Review Round-Up - February 2021

Two adventures for the price of one, one familiar and one entirely new, equal SuperPhillip Central's
Game of the Month for February 2021: Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury!

It's the end of another month, so that can mean only one thing on SuperPhillip Central--well, technically, it could mean many things, but let's not argue semantics here! The point being... it's time for the Review Round-Up for February 2021!

It was a wild month of some fantastic platforming action of all types--and we even got a Zelda-like roguelite thrown in there for good measure, too. Things started strong for our review coverage with Blue Fire for the Nintendo Switch and Steam. The game was the sum of all of its inspired parts, earning a B+ for its efforts! Following that was another 3D platformer, though more of a pure platformer rather than the action mix seen in Blue Fire. Glyph was a ball of fun--literally--and it rolled up a satisfying B grade.

We then took a brief detour from all our platforming month with some Zelda roguelite action with Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos, which surprised me with how impressed I was with the game. It's an absolute joy to play both solo and with friends, and that's why I gave it a B+ grade. Following up that game was a masochistic 2D platformer from 2019 that finally launched on the Nintendo Switch this past month, Cathedral. I adored the game and its steep challenge, giving the game a B+ as well. 

Finally, it was a return of a battle of former mascot rivals with Mario and Crash Bandicoot. Mario fared much better with his adventures in the Sprixie Kingdom and Lake Lapcat--aka Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury--jumping to an A grade and SPC's Game of the Month honors. Meanwhile, Crash Bandicoot settled for a B- grade due to Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time possessing lots of frustrating moments sprinkled in with its fun and enjoyable time-traveling journey. 

As we like to do at the end of every Review Round-Up for the past year now, here are some excerpts from and links to every game review published this past month on SPC. Lastly, check out the SPC Review Archive for EVERY game review ever published on our 12-year+ website!

Blue Fire (NSW, PC) - B+

Blue Fire essentially takes some of the best elements of each of its inspirations to create a cohesive and ultimately delightful-to-play whole. There are certainly some rough spots that are apparent--occasional bugs, occasional glitches here and there--but overall, Blue Fire remains a terrifically challenging and mighty exciting adventure from beginning to end. This flame certainly burns bright.

Glyph (NSW) - B

At the end of the day, I had a "ball" with Glyph, both literally and figuratively. The initial, decidedly steep learning curve will alienate quite a few players at the get-go, but for those who stick with the game, they'll eventually be whirling about levels like a pro--or at least a much more capable and confident player--and have fun doing it. While the difficulty all around is not the smoothest, having some levels that are a breeze followed immediately by those that will make you want to yell out in utter frustration, Glyph is all around a successful outing from Bolverk Games.

Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos (NSW, PC) - B+

Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos succeeds in making a unique roguelite that blends the tried and true gameplay of games like The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and mixes it in a way that makes this particular roguelite actually enjoyable. That's not to say that I don't care for roguelites in general, but after seeing an onslaught of the genre and their roguelike cousins in general from indies and larger devs alike, it's great to see one in Rogue Heroes that doesn't just adhere to the genre's template so stringently. There's plenty of time to breathe when exploring the overworld of Tasos, the dungeons are filled with brain-bending puzzles and engrossing battles, and the penalty for death won't overly diminish your joy or demotivate you too easily. Rogue Heroes: Ruins of Tasos is a great marriage between A Link to the Past gameplay and roguelite design, tremendously fun and polished, making it a recommended title whether you enjoy it alone or with others in co-op play.

Cathedral (NSW) - B+

Cathedral maintains its high level of difficulty shortly from the beginning of the game to the very end. It's not Ghost 'n Goblins-level hard, but it's difficult all the same. That said, if you can withstand the challenge, you'll be rewarded with a stellar Metroidvania that may not reinvent the wheel or contribute a lot of new ideas, but is an incredibly polished, well executed game. With plenty of content in the form of story and side quests, marvelous level design, and wonderful sprite and background work, Cathedral is thankfully a blessing of a game rather than a curse.

