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Insanity's Blade

A nice throwback to the classics of old, with gameplay good enough to keep a player engaged the entire way through.
74%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
stability, replayability
74% User Score Based on 342 reviews
Critic Score 75%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

PCPCWindowsWindows
Buy Nowfrom $5.99
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About

"Insanity's Blade: The Chronicles of Thurstan" is an old-school action platformer with RPG elements, where you play as a father on a journey to hell to save his family's souls. Battle through 16 stages, climb walls, and collect powerful weapons, while upgrading abilities at the store. Play local co-op with friends and choose between story mode with cutscenes or arcade mode for non-stop action.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
Insanity's Blade screenshot
Insanity's Blade screenshot
Insanity's Blade screenshot
Insanity's Blade screenshot
Insanity's Blade screenshot
Insanity's Blade screenshot
Insanity's Blade screenshot
Insanity's Blade screenshot
Insanity's Blade screenshot
Insanity's Blade screenshot
Insanity's Blade screenshot
+17

74%
Audience ScoreBased on 343 reviews
story40 positive mentions
stability32 negative mentions
  • Insanity's Blade captures the nostalgic feel of classic arcade games with its engaging gameplay and retro-inspired visuals.
  • The game features a variety of weapons and abilities, allowing for satisfying combat options and encouraging experimentation with different strategies.
  • The pixel art and soundtrack are standout aspects, enhancing the overall experience and immersing players in a dark fantasy world.
  • The controls can feel clunky and unresponsive at times, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences, especially during platforming sections.
  • The difficulty curve is uneven, with some early levels being disproportionately hard compared to later ones, which can lead to a lack of challenge as the game progresses.
  • There are numerous bugs and glitches, such as enemies clipping through walls and inconsistent hit detection, which detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.
  • story
    182 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Insanity's Blade" follows Thurstan, a vengeful warrior on a quest to rescue his family from evil, accompanied by a dwarf named Finn. While the narrative is described as simple and at times uninspired, it is presented through engaging cutscenes and offers a mix of humor and action that some players found entertaining. However, criticisms include the pacing of story delivery, the main character's portrayal, and a lack of depth in character development, leading to a mixed reception overall.

    • “The story of Insanity's Blade unfolds through beautifully illustrated cutscenes that further immerse players in Thurstan's dark and perilous journey.”
    • “Insanity's Blade follows the journey of unfortunate protagonist Thurstan in a quest built purely on notions of revenge and a last ditch effort to save his kingdom from utter destruction.”
    • “The story is great and gives the main character motive throughout the game!”
    • “The story is pretty uninspired, and the main character is a massive tool--pretty much toxic masculinity incarnate.”
    • “It doesn’t help that the game seems overly concerned with its dull, unoriginal, and very poorly constructed story.”
    • “The story is boring and always annoying to watch; the scrolling is choppy like on an 8-bit computer, the graphics look nice in screenshots but very banal in motion.”
  • gameplay
    143 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "Insanity's Blade" is a mixed bag, with some players praising its engaging, retro-inspired mechanics and tight controls, while others criticize its repetitiveness, clunky execution, and lack of variety. Many appreciate the nostalgic feel and satisfying combat, but note that the game suffers from design flaws and frustrating mechanics that can detract from the overall experience. Overall, it appeals to fans of classic arcade-style games, though it may not satisfy those seeking deeper gameplay complexity.

    • “With its engaging gameplay, retro-inspired visuals, and memorable soundtrack, Insanity's Blade delivers an adrenaline-pumping experience that will delight fans of the genre.”
    • “The gameplay difficulty strikes a perfect balance, offering a challenging experience that rewards skill and perseverance.”
    • “The gameplay and controls feel really good, the soundtrack is great, and the overall game feel is really satisfying.”
    • “Level design is so-so, gameplay is repetitive and sometimes clunky.”
    • “I just couldn't get past the bad gameplay, which is why I am under an hour of playtime on this one.”
    • “The gameplay is simple but there's little to no variety in it, so it dulls very quickly.”
  • music
    102 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its nostalgic chiptune-inspired melodies, which enhance the gameplay experience and evoke memories of classic gaming soundtracks. Many reviewers highlight the option to toggle between 8-bit and 16-bit styles, adding to the game's retro charm. While some find the music repetitive or not fitting, the overall consensus is that the soundtrack is a standout feature that complements the engaging visuals and gameplay.

    • “The soundtrack of Insanity's Blade is a standout aspect that complements the gameplay and enhances the overall experience.”
    • “The chiptune-inspired melodies, reminiscent of classic gaming soundtracks, set the mood for each level and boss encounter.”
    • “The music is pretty great and taps into that nostalgia of old school side scrollers.”
    • “The graphics are huge squares, or 'pixels' or whatever (roll my eyes), the music is like a prehistoric Colecovision.”
    • “They only two negatives so far are the dialogue which is corny to say the least, and the music, I just can't stand it.”
    • “The music is also a bit too repetitious, lacking any real energy or charm, in my opinion.”
  • graphics
    94 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of "Insanity's Blade" are widely praised for their retro-inspired aesthetic, effectively capturing the charm of 8-bit and 16-bit gaming while showcasing detailed sprite work and atmospheric design. Many players appreciate the nostalgic visuals reminiscent of classic arcade games, although some note issues with choppy scrolling and occasional graphical bugs. Overall, the game's art style and graphics contribute significantly to its appeal, earning high ratings from reviewers.

