An old school inspired 16 bit 2d platformer. This game has roguelite elements but not too many making it different from the other games in the same space. You play as 1 of 4 heroes (It has multiplayer too) and need to rescue Atlantis. It's tight controls and brilliant story has you playing like a kid in the 90's all over again.

Atlantis got too cocky and angered the gods. Their punishment? Opening the Gates of Abathor and unleashing hell itself upon the continent - demons, undead, ancient monsters, the works.

Fortunately for Atlantis four heroes turn up to save what's left of civilization by fighting through the hordes and attempt to close the gates. But here's the twist: while they need each other to survive, they're also competing for the best loot to offer the gods and win their favor with the gods. This is a homage to multiplayer madness such as Golden Axe, gauntlet and streets of rage.

You select one of these 4 heroes, they each have slightly different stats for different playstyles as you hack and slash your way through the levels you pick up loot and kills.

With the loot you get to spend it on upgrades, potions and powerups for your player. The upgrades are limited but meaningful they haven't gone full rogue lite with this which is refreshing as it means the game still has a challenge to it.

What I will say is this game pays tribute to some of the greatest 16bit and 8 bit experiences you've ever had with different level types, tight controls, satisfying power ups and some good boss battles.

It's multiplayer too, I didn't get to do any multiplayer but with friends I can see the old gauntlet / golden axe competitive spirit coming out quickly. You'll probably eat the turkey even if you don't need to.

The visuals are stunning, the level design is amazing. That's the short version. The long version is: It's the kind of game that always pushes itself further in terms of platforming challenges, hidden areas and the levels that aren't platforming.

It's been a while since I've played a game that's so willing to change its core gameplay loop so successfully part way through the game then revert straight back to it so on the next level this seamless switching keeps the game bouncing along nicely with different end goals keeping it fresh. That might sound vague or wishy washy but I don't want to give too much away.

The music is great, whilst I wouldn't say there's one particular track or music loop that always re appears it's immersive and beautifully done which adds to the experience.

The bosses have audio cues so you can prepare for certain attacks and learn their attack patterns if needed (you will have to do this to get the true ending). It's masterfully done and delightful to hear alongside playing the game.

Performance: Technically this game is great, i played on the PS4 which between the Nintendo Switch and this are the weaker of the consoles this is available on. It's on steam too but i can't imagine it's too taxing even for older Pc's.

Value: At £12.99 It's very well priced with 3 difficulty modes, 50 levels and 4 characters to choose from. The fact that it's couch co-op is a massive win. The true ending is hidden behind the hardest difficulty if you dare to try. How long to beat has all the content at around 30 hours.