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury (NSW) - A

Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury is definitely a must-own if you've never experienced the original 3D World on the Wii U, which happens to be a whole heck of a lot of Nintendo Switch owners. It becomes tougher to recommend if you're only interested in the Bowser's Fury portion of the package. If that's the case, it really depends on how fiercely and furiously you want to play a new 3D Mario adventure, especially since it's basically a $60 price of admission to Lake Lapcat. For me, as a lover of Super Mario 3D World and all of its new features (particularly the ability to play online and the increased playing speed), Bowser's Fury was just gravy on top of an already super satisfying game.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time (PS4, XB1) - B-

Despite an intense difficulty and level of challenge, constant trial and error gameplay with the game's lengthy levels, obnoxious crate placements, and questionable completion requirements, I ultimately enjoyed my time with Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time. But, to be honest, the reason it took me so long to even review this game was that I definitely needed some breaks from it. Crash's latest--with its difficulty, with its myriad "gotcha" moments, and such--just wore on me way too much. Levels are just way lengthier than they should be, and no matter how great they look, how well designed some aspects of them are, and how interesting the obstacles present themselves, it just got exhausting to play through them for any prolonged stretch of time. While Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time was, for me, an enjoyable game with some great design here and there, its overall difficulty makes me question who this game is actually for other than diehard Crash fans and those with a severe masochistic side. Still, it's hard to ignore the quality on display here. 

It was about time Crash returned with a new game,
much like it was about time SPC covered Crash Bandicoot 4 in review form!

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time (PS4, XB1) Review

I've gotten a handful of requests as to when SPC would cover this next game. One might say its subtitle fits this review as well as the actual game being covered! Finally, I can publish this, SPC's review of Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time. Enjoy.

Time is mostly on this Bandicoot's side.

Well, this is awkward. Here I am reviewing Crash Bandicoot's latest console release on my birthday, and it's pretty much old news by now (the game--not my birthday). After all, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PC, and Nintendo Switch versions of the game are releasing next month, and here's my review of the original PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions instead! There's a good reason for this, however, and it sort of leads me directly into my review.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time's subtitle has a clever double meaning. Not only do we finally have an all-new Crash game in the vein of Naughty Dog's trilogy, but the story revolves around time travel. Doctors N. Tropy and Neo Cortex have cooked up a plan to erase not only their mutual enemy Crash Bandicoot but also existence itself. Of course, our goofy but loveable hero Crash Bandicoot alongside Coco Bandicoot are more than ready to put a stop to the villains' plot. Along the way our heroes meet up with various masks that assist them in their adventure, as well as some allies from the unlikeliest of sources. The game has somewhat of a Saturday morning cartoon feel, save for some out of place swearing such as the use of "hell", "damn", and "bastards" which are present for some odd reason. Regardless, the humor hits way more than it misses, bringing with it a jolly fun atmosphere which unfortunately clashes with the actual nature of Crash 4's gameplay.

Immediately in Crash 4's starting level, the game drops all pretense that it will hide crates in fair locations.

You see, Crash Bandicoot 4 is a devilishly difficult game. It will have you cursing, calling things unfair, and just throwing your hands up in the air, questioning your life choices. But, you'll pretty much be having fun doing so as you push through the pain of multiple deaths, ruined runs, and frustrating moment after moment. 

For some players, Crash 4's difficulty might be too much.
For others, they might enjoy getting their butt kicked and then demand for some more!

Well, that is unless you're a completionist, which in the case of Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time, the developers seem to have taken the wrong cues from Naughty Dog's trilogy. For one, one of the more enjoyable aspects of playing a Crash Bandicoot game to completion is busting up all of the crates in a level. Unfortunately, this is more of a pain than it is enjoyable in Crash 4's case. So many crates are hidden in some really cruel locations that are way too easy to miss on a first play-through--and heck, even on subsequent play-throughs. Additionally, this is compounded by the fact that levels are just too darn long in general. This is great for normal play, but when you're aiming to crash through every crate in one play-through of a level and end up with several crates missing by the level's end (or worse, just one crate missing), it is a total motivation and mood killer.

This dino "mite" make Crash want to pick up the pace here!

If there's one word the developers of Crash Bandicoot 4 don't have in their vocabulary, it's "restraint". Between the copious amounts of crates hidden and scattered all over the way-too-long levels, and the requirements for obtaining the game's best ending, Toys for Bob did not pick up the best lessons from Naughty Dog's trilogy. Crash 4 seems more of a game for the most seasoned, most dedicated, most patient Crash player out there, which unfortunately isn't a wide net to cast. Some of the things the game asks you to do are just ridiculous, whether it's completing levels with three or less deaths, breaking all of the crates, finding the hidden gem (usually placed in an incredibly clever location), or worse, having to do all of this in one run, it's absolutely nuts. 