    • “The art style pays homage to the golden age of 8-bit and 16-bit gaming, evoking a sense of nostalgia for players who grew up with these iconic visuals.”
    • “The chunky retro style graphics are nicely drawn and authentically animated, the gratuitous violence of the grapple moves is entertaining, and the music adds nicely to the grim atmosphere.”
    • “Very fun gameplay, great graphics and sound, and looks extra good on 144Hz monitors.”
    • “The graphics are huge squares, or 'pixels' or whatever (roll my eyes), the music is like a prehistoric Colecovision.”
    • “They chose to use obsolete retro pixel 'art' as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
    • “Numerous instances, especially in the monastery, where graphics overlapped and just looked buggy.”
  • stability
    32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is frequently criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and performance issues, particularly in co-op mode, which is described as a "buggy hell." While single-player mode is somewhat stable, players encounter frustrating problems such as bad hit registration, clipping issues, and unresponsive controls. Overall, the game's lack of polish detracts from the experience, despite its enjoyable retro feel.

    • “This game is buggy, has bad hit registration, and bizarre key mappings that you can't change. Developers like this make me wonder if they think customers are the enemy.”
    • “Unfortunately, the performance is just such an annoyance, and I really don't feel like troubleshooting yet another game that doesn't work well for no conceivable reason.”
    • “Single player mode is more or less stable, but co-op mode is a buggy hell.”
  • atmosphere
    12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's atmosphere is characterized by its dark gothic fantasy aesthetic, enhanced by chunky retro graphics, well-crafted sprite work, and a fittingly grim soundtrack. Players appreciate the blend of gratuitous violence and nostalgic design reminiscent of classic titles like "Ghosts 'n' Goblins" and "Altered Beast," creating a captivating and immersive experience. Overall, the atmosphere is described as dark, intense, and spectacular, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.

    • “This is a great, dark and atmospheric game.”
    • “The sprite-work and music is wonderfully crafted into this darkly atmospheric action sidescroller (homage to the arcade and SNES games of yore).”
    • “The atmosphere ranges somewhere in the ballpark of Ghosts 'n' Goblins while the animations oddly remind me of Altered Beast.”
    • “The atmosphere is pure dark gothic fantasy.”
  • humor
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's humor is characterized by its clumsy yet amusing text crawls that connect level themes, often featuring unintentionally funny references reminiscent of 'Poochy.' Players appreciate the juvenile, tongue-in-cheek humor sprinkled throughout the gameplay, which adds a lighthearted touch to the 2D side-scrolling platformer experience.

    • “Each level begins and ends with a lengthy text crawl, the only purpose of which is to clumsily link the different themes of each stage, with unintentionally hilarious references to the player 2 character that bring to mind 'Poochy', and the unceremonious return to his home planet.”
    • “The game is a 2D side-scrolling platformer with hack and slash combat, quests, upgradable weapons, an inventory, unlockable abilities, and at least one instance of juvenile tongue-in-cheek humor.”
    • “(which I still find hilarious) you can track your progression and location through a menu-based world map.”
  • replayability
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Insanity's Blade features solid replayability through multiple difficulty levels, hidden secrets, and unlockable extras, appealing particularly to fans of classic arcade games. While it offers a decent amount of replay value, players shouldn't expect to invest hundreds of hours into it. Local co-op adds to its accessibility and enjoyment.

    • “Insanity's Blade also offers replayability through multiple difficulty levels, hidden secrets, and unlockable extras.”
    • “The replayability is definitely there, but this isn't a title that you can look forward to sinking hundreds of hours into... I don't know though, perhaps someone will.”
    • “With local co-op and multiple difficulties, aside from just being easy to pick up and play, I could see a decent amount of replay value here for people really into those old arcade games.”
  • grinding
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unpolished, with many feeling that the necessity of grinding detracts from the overall experience, especially given the game's price point. While the sprite work is appreciated, the lack of polish makes the grinding feel more like a chore than an engaging mechanic.

    • “It's okay for when it goes on sale, but $6 seems a little much for an arcade game where money isn't in abundance and grinding is kind of necessary.”
    • “The problem, however, is that while the sprite work is good, the game is woefully unpolished and... a bit tedious, honestly.”
    • “Tedious and sloppy.”
  • optimization
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game suffers from significant performance issues that frustrate players, leading to a reluctance to troubleshoot the problems. While it captures the essence of retro pixel side-scrolling beat 'em ups, the optimization concerns detract from the overall experience.

    • “Unfortunately, the performance is just such an annoyance, and I really don't feel like troubleshooting yet another game that doesn't work well for no conceivable reason.”
    • “If you dig the retro pixel side-scrolling beat 'em up, this seems to have it, but apparently may have some performance troubles.”

75%Critics’ scoreBased on 1 critic reviews

Buy Insanity's Blade

5h Median play time
5h Average play time
5-5h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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