Volgarr the Viking

Volgarr the Viking is a brutal, uncompromising love letter to 16-bit classics like Ghosts 'n Goblins and Rastan — if you die, that's on you, not the game. The controls are tight and responsive, the enemy placements are fixed and learnable, and there's genuine satisfaction in finally blazing through a level that once seemed impossible. Yes, you will replay the same stretches of level over and over, and the lack of a checkpoint before bosses will test your patience, but that repetition is the point — you're building muscle memory until the chaos becomes choreography. The spear mechanics in particular are brilliantly designed, doubling as both a weapon and a platforming tool in ways I didn't expect. If you grew up loving hard arcade games and want that feeling of hard-earned mastery, this is absolutely worth your time; if you need modern conveniences like mid-level saves or an easy mode, look elsewhere.

I was less angry playing Ghouls and Goblins than this psychotic display of malicious intentionality