Early on in my time with Crash 4, I just said "forget it" and actively avoided searching for secrets in levels, which doesn't seem like the developer's intent here. And if it was, it seems misguided, as one would think you'd want players to enjoy as much of the content of your game as possible. Instead, I ignored it since it was so obnoxious. Even the act of playing levels normally is full of so many "gotcha" moments, such as nitro crates being just out of sight that cause you to die just from touching them, platforms that fall moments after standing on them, and other middle fingers from the level designers that either require prior knowledge that they're coming up or insanely fast reflexes. It's more about trial and error than being able to reasonably complete a level on your first try, which many of you may disagree, but I don't find that to be a good design. When you have to play a level multiple times just to have an idea of what tricks and traps await you, it's just tedious and annoying. 

Crash likes to live dangerously as he enjoys the daily grind.

That all notwithstanding, I did find plenty to enjoy with Crash Bandicoot 4 despite my issues with the trial and error level design, lengthy as heck levels, and "N. Sane" completion requirements. Levels themselves have plenty of clever ideas in them. I really adore the theming on display, from the starting temple levels, to the pirate world, to the dinosaur realm, to a futuristic city. It's all well done, and the obstacles are various and plenty to keep levels feeling fresh. One of my favorite levels in the game featured a New Orleans-style city as Crash ran and leaped through alleyways and on top of rooftops and musical instruments. It was a festive atmosphere that I really dug, and it was enjoyable to play. There were still some "ha, ha, ha, we got you, player" moments from the level designers, but that was expected unfortunately.

Oh, big whoop. You clowns can juggle, but have you beaten Crash 4 with 106% completion?
I didn't think so! (Well, me neither, since that's no easy task!)

Crash and alternatively Coco has all of their abilities from Crash 2 and on. There's a jump and subsequent double jump, a slide, the ability to slide into a jump to increase distance, and of course, the patented Bandicoot spin and ground pound smash attacks. 

Leaping in any kind of 3D space can be quite challenging, so Toys for Bob smartly added a yellow shadow underneath the player to help gauge depth for all the platforming involved in the game. This yellow shadow is completely optional and can be turned off. Further to make the game more manageable, players can choose between a classic or modern mode, which turns on or off the player's lives counter. In modern mode, you can "happily" die as many times as you want. You even gain extra hits and more checkpoints depending on how many times you die in between checkpoint crates. Meanwhile, classic mode features the same rules of Naughty Dog's Crash Bandicoot trilogy, where collecting Wumpa Fruit is basically mandatory to rack up enough lives to survive the entirety of the game. 

Crash and Coco (as well as the player themselves) are shortly introduced to the concept of masks in Crash Bandicoot 4, and this is a nice shakeup to the gameplay. Each mask found serves essentially as a power-up. One mask temporarily slows time to allow our heroes the chance to cross otherwise speedy platforms. Another mask causes gravity to switch, flipping our heroes upside down and right-side up at the press of a button. Then, there's the earliest mask which phases in and out specific platforms, obstacles, and crates. This requires switching between phases to make certain objects solid and others transparent. Masks aren't available to use at your leisure; they appear at specific points in levels and Crash/Coco lose their abilities at specific points as well in levels. By the end of the game, you'll be switching between masks quickly in one of the most difficult levels (if not THE most difficult level) in Crash series history.

Even old Bandicoots can learn new tricks with this wall-running ability.

Apart from Crash and Coco, Crash Bandicoot 4 features three other playable characters that show up every once and a while in the adventure. There's Tawna, who shows up from the future with a delightful new look, and has the ability to grapple enemies and pull herself across chasms. She can also jump along specially marked walls. Then, there's Dingodile, who uses a vacuum-like weapon to suck up and spit out crates of all varieties, save for those dreaded Nitro crates that will make this particular playable character "after while, crocodile" instead. Finally, there's Neo Cortex himself, who begrudgingly joins Crash's cause. His blaster can turn enemies into both solid platforms and platforms to bounce off of. He can also utilize a dash to propel himself across gaps with relative ease. Of the three other playable characters, I would say that Cortex feels the least polished in execution. Without a proper double jump for Cortex, you really lack the precision required for the game. 

