Steam Next Fest is underway, bringing forth a slew of demos to check out.
This time we’re taking a look at Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider, developed by JoyMasher (the devs behind Blazing Chrome, Odallus and Oniken) and published by The Arcade Crew.
Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is a side-scrolling action platformer with a 16-bit ‘Golden Era’ flavour. This comes through clearly via the game’s excellent pixel art and tight, snappy action. The soundtrack is high energy and fits the fast paced gameplay to a tee. Once you get a hang of the controls, you can start blitzing through stages with satisfying speed.
Unusually for a retro-inspired game, Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is pretty forgiving. The checkpoints are generous, missed jumps aren’t fatal, and there’s plenty of health pick-ups to keep you topped up. It’s nice to play a retro-styled game that isn’t brutally difficult for the sake of being ‘old school’.
The demo features a brief look at two stages, keeping it short and sweet. You only have access to one special move as well, so it seems like there’s plenty more to look forward to in the full game – which I definitely am. This seems like one to keep an eye on, especially for retro fans.
You can check out the free demo for Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider right now on Steam, with the full release on PC, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch set for Fall, 2022.
