest pas du tout moi qui pue la merde au jeu non non il est vraiment juste trop dur et pas beau et pas bien et il est vraiment nul »

« Loved it! a very original blend between Ninja Gaiden and Metroid formulas, with great level design, music, cast, narrative and art direction. Backtracking can be too much sometimes, but it's an excellent game overall. »

« Habituellement, je ne suis pas fan des metroidvania, mais l’ambiance du jeu, l’evolution du gameplay et particulièrement la musique mon scotché ! »

« A truly beautiful game with immense replay value that should be played by all fans of the retro platforming genre at least once in their lives. Doesn't make a fuss with non-English system language settings either! Türkçe: Retro platform türünün tüm hayranlarının hayatlarında en az bir kez oynaması gereken, tekrar tekrar zevkle oynanabilecek muhteşem bir oyun. İngilizce dışındaki sistem dili ayarlarında da hiç sorun çıkarmıyor! »

« Pixel art bem feita e história que prende com seus diálogos engraçados e uma incrível reviravolta. A trilha sonora é, pra mim, uma das melhores que já ouvi (Nunca fui triste chegando em Mesa Island no Sea of Stars). »