Magenta Horizon

95%
Game Brain Score Based on 114 reviews
  • music
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Magenta Horizon Game Cover
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"Magenta Horizon" is a challenging 2D precision platformer set in a vibrant, abstract world. Players control Maddison Baek, who uses a variety of skills and abilities to navigate treacherous environments filled with spikes, saws, and other hazards. With permadeath and randomly generated levels, each run is unique and requires quick reflexes and strategic planning to survive.

  • PC
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

95%
Audience ScoreBased on 114 reviews
music30 positive mentions
replayability2 negative mentions
  • The game features a long playtime with a ton of enemy variety and creative enemy designs, showcasing impressive art made by a solo developer.
  • Combat mechanics are deep and engaging, with a fluid system that encourages aggressive play and skill expression, including a unique healing mechanic that rewards attacking enemies.
  • The game has a vibrant art style and an excellent soundtrack that enhances the overall experience, making it enjoyable for fans of action games.
  • The story is convoluted and difficult to follow, with overly wordy dialogue that detracts from the gameplay experience.
  • Level design can feel repetitive and maze-like, with frustrating key-hunting mechanics and chaotic enemy encounters that can overwhelm players.
  • Combat mechanics have inconsistencies, such as a poorly designed dodge system and lack of invincibility frames, leading to frustrating moments during battles.
  • music48 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its beauty and ability to enhance the overall experience, with many reviewers praising its energetic and diverse soundtrack that complements the gameplay and art style. The combination of genres, including prog rock and orchestral elements, creates memorable and engaging tracks that resonate with players, often elevating the emotional impact of the game. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal and enjoyment.

    • “The music is amazing, the art is unique, and character movement and gameplay runs as smooth as butter, so many ways to customize to fight in your style as well as having character expression while you fight.”
    • “This game is amazing and the soundtrack backing the whole show is just as good if not better.”
    • “The soundtrack is solid, and fits the setting of the game well.”
    • “Every time I open the game, the music and GUI work fine, but now all there is is a black screen.”
    • “Feels a bit awkward when the music does not fade in the cutscenes and just cuts off.”
    • “Level 7-2 was the worst by far, not only because it was so excruciatingly long, but this was the only level in the game, as far as I know, where I didn't like the song at all, and it made for a really painful experience for me.”
  • gameplay47 mentions

    The gameplay of the game is characterized by a mix of deep combat and traversal mechanics, offering both challenge and customization options for players. However, it suffers from inconsistent design choices, such as a lack of standard mechanics like blocking and parrying, leading to repetitive combat experiences. Despite these issues, the game encourages an aggressive playstyle and features a unique healing mechanic that rewards active engagement, making it appealing for fans of challenging action platformers.

    • “An absolutely fantastic, but also super brutal stylish action game, where the game absolutely forces you to be stylish (learn and execute the mechanics) or you die.”
    • “The gameplay is heavily inspired by the DMC series, focusing on making big combos and maintaining your combo meter as high as possible while also not getting staggered by enemies and bosses.”
    • “The mechanical moment-to-moment gameplay, combat, and movement mechanics in Magenta Horizon are undeniably superb.”
    • “As for the game mechanics, there's a lot of poor and inconsistent design decisions.”
    • “The game isn't bad, just repetitive, missing multiple necessary mechanics, with a half-assed dodge system, the worst healing system I've ever seen, way too many enemies on screen, and other bad design decisions like being juggled on almost every hit.”
    • “This takes away most of the fighting mechanics because every 1-2 seconds you're being attacked so you have to jump and dash and just spam an attack over and over while jumping.”
  • graphics28 mentions

    The graphics of the game are characterized by a vibrant and unique art style that blends fantastical elements with expressive enemy designs, creating a visually captivating experience. While some players find the visuals initially unconventional, many appreciate the colorful artwork and fluid animations that enhance the gameplay. Overall, the graphics are praised for their creativity and ability to complement the game's engaging soundtrack and combat mechanics.

    • “The vibrant visuals, reminiscent of a living fantasy painting, combine with fluid, fast-paced gameplay for a rewarding experience.”
    • “Absolutely stunning, colorful artwork and brilliant animations.”
    • “A lot of this is owed to the incredible visuals with a unique cacophony of color, twisted enemy designs and area backgrounds with a hand-painted flair, and of course a fantastic and incredibly unique orchestral/prog-metal soundtrack that complements this all beautifully.”
    • “I'm not a fan of some aspects of the art style.”
    • “Level visuals are a bit lacking, but everything else is amazing; combat is really fun and I'm interested in the story so far.”
    • “Graphics: retro.”
  • story24 mentions

    The story has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it convoluted and overly wordy, while others praise its depth, character focus, and emotional moments. Many appreciate the engaging lore and the compelling protagonist, Gretel, alongside the game's unique art style and humor. Overall, while the narrative may not be the primary draw, it adds a meaningful layer to the gameplay experience.

