The Messenger Reviews
"One of the best looking and sounding retro-inspired games, but its difficulty curve is like a roller coaster."
Review in Finnish | Read full review
The gameplay, while simple, is incredibly enjoyable. It does make you think a little with what you have to conquer each boss and monster, but that’s what makes The Messenger a game of its own right.
The Messenger is simple, it has near to no challenges and it's non-widespread levels make it's diverse platforming mechanics undervalued. so if you haven't experienced The Messenger yet, you didn't miss a great title.
Review in Persian | Read full review
The Messenger is a fascinating exercise in genre reinvention, a showcase for two radically different approaches to homage.
The Messenger is a unique and enjoyable 2D platformer with a strong personality and exciting gameplay, and its fine-tuned appearance on the PS4 is a welcome one. The first half of the game is worthy of unfettered praise, but the experience takes a hefty blow at the halfway point from a failed attempt at expanding the scope. This aside, it remains a lovingly conceived game and is well worth playing through on this basis, but its flaws prevent it from going down as a true classic. In light of the fact that this is the first game by Sabotage, it's fair to say that the studio's future is bright.
Sabotage Studio proves its worth by delivering an title that pays homage to Ninja Gaiden but is actually better than its source material; one that nails both the 8-bit, and 16-bit aesthetic. The problem is that, although definitely a fun title, the way it is torn between being a "pure" action-platformer and a metroidvania really hurts what could otherwise be one of the year's best indies.
Had The Messenger been two separate games, I'd have waxed lyrical about the first while eliciting a "meh" for the second. Put together, it's a package that some will adore, while others will simply grow tired of.
The Messenger surprises by being a round game in all aspects. A platform that becomes metroidvania and that serves as a tribute to the classic Ninja Gaiden. And be careful, because we're also going to laugh a lot with him.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Less a Gaiden successor and more a general love-letter to its look and style, The Messenger allows fans to hop gleefully between cheery gaming memories without being bound by the rigid controls and punishing precision of a prior era, while somehow managing to remain entirely accessible to newcomers as a fun, unmistakeably wholehearted 2D platformer.
The Messenger is a nostalgic bomb and a very solid action platformer. If you love Ninja Gaiden and Mega Man, and you want a new, yet friendlier experience in the genre, this is the game you’re looking for.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
The Messenger has a unique spin that sets it apart from other games and yet, ironically, it lacks an identity of its own. As a modern Ninja Gaiden game it’s excellent, but it only maintains that for half the game. The other half is a faint-hearted attempted at a Metroidvania that never quite works. I thoroughly enjoyed eight to nine hours of my twelve-hour playthrough. The other three or four were a little more tedious than I would have liked but that shouldn’t entirely negate a brilliant platformer with plenty to offer even in a year that’s been chock full of throwback retro platformers.
Arguably the finest 2D action-adventure of 2018, a year that has seen an influx of well-crafted Metroidvanias.
For those who spent hours playing the original Ninja Gaiden or Castlevania on NES and are looking for a bit of nostalgia, The Messenger will be a near perfect fit.
Ninja games have been around since 8-bit classics like Ninja Gaiden, Strider, and Shadow of the Ninja. The Messenger fits right in with its tight gameplay, challenging degree of difficulty, and satisfying campaign.
But even so, The Messenger features an understanding of design, from the 8-bit to the 16-bit to the modern era, that make it more than a throwback.
The Messenger is yet another quality indie title that comes to Nintendo Switch this year: if you've grown up playing Ninja Gaiden or any Castlevania game (both pre and post Symphony of the Night), this is the adventure you've been waiting for.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The Messenger is a game that makes no effort to hide who its intended audience is, and its clever combining of two distinct gameplay genres ensures that it casts a rather wide net. Whether you're a die-hard retro gaming fan or a genre newbie eager to dive into the deep end, Sabotage's debut title is one adventure worth embarking on.
Overall, The Messenger is a really solid game for fans of the platformer and Metroidvania genres. Had the first half of the game been a little more condensed, and the second half not been too dragged out, the game could've been near-perfect. Even so, if you have even an appreciation for retro or old-school games, you can't go wrong with The Messenger.
Even with a shaky back-half, The Messenger is still an adventure worth seeking out. The agility focused platforming provides a satisfying challenge, the writing is surprisingly clever, and the graphical shifting is more than just a simple gimmick.
Even if it tends to be a bit frustrating in its second half, as it opens up a bit, The Messenger is still a magnificient and really great to play independent action platformer with some clever ideas and a lovable personnality.
Review in French | Read full review