Released over a year ago precisely on Valentine’s Day, Infernax is one of the weirdest gifts that someone could potentially offer. Coincidences be damned, this is a violent and extremely gory retro platformer, commonly known by all the hip kids as Metroidvania. While acclaimed at launch, there was room for Infernax to grow and become even better, but how so? By adding a two-player cooperative mode just like those old arcade machines that gobbled up your parents’ hard-earned coins, that’s how. Give a warm welcome to Cervul, player two entering the game with the free Infernax: Deux or Die update.
Bloody Delightful
Infernax is a solid platformer reminiscent of the 8-bit era, complete with linear enemy patterns and nerve-racking jumps, as you can read in our original review. The story is astonishingly deep and twisty, with many choices that will come back later to bite you, stomp on you, and eliminate you in one of dozens of wicked ways, complete with a blood-red screen of death where some decidedly gory action confirms your demise. These choices will also shape your allegiance into good or evil, so make sure you give each option enough consideration.
While on the surface it looks like another run-of-the-mill exercise in retro gaming aimed at the die-hards of the bygone videogame consoles, Infernax is clever in more ways than one. It comes with a day and night cycle that reflects on the enemy types, and you can pick a casual or classic mode that significantly alters your progress rate. In short, when you die in classic mode it wipes your progress and loot since the previous save shrine, while casual mode allows you to keep some of your stuff. The latter doesn’t apply during dungeons, but these aren’t usually that vast, and every skilled platformer fan won’t find them to be unsurmountable trials.
Infernax isn’t a Souls-like where you must face dozens of hard-as-nails enemies before reaching the death point, but it still can provide a challenge for those who roam impatiently through the land. Bosses aren’t massive setbacks either; while visually impressive, their moveset is often very restrictive and easy to learn. Gold and XP from fallen enemies allows you to upgrade skills and purchase a variety of items. If you have a keen eye, you may discover strategies to rake up those numbers without much effort, in true flawed 8-bit fashion.
But after this summary of Infernax, let’s just go straight to Deux or Die, the focus of this review.
Party of One
Until recently, honorable knight and proud mace-wielder Alcedor was the sole hero of this story, but he is now joined by Cervul, the squire. An expert in axe throwing and complete with a set of buff skills that will come handy in battle, Cervul is a terrific long-range complement for Alcedor’s melee-focused attacks. Far from being the early days’ Luigi to his Mario, Cervul is an entirely different character that feels like the true sidekick that the game deserved in the first place.
The two-player couch co-op mode (Steam remote play is supported) is where Infernax truly shines, delivering a barrage of attacks and projectiles that often give you little time to think, with a rebalanced difficulty for this new option. While Alcedor’s shield and mace allow him to get up close, Cervul stays behind working his ranged attack, with slight distance and height adjustment according to your character control. It seems easy to use, but timing it with the devious and fast enemies requires some skill.
With the XP Cervul earns, you can unlock a handful of tools that grant additional options and buffs to the duo. The pavise is a large shield that can be carried around, but this prevents you from attacking; however, place it on the ground and that’s another story entirely. The crossbow is an alternate ranged weapon that fires a straight shot but requires reloading after each use. It gets interesting when you unlock the piercing upgrade, with a delightful shot that penetrates various enemies. The banner grants a speed and attack buff, and can be placed on the ground to free Cervul’s hands and still provide the effect, as long as you remain in the vicinity. Finally, the bandages heal both Cervul and Alcedor, but don’t forget to refill them by a save shrine.
If you don’t have someone to play Infernax with, there’s a two-player solo mode just for you. Doesn’t make sense? Actually, it does, as it lets you take both Alcedor and Cervul into the full campaign, but you only control one at a time, switching between them on the fly. While not the optimal way to enjoy the game, it is definitely better to have this option to explore both character’s playstyles and upgrades, rather than solely focusing on one.
Two’s Company
Some of the best things come in small packages, and this one is digital and free, so there’s no need to pay or to worry about keeping the wrapping paper intact for reusing. Infernax was an interesting retro platformer, but Deux or Die turns it into an infinitely better game in a way that is utterly respectful to the community. Cervul is so much more than a shade of Alcedor; he’s its own thing, a player two that you want to bring along, and he will make going back to solo adventuring (or even the on-the-fly switching mode) a lot harder to enjoy.
Infernax players who for some reason haven’t appreciated the game to its fullest now have a great excuse to give it another go. While far from flawless and sometimes too mechanical or harsh in its insta-death platforming jumps, it is a riot to play with a friend. If you don’t have one, just grab someone from the neighborhood, hand them a second controller, and have a bloody great time with this challenging old-school platformer.
Score: 8.5/10
Pros
- Infinitely better in cooperative mode
- Cervul is so much more than player two
- Alternate between characters solo
- Entirely free
Cons
- Linear enemy attack patterns
- Some bugs and XP exploits
- Insta-deaths from ill-timed jumps are frustrating
Infernax: Deux or Die review code was provided by the publisher. You can read MP1st’s review and scoring policy right here.