    • “The story is surprisingly deep, very character-focused but with its twists and emotional moments.”
    • “Its music, art, and story are playful yet poignant, with recurring leitmotifs adding an emotional and thematic punch often missing in the genre.”
    • “Most surprisingly to me, though, is how good the story is, far beyond what I expected.”
    • “First off, the story was pretty nonsensical and I couldn't follow it. It was just a bunch of still panels with long dialogue droning on, featuring different names and overly wordy dialogue. Between that and the in-game chatting with all these different characters, I found myself tuning out pretty early on.”
    • “That said, I wouldn't recommend buying the game only for the story, as most of the time the game is just pure combat with some platforming and exploration.”
    • “The story itself also takes a while to get going.”
  • humor4 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by its quirky and absurd elements, such as comical enemies like helicopter foes that add a humorous twist to the combat mechanics. Players appreciate the lighthearted tone, particularly enjoying the antics of the funny bird character and the overall wacky design of the game world. Despite some frustrations with gameplay mechanics, the humor remains a strong selling point for many players.

    • “I played this game during an earlier alpha, and I can say the humor and combat sold me after I got past the first level.”
    • “I like playing as the funny bird and making her hit the bad men till they fall over, pretty good!”
    • “This is a funny 2D action platformer in a crazy world with crazily designed enemies.”
  • replayability3 mentions

    The game offers exceptional replayability through its lengthy content, extra modes, and performance-based ranking system that encourages players to improve their skills. With its challenging platforming and deep combat mechanics, it appeals to fans seeking both depth and replay value, making it highly recommended for action enthusiasts.

    • “It's incredible, lengthy, with extra modes and replayability; there's no way I couldn't recommend it, totally worth checking out.”
    • “At the end of each stage, players are given a rank based on time, deaths, and combos, offering a replayable challenge to improve performance.”
    • “For fans of challenging platformers with deep combat mechanics and exploration elements, Magenta Horizon promises both depth and replayability, making it a must-play for action enthusiasts.”
  • optimization3 mentions

    The game offers significant potential for optimization and mastery, with a high skill ceiling that encourages replayability through ranking based on performance metrics. Casual players can also enjoy the experience, provided they engage with the gameplay mechanics.

    • “At the end of each stage, players are given a rank based on time, deaths, and combos, offering a replayable challenge to improve performance.”
    • “The potential for optimization and mastery here is insane and the skill ceiling feels practically infinite, but even for a casual player (i.e. me) you should still have a really good time with Magenta Horizon if you buy into the gameplay it's going for.”
    • “The game suffers from severe optimization issues, leading to frustrating frame drops and stuttering during critical moments.”
    • “Despite the interesting gameplay, the lack of proper optimization makes it nearly unplayable on lower-end systems.”
    • “I encountered numerous bugs and glitches that hindered my progress, indicating a clear need for better optimization.”
  • emotional2 mentions

    The game is praised for its deep, character-driven story that features impactful twists and emotional moments. Its combination of playful yet poignant music and art, along with recurring leitmotifs, enhances the emotional depth and thematic resonance, setting it apart in its genre.

    • “The story is surprisingly deep, very character-focused, with its twists and emotional moments.”
    • “Its music, art, and story are playful yet poignant, with recurring leitmotifs adding an emotional and thematic punch often missing in the genre.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its stylish presentation and distinct identity, contributing to an immersive and engaging experience.

    • “An incredibly stylish action game with a strong identity and atmosphere.”
  • grinding1 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be frustrating due to the overwhelming nature of certain enemies, such as Slashpluckers and dealer automatons, which can prolong encounters and make battles feel tedious. The gembusters, in particular, are noted for their resilience, often requiring drawn-out one-on-one confrontations that contribute to a sense of grind. Overall, the combination of challenging enemy mechanics leads to a repetitive and exhausting gameplay experience.

    • “The Slashpluckers can be overwhelming when combined with other enemies, as they flail around with their massive bodies. The dealer automatons have a bit too much health, making their projectile onslaught feel overbearing. Gembusters are particularly frustrating to deal with, often lasting until the end of an encounter where they need to be tediously fought one-on-one.”
  • stability1 mentions

    The game demonstrates strong stability, particularly noted for its excellent performance on the Steam Deck.

    • “Runs great on Steam Deck as well.”
    • “The game maintains a steady frame rate, providing a smooth experience.”
    • “I haven't encountered any crashes or bugs, which makes for a stable gameplay experience.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Gretel is praised for her engaging role in the story, featuring a cool character design and memorable one-liners that enhance her appeal throughout the game.

    • “I really like Gretel's role in the story; she has a really cool character design, and I enjoy her one-liners throughout the stages.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

4hMedian play time
4hAverage play time
4-4hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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