Mapping close to a dozen or so possible attack moves to a single button feels cramped until you get a feel for the subtle nuances of delivering each maneuver. Pulling off trickier death-defying stunts feels tighter and works a lot more smoothly with a good controller, though combat doesn't quite hit the mark regardless of how you play. While functional, a keyboard isn't my first choice for delving into these unforgiving platforming depths. I find it's a clever cure for the "hulk smash" syndrome that tends to inevitably set-in when I hit my threshold for masochistic platformer abuse. Die a hundred times, and you can still progress as long as you stab through enough baddies and continue finding safe spots to summon portals on. Collecting blood from kills, which gloriously paints the environment more crimson with every blow, increases a power meter that lets you drop a checkpoint on solid ground each time it's filled. Even when your death tally piles up to ridiculous numbers, the tension of starting over never quite hits the snapping point, thanks to a smart checkpoint system designed to diffuse your wrath without stymieing the overall steep difficult curve. Fortunately, getting dismembered isn't nearly as aggravating a prospect as it could be. Death comes at a near-incessant pace, leaving me with minor pangs of guilt every time the nameless pixelated heroine lets out a cry as she's mauled, impaled, or sliced in twain. Levels demand split-second timing and precision in order to successfully navigate the minefield of spiked traps, spinning saw blades, death pits, and ravenous demon beasts populating each challenging area.
Double jumping, wall-sliding, and pummeling through insidiously crafted stages that send you to your doom dozens of times in a single run through treads familiar turf carved out by other recent old-school inspired platformers. Transformed by its unholy power into a purple skinned creature with talons for hands, she embarks on a quest to kick some serious demon backside.
Everything gets off to an appropriately ominous start when the black-clad heroine arrives on the doorstep to Lafcadio Academy for Troubled Young Ladies only to soon find herself possessed by a demonic book and thrust into a dark dream realm of monsters. Developer Spooky Squid Games gives cool nods aplenty to the renowned horror writer and his eerie legacy throughout the presentation. They Bleed Pixels' grim Lovecraftian vibe and beautifully crafted pixel art blends together with striking style.
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