Ooh, what’s this cheeky little fing that’s dropped in my inbox? Nightmare Reaper, that’s what. Heard of it? Me neither, but as it’s a game from Feardemic’s library (DARQ), it beckoned a return to the Nintendo Switch once more. The PS5 gets all the attention these days. The minx. What kinda game? An FPS.
And, because it’s Feardemic, it associates with the gore gang, even if it’s of the pixelated variety. It’s all reminiscent of a young (or old) Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, or even the more recent Project Warlock II, but it wears a t-shirt with the words ‘looter shooter’ on it. That means it’s all about the carnage and being a klepto. Forget your enemy’s families; think how rich you can be.
Let us not read too much into morals here; Nightmare Reaper is a shooter but more mindful than mindless. Without delving too much into the non-convoluted plot, you play the role of someone stuck in a mental asylum, where they enter a labyrinth of death every night, hoping to level up and earn some dosh.
Nightmare Reaper Switch Review
Yeah, it’s not much more than that, but that’s why it works. Think the more recent Ion Fury, add a bit of Minecraft but remove the creative mode and label it destructive, and we’re on the right path. The gameplay is fast and frantic, both in movement and combat, and it feels sooo good.
Minions will spawn all over the play, throwing themselves at you, desperate to be exported across the screen in a silhouette of pixel confetti. Weren’t very creative with your first kill? Don’t fret, as while there is a good selection of things to blast in the game, they are very much repeated in areas. Fortunately, this adds to the adrenaline rush as you aim to chain together kills, disregarding that each face looks the same. That makes it an easier pill to swallow.
Like its counterparts, Nightmare Reaper doesn’t rewrite the FPS playground as you dash about the corridors, flipping switches, dodging projectiles and abrasive surfaces, either looking to beat the stage as fast as you can or killing all enemies and locating their secrets. That’s all good, but if you want a bit of variety, you’re in luck as the game is FULL of minigames – if you’re into that sort of thing.
A Rogue One
The point of these minigames is to boost your stats, and while I’m a big fan of levelling up, they do get dull quite quickly, at least for me. Still, you get git gud, and in many respects, as this errs on rogue-lite territory, having something to break a run will add a bit of longevity, as does the wealth of arsenal on display – it’s both very creative and satisfying. Just be aware that these are procedurally generated maps, so expect a grind.
On the Switch, the visuals worked fine, and there wasn’t much in the way of slowdown. However, the colour palette and pixellated graphics make it as coherent as watching Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantummania through a kaleidoscope while drunk and underwater. Starting in handheld mode became a handful, so I’d recommend playing this docked if you own a TV.
As a 2.5D experience, expect a lot of flat character models like Demon Turf or the rather enjoyable Impaler. If you’re old school or have a penchant for retro styling, Nightmare Reaper is worth a look. If we were to compare some of the earlier titles as above, I wouldn’t put it in the same league as Ion Fury, but it’s as good as, if not better than some of the rest. The same can’t be said about the GameBoy-like minigames, as the originals are better. There, I said it.
Verdict
A platform where adrenaline junkies, retro FPS gamers, and looters can rejoice, not just for the glory, but for levelling up their character. Nightmare Reaper offers so much variety gives a cheeky wink to the games of yesteryear, yet brings it up-to-date for all you youngsters. Give it a look-see.
