ChainStaff

Can you handle, The POWAH, of THE CHAINSTAFF?!?!?!?!?!?! I love the crud outta this game. It's tough but it's like contra with infinite retries, and I got through it on normal mode eventually. I 100%ed my first run and am doing an evil run on new game +. For my second new game + I'll try it on Hard. We'll see how that goes. But yeah it's a 9/10, the only flaw is that you don't get a radar for the Chainstaff segments and it can be hard to find where the progression-gating Parasites are too. You might also have to memorize the bosses' attacks and figure out how to damage them but once you do all it is, is an endurance test. Other than that, if you're a metroidvania and 2D platformer fanatic, this is a MUST PLAY.

And the award for "most underrated game of 2026" goes to Chainstaff, a very unique run n gun game with a very striking visual style which pays homage to classic prog rock covers and Amiga-era Psygnosis games (incidentally, several prog rock albums and Psygnosis games shared the same cover artist, Roger Dean). The game plays like a cross between the first two Turrican games and Bionic Commando as the hero uses the titular Chainstaff to swing around huge multidirectional levels full of weird enemies ready to be shot or skewered by the Chainstaff and tons of secret areas which make exploring fun and rewarding. As for the soundtrack, I'm not a metalhead but it cannot be denied that the music completely fits the action. My only complaint is that with only ten levels Chainstaff is fairly short, but even then this is a very well made 2D game which deserves more love.

A host of alien pollinators called Star Spores have crash-landed on Earth and they're making a colossal mess of every known natural order. You control Sgt. Jesse Varlette, the lone survivor of the first incursion to evaluate the threat posed by this Encroachment, and you came back with a bug on your head. So starts an adventure to find a means to subdue the Encroachment in a run-and-gun positively oozing with style. The game is clearly designed as a throwback to similar arcade platforming titles, right down to the preposterous megafauna impeding your progress. You have a skill tree system but they're based on what the player is morally willing to do; there are 39 downed soldiers in nine levels begging for help. Rescuing them nets you tech points that can be used to upgrade secondary weapons or your shields; alternatively you can eat their hearts to gain health or eat their brains to add additional power to your gun. The real star of the show, of course, is the titular Chainstaff - a weapon that can jump from a thrown javelin to a support beam to a grappling hook all within seconds. With this device alone you can make elementary work of most level progression, and of course seeking …

What a great game! And the soundtrack is off the wall! Runs like butter on SteamDeck.

"It is a very good action-platformer, with the titular ChainStaff being very versatile. Well worth the money, and there is a NG+ for those wanting a challenge. The OST is also very great (and metal). Ran very well without any bugs. A definite must play for any fan of the genre.

Really fun to play, cool visuals and incredible music to boot. I say go for it, you wont regret it