And even familiar faces can get fresh new looks as seen here with Tawna!

Crash Bandicoot 4, even on the base PlayStation 4, which is the system I played the game on, runs remarkably well. It's a really beautiful game, too, showcasing a gorgeous cartoony visual style. Environments are jaw-dropping with the amount of details plastered all over, and the characters look greater than they have ever looked in the entirety of the series' history. Music-wise, things aren't the best, but if you ask me--which you didn't, but I'm giving you my opinion anyway--I don't believe the Crash series ever had a strong soundtrack in it. I would draw a complete blank if you asked me to hum any tune I heard in Crash 4, and I played the game for quite a good while.

Vibrant and full of color, thy name is Crash Bandicoot 4.

Despite an intense difficulty and level of challenge, constant trial and error gameplay with the game's lengthy levels, obnoxious crate placements, and questionable completion requirements, I ultimately enjoyed my time with Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time. But, to be honest, the reason it took me so long to even review this game was that I definitely needed some breaks from it. Crash's latest--with its difficulty, with its myriad "gotcha" moments, and such--just wore on me way too much. Levels are just way lengthier than they should be, and no matter how great they look, how well designed some aspects of them are, and how interesting the obstacles present themselves, it just got exhausting to play through them for any prolonged stretch of time. While Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time was, for me, an enjoyable game with some great design here and there, its overall difficulty makes me question who this game is actually for other than diehard Crash fans and those with a severe masochistic side. Still, it's hard to ignore the quality on display here. 

[SPC Says: B-]

SuperPhillip Central Best of 2020 Awards - Top Five Platformers

A genre so nice and enjoyable that it annually gets its own awards category here as the SuperPhillip Central Best of 2020 Awards continue! It's the platformer, my personal favorite genre of game, so if there were any other type of game that deserved its own category, I just don't see it! Fortunately, despite 2020 being a gnarly year in general, it was a fantastic year for platformers, as evident by this upcoming countdown. The genre sees more and more releases, and plenty of them are terrific. Here's hoping the platformer renaissance continues into 2021! For now, let's take a look back at the year that was with the Top Five Platformers of 2020!

5) Shantae and the Seven Sirens (PS4, XB1, NSW, PC)

Initially released as an Apple Arcade exclusive last year, Shantae and the Seven Sirens arrived on consoles and PC this past spring, bringing back the half-genie hero and putting her on an adventure on an island to rescue the other captured half-genies in this wonderful Metroidvania game. The way that Shantae's transformation abilities were seamlessly integrated into the game rather than forcing players to enter a quick select menu to transform, meant for a snappier, faster-paced game. Whether she dashes across maps or climbs walls as a newt or burrows under sand like a drill, Shantae has the skills to take down whatever nefarious force is behind the half-genies' capture. Shantae and the Seven Sirens was a welcome return to the Metroidvania formula that Half-Genie Hero abandoned, and ultimately the full experience overall worked really, really well. Hence the game's placement at the start of this best platformers of 2020 countdown.

4) Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time (PS4, XB1)

Crash Bandicoot was back, and he was joined by a motley crew of playable characters, such as Coco, Tawna, Dingodile, and even Dr. Cortex himself in one time trip of an adventure. Crash and Coco never felt better than before with responsive platforming goodness, new moves via the mask abilities, and generally smart and clever level design that used myriad tricks and gimmicks to keep the game fresh. By no means is the experience perfect, as some of the Cortex sections offer a bit of imprecision, and levels--albeit extremely well made--tend to run overly long in the duration department. And forget about trying to complete the game with the top percentage--you'll go mad like a certain aforementioned scientists. Still, the quality of Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time can't be argued against, at least by yours truly, making it arrive at the four spot on this countdown of best platformers of 2020.

3) Super Mario 3D All-Stars (NSW)

As a collection itself, Super Mario 3D All-Stars offered higher resolution visuals and little else new, but as for the games themselves, these are some of the best 3D platformers on offer to date--and then, of course, there's Super Mario Sunshine. No, no. I kid, Sunshine fans. The game might have a multitude of issues, but it's still a greater platformer than so many of its rivals and contemporaries alike. Super Mario 64, meanwhile, is still a marvel to play, and as important to gaming as ever. Finally, Super Mario Galaxy remains a near-perfect 3D platformer for me, offering an abundance of creativity in its levels, concepts, and execution. Really, if this was a collection of new platformers, Super Mario 3D All-Stars would easily be at the top of this list, but considering this is a collection of remastered games, it'll have to do with number three on the countdown. Seeing its competition ahead, that's still high praise for an adequately assembled collection of masterful games.

