REVIEW : The Tarnishing of Juxtia (PC)
After tapping into what appeared to be an unprecedented zeitgeist at the turn of the previous decade, it’s no wonder that the uncontested legacy developer FromSoftware has left on video games is one that many an imitator and inspired contemporary alike would wish to recreate. And not only the same real-time action RPG template with which the Souls brand is commonly associated. Call it an inevitability or a deep-seated nostalgia for the 80’s and 90’s style of challenge, but even the large and constantly-populated genre that is the action platformer has seen a fair few attempts to transplant the horror and depravity of the former into that of two dimensions.
Hollow Knight, Salt & Sanctuary, and Blasphemous are all games with distinct artistic flair, scale, and gameplay intricacy, but one thing they all have in common is the setting’s dark, mystical mythos. And, with it, the treacherous journey of overcoming the inevitable hurdles thrown in one’s path. In many ways, this is a perfect amalgamation of The Tarnishing of Juxtia, and it doesn’t need any further development, for better or ill. At worst, Actual Nerds’ latest action-platformer feels like a checklist of all the same basic elements you’re no doubt familiar with, if not sick of seeing repeated. A semi-vague narrative harkening back to some type of previous, terrible apocalypse; a world afflicted with all manner of physical, magical, and, at times, technical horror. Then there’s the real gameplay and meat of its main loop, which includes a plethora of weapons, armour, and equipment to equip, intermingled with numerous visits to this game’s copy of that desired healing/regrouping area in the shape of water fountains.
To be blunt, it is difficult to argue the argument. The Tarnishing of Juxtia isn’t accomplishing anything fresh, creative, or even entirely interesting here, but it does provide something of substance that deviates sufficiently from the expected norm. Enough to make Actual Nerds’ interpretation of real-time warfare a no-brainer. This is not Eldest Souls. On paper, that idea may already appear unappealing. Even if you’re the kind to joyfully revel in this pool of self-imposed pain — perhaps after playing a game like Blasphemous. However, Juxtia unquestionably nails both the fundamentals as well as its feeling of scale and self-importance in making an atypically Souls-like game, possibly to a fault.
A game that, despite amateurish flaws and head-beating boss battles, you can finish in seven to eight hours and be confident that a second look isn’t necessary. And that possibility is first limited to the very basic type of real-time battle in two planes.
You have your usual attack, dodge-roll, and optional magic attacks guided by the recognisable mainstay of three bars at the top-left of the screen representing life, stamina, and mana. This formula has a little nuance in the shape of a frenzy-style trigger that is activated after striking adversaries a certain number of times, as indicated by a certain number of icons at the bottom of the screen.
If you fill up all of the icons, you will enter a transitory period where your stats will grow slightly. It’s a little addition, but one that encourages players to stay actively engaged in combat rather than playing things passively. Killing enemies grants you cash, which you can spend on stat upgrades at one of the many big fountains sprinkled about the map. Aside from a few uncomfortably distant placements, the game is largely generous in terms of delivering welcome respite from the constant struggle. Smaller fountains, for example, while lacking the potential to enhance oneself, can nevertheless be used to replenish one’s maximum number of healing supplies. While it won’t win any medals for inventiveness, the enlightening discovery of a shortcut and consequent unlocking of a gate or useful lift is never far away.
The Tarnishing of Juxtia’s universe, on the other hand, can come out as overly simplistic. Because this is more of an action-platformer than a Metroidvania, the level design might be simple with little room for exploration or experimentation. While there are optional rooms to visit, with mini-bosses guarding valuable goods and gear, this is as far as the game goes in enticing you away from the major metaphorical beats.
Not that the aforementioned beats and the journey to get there aren’t pleasurable in and of themselves. This, thankfully, is compensated for in the game’s combat settings, notably adversary design. At its best, it provides genuinely devious and clever methods to trip up players without their noticing. One famous example is an opponent who lures you into a dodge-roll. Another, via one of the key bosses, demands you to learn its attack patterns and nail the moment.
Aesthetically, it’s a collection of setups you’ve seen done multiple times in numerous games before, but battles remain engrossing to get correct and inevitably satisfying to triumph over. Not all circumstances, especially when it comes to those same story-oriented bosses, are executed flawlessly. Because the screen is intentionally limited to two dimensions, it can become too busy to keep track of everything going on. And, in the case of overlapping adversaries, the majority of which are engaged in some type of attack at the time, whether it projectile/AoE/melee, Juxtia doesn’t always find the perfect mix between tough and doable.
One adversary masking the indication of another enemy’s strike, all while the restricted mobility of your dodge-roll and running motion — in a game lacking a sprint capability — doesn’t usually result in a control scheme free of irritation.
The treasure of passive skills and special moves you eventually accumulate over time provides some solace to this unsatisfied turmoil. Allowing you to equip two “brands” – powerful strikes powered by your magic metre — as well as potential buffs/trade-off stats via “gifts” that boost one attribute while sacrificing another. Then there are the powers obtained from slaying bosses, which, unexpectedly, result in a lot of shifting in and out.
While this amount of customization and variety in offensive possibilities applies to the assortment of weapons — some of which have a heavier, charge-up attack — it also applies to the latter-mentioned Relics obtained from vanquished bosses. It’s hardly an exaggeration to say that switching between a few of these skills is extremely tempting. Especially when you realise they follow the same trade-off idea and, in certain circumstances, can have their actual output stacked based on how many successful strikes you score on adversaries. Among all the transient positives and joys the game provides, this one mechanism is by far the most rewarding aspect of the game.
REVIEW : Noel the Mortal Fate (PC)
