Introduction

Ah, Infernax. A game that makes the act of smashing monsters with a mace seem like a casual Sunday picnic. If you've ever pondered what it would be like to have the heart of a knight with the brain of a caffeinated squirrel, then welcome to Hell. Here, players beat the living daylights out of monsters while discovering that all those vapid 'fetch quests' have a richer lineage than your average RPG.

Gameplay

Infernax is what happens when the designers of classic 8-bit platformers have an existential crisis and decide to throw in elements of dark fantasy and satanic rituals. You control Duke Alcedor, who appears to have mastered the fine art of fighting monsters directly after returning from the Crusades. Seriously, this guy needs to find a new hobby. Your journey takes you through beautifully pixelated environments that are home to everything from skeletons to cultists. Gameplay is a classic Metroidvania affair: you fight, you explore, you acquire upgrades, and you try not to die a miserable death every other frame. Swinging your mace is satisfying, but the added element of magic spells truly sends you soaring - in a good way, not like a misguided spell that accidentally sets your friend on fire. And if you're too much of a coward to take on these nefarious beasts alone, the Deux or Die update lets a second player jump in (presumably without judgment) as Cervul the Squire, who clearly just wandered in from a farmer's market looking for healthy snacks and ended up in a monster apocalypse. Teamwork makes the dream work, even if your teamwork revolves around stealing each other's loot. Best of all? Your choices matter. Want to be a hero or a villain? Go nuts! Play nice with the NPCs or start your career as a sociopathic masochist who revels in chaos. Just remember, the choices you make also dictate the multiple endings you can achieve, some of which are straight out of a fever dream - like ending up in a cyberpunk future with a machine gun. For some reason, nothing says 'serious medieval knight' like a couple of bullets in a cybernetic baddie.

Graphics

The graphics of Infernax feel like the love child of a retro 8-bit game and a high-definition nightmare. It's both nostalgically pixelated and ghastly all at once. The character animations remind you of games from your childhood where you could only afford one game per year but still makes you question your life choices. The backgrounds are beautifully designed with each level offering distinct environments - which is great because the monsters sure take advantage of the ambiance to make you question your sanity while you fight your way through. The gore is cartoon-y enough to not ruin your thoughts of dinner, but gruesome enough to have you genuinely surprised when you realize that yes, you can chop that enemy in half. If the nostalgic 8-bit graphics and blood-stained settings were a buffet, you would eat way more than you should and then deny it when your friends ask if you gained weight.

Conclusion

Infernax is a delightful throwback to the days of yore when gaming meant conquering pixelated beasts while trying to avoid breaking your controller in a fit of rage. It carries the charm of classic titles while upgrading the experience to a caffeine-fueled adventure that your 12-year-old self would high-five you for. So grab your mace, find some unsuspecting demon, and get lost in this pixelated whirlwind of chaos. Just watch out for Cervul - if he's not stealing your thunder, he might accidentally let you down in a crucial battle. Either way, Infernax promises a whirlwind of excitement punctuated with laughter and frustration, kind of like playing Monopoly with your family during the holidays. Just remember: take breaks, don't throw your controller, and most importantly, enjoy your time in Hell.

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