The Adventures of Badgersaw Chapter 1

It's rare to find a game that brings a smile to your face quite like this one does. In a sea of mediocrity, Badgersaw stands out as a genuine contender against mainstream titles and genres. At first glance the game appears simple, especially given how spoilt gamers have become by technological advancements across the industry. Don't let that fool you. Beneath the surface lies a reservoir of creativity, an engaging and enjoyable combat system, and a wholly unique take on the RPG genre. The developer has taken no shortcuts and has clearly poured a great deal of heart and soul into the game. This is evident in the exclusively hand-drawn art style, as well as the refreshing approach to humour, puzzles and playability. At this price, it's a steal and well worth your time. The developer is active on Discord and is consistently rolling out updates and improvements, so I look forward to seeing what the future holds and so should you.

This game has the same energy as an old school adventure game, except lighter on the puzzles and heavier on the violence. The story is linear, but there are lots of optional events and secrets that you can stumble upon while playing, which is something that I really miss seeing in newer titles. I've completed two play-throughs and I still feel like there's a lot more to see. This game is also ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ insane (complimentary) so if you like your games in the weird and quirky fever-dream category, you'll have a good time here.

After playing the pre-release demo and the finished product (on top of having the pleasure of interviewing the dev), I can honestly say Badgersaw has come a long way. An ambitious project orchestrated by one man, from the stylised visuals down to the original soundtrack. Gameplay wise, it has among the most unique mechanics I've seen in many a RPG with how it handles health and mp management, offering the player a challenging experience and encouraging adapting strategies to how the current situation on the field unfolds. Without spoiling too much of the plot...it's a wild one, and quite frankly so is the cast of characters with their distinct personalities that get explored through interacting with the environment and banter. A good handful of secrets too, so even if you finish the game on your first run, there's a likely chance you might have missed extra content that requires a little more exploring. Overall, a solid debut from this developer and will be keeping an eye on further updates in this series.