Berserk Boy was provided by the publisher for review. Thank you!
When it comes to faster-paced 2D platformers, it's hard for me not to look back to the classics that defined the genre. When looking at Berserk Boy, my mind immediately races to Mega Man, which has a similar art-style and UI, while also sporting a similar style of gameplay to the Gunvolt series. But, after playing through the game, I can easily say that it stands out from its predecessors enough to justify its existence, and in some cases, making for a more enjoyable experience.
Berserk Boy sees you taking control of Kei, a young boy who decides to join the resistance after he is able to absorb and control the Berserk orb. Now, with the help of a firebird name Fiore, he will utilizes the new powers given to him and stop Dr. Genos, who wants to control the orbs for his own benefit. The story here isn't anything special, but does just enough to understand the context surrounding the setting and explains why you are fighting. It didn't feel like the developers wanted it front and center, which is great, because the great gameplay gets to be the main attraction.
Berserk Boy is a fast-paced 2D platformer, so you will go from one end of the level to the other. As you do, you will jump and dash your way around, while using your powers to destroy enemies. You will also get new powers as you progress through the five areas, each taking the form of a new Orb. Each of these new powers not only feel different, but have completely different uses that can get you through specific parts of the levels. This, along with the side mission of saving stranded soldiers and upgrading your abilities, promotes going back to older levels to fully complete them, giving kind of a Metroidvania vibe.
Berserk Boy excels when it comes to the general gameplay loop. The fast combat and movement keep things moving along at a great pace, the levels are very well designed, and utilizing the different powers to disperse of enemies is fantastic. I also really enjoyed going back and discovering blocked off areas I didn't know about that had to be drilled through with my Fire Drill form, or I had to hit with a Kunail from my Ice Ninja form. There are also secret EX levels you can unlock, which have a decent length, and will keep you busy for quite some time. The music is also on-point and keeps you pumped up throughout the entirety of the levels, while the aesthetics and animations are wonderfully crafted and varied throughout each of the areas.
There are some spots where I do feel it could have improved though. Some levels feel a bit too long, bosses can feel very easy when using the right powers, and and the upgrade shop is a bit too expensive for the offerings, especially in the beginning. But, these are minor gripes, and I still had a blast playing, especially on the Steam Deck.
Without a doubt, Berserk Boy is perfect to play on the Steam Deck. No changes are necessary to enjoy the game at a solid 60 FPS and around 7W - 8W battery drain. This means we can play for around 5 hours on LCD and almost 7-8 hours on OLED. This is great, since there aren't many settings to change. It did say the resolution started at 640x360 on my device, but it seemed to just be incorrect and it was 1280x720 the whole time.
The game does have a 60 FPS lock no matter what, even if you set it to 90 FPS on OLED, so make sure you have it the refresh rate at 60Hz for the smoothest gameplay.
There aren't many options for the game, other than changing language, rebinding controls, and audio sliders, but you can disable deaths if you want a more passive playthrough.
The game doesn't support 16:10 aspect ratios, but it does have controller and cloud save support. There are no HDR options.
Berserk Boy is a fantastic fast-paced 2D platformer that succeeds in creating an entry into the genre that stands apart from the games that inspired it. The gameplay has great pacing and is tight with fantastic level design, a great aesthetic, and wonderful music, and all of it works together to elevate the experience. Even though there are some parts I would love to see improved, these are minor compared to the grand scheme. And, it runs flawlessly on the Steam Deck without needing to change anything, making it a Best on Deck game!
If you are a fan of 2D platformers, I highly recommend checking out Berserk Boy.
Our review is based on the PC version of this game.
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Berserk Boy is a fantastic 2D platformer that employs great level design and fantastic fast-paced combat. And it can all be enjoyed on the Steam Deck.