2) Ori and the Will of the Wisps (XB1, NSW, PC)

Ori and the Blind Forest already amazed with its brilliance, whether that be in its gorgeous, breathtaking visuals or its precision platforming prowess. Ori and the Will of the Wisps took the foundation laid down by its predecessor and improved upon it in utterly remarkable fashion. Adding a slew of new mechanics alongside familiar old ones such as the ability to chain bash attacks to launch Ori off enemies and projectiles alike for greater height and distance, little spirit Ori never felt better to control. The world, too, put these abilities to great use, delivering challenging platforming gameplay alongside presenting a mysterious and whimsical series of areas to enjoy exploring. Ori and the Will of the Wisps didn't just make for a stronger outing than its predecessor, Ori and the Blind Forest; it made for a stunning and stellar platformer period.

1) Sackboy: A Big Adventure (PS5, PS4)

It almost seems like blasphemy, but I think I preferred Sumo Digital's Sackboy: A Big Adventure more than Nintendo EAD's own Super Mario 3D World. Perhaps my opinion will change come February when that game is re-released on the Switch, but Sackboy's latest outing offers so much greatness packed into its virtual stuffing. From the copious amounts of creative, clever, and interesting level designs--where I literally felt I couldn't stop playing because I wanted to see what the designers would present to me next in the game's levels--to Sackboy actually controlling well without the floaty-ness of past LittleBigPlanet games, Sackboy: A Big Adventure was a total delight for me to play. Certainly, Sackboy might not feel as tight to control as other games on this list, but his repertoire of moves and just playing as the yarned mascot felt fun to control regardless. Between this and the aforementioned stellar level design, and you have my pick for the top platformer of 2020. Well done, Sumo Digital.

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Later in the evening I invite you to join me as the SuperPhillip Central Best of 2020 Awards chugs along and enters remake and remaster territory with the Top Five Best Remakes/Remasters from the past year. The award show fun continues until the new year, so be there!

Toughest Tasks in Gaming History - Volume Eight

These five new gaming tasks are quite the tough cookies! I'm talking as tough as trying to get a pre-order in for the PlayStation 5, or to be even more topical, as tough as it was to wait for the U.S. presidential election to be called! These five gaming tasks demand patience, persistence, and a high degree of skill to complete, so if you wish to take these on (or already have), then you are a brave, brave soul! This time around on this eighth edition of Toughest Tasks in Gaming History, we have another helping of variety--from platformers like Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time and Hollow Knight, to extreme sports games like Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2. So, strap in and get ready for a steep challenge!

Check out the previous seven volumes of Toughest Tasks in Gaming History with the following links:

Volume One
Volume Two
Volume Three
Volume Four
Volume Five
Volume Six

Volume Seven

Earning All Platinum Relics - Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time (PS4, XB1)

Crash Bandicoot and his games have been no stranger to Toughest Tasks in Gaming History. If you thought earning Gold Relics in the Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy's three games was no walk in the park (and to be honest, you really shouldn't be walking to clear time trials), then you ain't seen nothing yet with the latest game in the series, Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time.

Crash Bandicoot 4 takes an already somewhat difficult platforming series and turns up the dial to 11 to create one incredibly hard game, even just to beat normally. It's already tough to clear the absurdly lengthy levels in Crash Bandicoot 4 without dying already, but try doing it while racing against the clock with insanely (or is that "N. Sanely?) tough times to beat in order to earn Platinum Relics. Yes, you read that right. No longer is it okay to just earn a Gold Relic for an achievement like past Crash Bandicoot games--you have to earn a Platinum Relic on each and every hair-pulling, hard-as-nails level in It's About Time. Again, Crash Bandicoot 4 is already no cakewalk (again, you really shouldn't be walking to clear time trials), so having to clear levels in one life, without dying, and rush, rush, rush to the end will separate the casual Crash fans with the Crash fanatics (dare I say, masochists?). 

Getting All "Get Theres" - Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 (PS4, XB1, PC)

We move from one Activision-published game to another with Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2, yet another excellent return to form for a game series that was in hibernation for a while. Getting certain gaps in Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 can be a challenge all to itself, but with the game's "Get There" challenges, the intensity of difficulty ramps up considerably.

