First off, f*ck this game. It’s the most frustrating thing I’ve ever played. This 2D platformer is 50% Super Meat Boy, 50 % Flappy Bird, and 50% go f*ck yourself. I was on the seventh level on the first world and managed to die 67 times before completing it. The most insane thing after all of these deaths is that I loved every minute of it.
This game is hard. Like ‘Theon Greyjoy before he gets his favorite toy chopped off’ hard. But the immense amount of pride and satisfaction that you get from completing a level that’s kicked your butt is a great feeling. We had the GameZone staff huddled around my monitor, taking turns trying to beat one level. So many curse words were being exclaimed that had someone walked in they would have thought we were reenacting The Departed. We all kept dying at different parts of a level, and numerous times were were close to beating it, only to die to a stupid mistake. Finally beating it drew out cheers and a fist bump. At some points we were laughing so hard that we were crying.
The look of determination.
Fenix Rage is simple in controls and complex in execution. You can jump (tapping jump will make you go higher and higher like Flappy Bird), dash (continually pressing dash will have you keep gliding through the air), and you can wall slide downwards. Each level has a cookie you can collect, but that’s optional. And to be honest, it’s usually so hard to get to that you’re better off moving on. The goal is to get to the blue, glowing square to escape and move on to the next level. Want to really challenge yourself? Get the cookie… or try racing against the clock to complete it in a better time.
As you advance, even just through the first world, levels will have more obstacles trying to kill you and bring you back to the start of the level (there’s no checkpoints; levels are short anyway). You’ll be tasked with wall sliding down fire rock to dash through ice blocks, going through portals to get to a new area, and avoiding green lasers that line the walls in some area — to name a few challenging elements. The more you dash, the faster you can get through a level, but your control over Fenix will also get a bit loose. And then there’s the boss levels — huge monsters chasing after you through a level or shooting tons of objects for you to avoid, where one little mess-up means death.
The levels are vibrant and full of life. Seriously, the amount of color is like a feast for your eyes. And the music is full of fast-paced synth and guitar riffs that add to constant pressure you’ll feel to not screw up. I actually had to take off my headset or turn off my speakers at times because the music got to be too much. It’s great in doses, but by the 50th time you’ve died on a level, you just don’t want to hear it anymore.
Fist pump after the 67th try.
Green Lava Studios, a three-man team from Costa Rica, has made an incredibly difficult platformer that will frustrate you beyond belief, but damn it’s a joy to play. If you get angry at games where you’ll die a lot, you might want to skip this. Admittedly, I’ve played only a few hours of Super Meat Boy, so I’m not constantly comparing Fenix Rage to it, but it’s clearly inspired by it. So if you loved Super Meat Boy, love a good challenge, and want to fist pump after you finally beat a level, give Fenix Rage a go. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Warning: Do not play around small, influenceable children unless you want them to curse like a sailor.
You can follow Lance Liebl on Twitter @Lance_GZ.
This game was reviewed with a provided Steam key.
