Idosra: The Electric Renaissance

An absolute treasure of a game, suffused with retro charm but with a scale and ambition to rival the biggest modern indie titles. Idosra is frequently frustrating, but more engrossing and rewarding than almost any other game released this year. The platforming and combat is a strange mix of cinematic platformer and DOS sidescroller, with your arsenal and abilities giving you more and more options for dealing with enemies, while you also unlock new ways to traverse the levels, finding secrets and even whole branches that are new levels within stages you've already beaten. The high score/XP system gives you a reason to revisit stages without making you grind, the hidden skill books give you an incentive for secret hunting, and the gem bonuses press you to move and fight swiftly and smoothly. The music is outstanding, and the sound and visual effects are just as good. The environments are gorgeous, detailed, and fun to navigate. The game has a few points where progression is a little unclear, or all but requires upgrades that are otherwise optional, and maybe a bit too well-hidden, but as far as I can tell all the real game-stoppers have been patched out already. Absolutely give Idosra's demo a shot, and know that the full game more than delivers on the taste that the demo gives you. Unconditional recommendation from me at full price.

First of all, be aware that this game has stability issues on some Windows 10 machines, but I was able to play on Windows 11 and Linux with no problems. This seems to be an issue with the Stencyl framework. The developer is still looking for a solution. On first glance, you might be reminded of Jill of the Jungle, but this game is a lot more than that. I would call it a more fluid and action-oriented take on cinematic platformers like Prince of Persia and Flashback, with stat and ability progression similar to what you'd find on the more RPGish side of Metroidvanias. The closest comparison that comes to mind is probably Pharaoh Rebirth. Like that game, the world is divided up into stages rather than being interconnected, but you'll need to revisit many of those stages later to reach previously inaccessible areas and secrets. Marika is weak and a bit stiff at first, but this is where the RPG elements come in. You'll gradually unlock a number of diverse abilities and upgrades to make her more agile and a more capable fighter. Some early examples include a roll (great for dodging projectiles), a visible arc for aiming your throwing weapons more accurately, and the ability to throw weapons while running. The abilities themselves are discovered in books hidden throughout the game and are bought with XP that you earn from clearing stages (the better your performance, the more XP you get) and completing story objectives. So far, though, I've had plenty of XP to buy everything I've come across. There are also a few upgrades available from shops. These are purchased with currency, which is much harder to come by. Introductory levels are pretty straightforward, but the game really shines in the larger and more complex dungeons. These have a ton of secrets to find (sometimes a dozen or more) and require you to balance aggression, caution, and resource management. Most stages have checkpoints where you can revive if you die, but doing so will lower your rating for the level, and consequently the XP that you earn. All of this is set to a lively synth soundtrack by Nicole Marie T, which wouldn't be out of place in a 1980s adventure film. My only particular complaint is that the controls are sometimes a bit touchy; you need to be careful when quickly reversing direction or when tiptoeing to the edge of a platform to climb up or down to the next one. Fully recommended for fans of retro action-adventures.

The pixel art, sound effects, music are amazing. This game is so nostalgic and well made

I've been playing Idorsa for few hours and I enjoy it a lot despite some minor annoyances. It reminds me of the old PC platfomers the like of Captain Claw or Prince of Persia. Like in these games it feel like it's more about being aware of your surrounding and at times slowing down instead of blasting trough the levels the fastest possible. The rpg-like skill learning system is weaved quite neatly in the gameplay. You gain experience based on the level's final score which is used to learn skills from books you find scattered around levels. Soundtrack is a real banger. Visual it's really pretty although I'm not a fan of this game portraits and occasional use of digitized head photos. Honestly my biggest annoyance are some turrets in the later levels that shoot so fast you can't do nothing against them if you don't take them from far away. Especial since for some reason you can't move or throw weapons when crouching so if you're corned by them, you're dead. Still I like the game and I think it definitely deserves more recognition.

Still early on in my play, but this game is an abosolute hidden gem! My goodness. It hits all the nostalgia buttons while being fresh and modern. I can't wait to see where the story takes me but I am getting major Dos Game + Genesis game vibes. Love love love this game.