"Get There" challenges require the player to perform consecutive gaps successively without bailing or running out their combo. While the Easy and Normal difficulty "Get There" challenges are simple enough, the Hard level "Get Theres" offer definitely daunting tasks. Many require minute-long combos to reach each and every gap necessary in a level to achieve them. Unlike the Easy and Normal "Get Theres", you can't just cheese your way through them with cheats like perfect manual or perfect grind abilities. These consecutive gap "Get There" challenges demand finely-honed precision, great execution, and above all else, immense patience to achieve. Just don't attempt to break your controller over your knee as if it were your skater's board due to the challenge and possible resulting rage.

Earning All Medals - Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition (NSW)

With a new Hyrule Warriors on the horizon this month with Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity soon releasing on the Nintendo Switch, it seems like a great time to bring up a challenging task within the original Hyrule Warriors. (Well, at least the re-release with all of the DLC included as part of the Nintendo Switch port.)

Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition is absolutely packed to the brim with content, offering so much to do and so much to play that it can be overwhelming. And believe me, perhaps "overwhelming" is an understatement. That's why the goal of getting all of the medals, or achievements, within the game is such a taxing task and no easy accomplishment.

Many of the medals are simple enough to earn, such as clearing Legend Mode, running a certain distance across all maps, and defeating a specific amount of enemies, but then you get to Adventure Mode. This mode includes over eight unique maps, each with their own multitude of stages that not only need to be beaten, but also cleared with an "A" rank for certain medals. In order to achieve an "A" rank, one must usually clear a stage within a certain time limit, defeat a number foes, and not take much damage to boot. 

Further, there's the immensely time-consuming task of playing around with the "My Fairy" feature of Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition, which has you feeding found faeries food in order for them to level up and learn new Fairy Skills. In order to get the medal for this part of the game, you have to learn every Fairy Skill, which requires an exorbitant amount of time and food. So, not only is earning every medal within Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition a tough task due to the difficulty of getting "A" ranks in Adventure Mode, but it's also an extraordinarily time-consuming one, too. I'm talking hundreds of hours "time-consuming".

Clearing Steel Soul Mode at 100% - Hollow Knight (PS4, XB1, NSW, PC)

Our final two tough gaming tasks follow the same principle--they're just from different games but of the same genre. They're both 2D platformers of the Metroidvania persuasion, and they're also both beautiful lookers, too. 

The first is Hollow Knight, a game that this month is "free" for PlayStation Plus subscribers, interestingly and conveniently enough. Hollow Knight is already a challenging game with a wide open world that encourages exploration and doesn't rely on many roadblocks to keep players from uncovering its mysterious world. Beating the game is a tough task all to itself, in some regards, but doing so in Steel Soul Mode is even tougher! Pushing even further, clearing Steel Soul Mode with 100% completion is the toughest task one could ask for within Hollow Knight.

Steel Soul Mode is essentially Hollow Knight's permadeath mode. Our buggy hero only gets one life to live in the game, and once he perishes in battle or through an environment hazard, poof! The player's save file is over and they must start the game fresh all over again. Simply surviving the harsh underground labyrinths of Hollow Knight is a challenge all to itself, but surviving while achieving 100% completion--finding every collectible there is to find and battling every boss with one life--makes it so only the bold (or very, very foolish) need apply. You'll need to have boss and enemy patterns down pat, know the world and its secrets well, and hightail it and retreat when necessary. Good luck.

Becoming "Immortal" - Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition (XB1, NSW. PC)

Similar to Hollow Knight's Steel Soul Mode, Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition's "Immortal" achievement, requires players to go through and beat the game with one life. Again, if the little spirit Ori perishes for any reason, it's game over for good.

While Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition is hardly the hardest Metroidvania out there, what makes this particular challenge so... well, challenging is that there are multiple spots and segments within the game where death can come quickly and immediately in some cases. I'm mostly referring to the chase sequences in the game, where Ori must hightail it through danger-ridden, paths of death, which demand split-second reaction times and precise execution or else an "Immortal" run will swiftly become cut short. I already had issue with the chase sequences in my normal run of the game, due to their trial and error gameplay, but attempting these knowing I only have one chance at them? Nooooooooo thanks!