The Messenger

 PlayStation 4
Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. TheSixthAxis
    May 10, 2019
    90
    Judged by its visuals alone, The Messenger is a charming retro adventure with pixel perfect platforming. Even that high praise is to do it a disservice, as the game soon opens up to be an unexpected, yet brilliant metroidvania, delivering a plot that twists, turns, surprises, and has humour to spare. Ultimately, the Messenger is one of the best indie games I’ve ever encountered. You really should play it.
  2. PlayStation Universe
    Mar 23, 2019
    90
    Resolutely challenging without ever being unfair, frequently gut-bustingly humorous and stuffed with all manner of unexpected twists and turns, The Messenger one of the most essential platformers on PS4. It really is that simple.
  3. Cultured Vultures
    Mar 26, 2019
    85
    The Messenger is a retro-styled old school challenge that starts off easy but will soon test any player’s hidden ninja skills. This is a multi-genre homage to some real classics that manages to feel like a long-lost gem.
  5. 3DJuegos
    Mar 25, 2019
    85
    An amazing tribute to retro gaming like Ninja Gaiden saga. The Messenger is a great, funny and surprising action platform game with a beautiful art style and clever level design.
  6. The Games Machine
    Mar 26, 2019
    80
    The Messenger is a great example of “old school platform”. It’s fun to play, challenging but never frustrating, with good graphics and an excellent soundtrack.
  7. Metro GameCentral
    Mar 21, 2019
    80
    An inspired homage to old school Ninja Gaiden games, with a clever blending of genres and near perfect retro graphics and music.
  8. Gameblog.fr
    Mar 19, 2019
    80
    As expected, on PS4 The Messenger is stil. a very good action platformer that manages to deliver love of the 8/16bits eras and doesn't forget to put some fresh and very clever ideas in the mix.
  9. Push Square
    Mar 19, 2019
    80
    The Messenger is a rock solid action platformer that balances out its retro stylings with modern touches and brilliantly slick controls. Blasting through the lengthy story is compelling, as new story beats and abilities are thrown into the mix. It perhaps flies a little too close to the sun later on as you hunt down the final few collectibles, but by and large, it's a cloud-stepping joy. Fans of 2D action games should have a blast with this, and that's a message we're happy to pass along.
  10. Cubed3
    Apr 22, 2019
    70
    The Messenger is a unique and enjoyable 2D platformer with a strong personality and exciting gameplay, and its fine-tuned appearance on the PS4 is a welcome one. The first half of the game is worthy of unfettered praise, but the experience takes a hefty blow at the halfway point from a failed attempt at expanding the scope. This aside, it remains a lovingly conceived game and is well worth playing through on this basis, but its flaws prevent it from going down as a true classic. In light of the fact that this is the first game by Sabotage, it's fair to say that the studio's future is bright.

Awards & Rankings

40
#40 Best PS4 Game of 2019

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.7

Generally favorable reviews- based on 83 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 60 out of 83
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 83
  3. Negative: 11 out of 83
  1. SplitMind
    Nov 25, 2020
    5
    The Messenger is a game that will appeal to a niche audience that love their Ninja Gaiden crossed with Metroidvania. I thought that audienceThe Messenger is a game that will appeal to a niche audience that love their Ninja Gaiden crossed with Metroidvania. I thought that audience included myself, but this game has me thinking otherwise.

    The graphics and sound are true highlights of the game. The retro 2D graphics give off a SNES feel but are extremely responsive and modern. Walking into the merchant's shop for the first time is a sight to behold and combined with a very compelling and memorable soundtrack means The Messenger will live in your mind for quite a while afterwards.

    After this the game took a dip for me. The first few levels were excellent. You are gradually learning skills and enjoying the learning curve as you traverse a variety of backdrops. Despite the repetitive characters, a variety of sprites and backgrounds balance these out and the boss fights in particular stand out and are always memorable.

    This is where I should mention I gave up on the game and The Underworld stage. Had this level been the last or second-last level I would have persisted to finish the game and my overall score would have been closer to an 8. By this level I had gotten quite sick of the mechanics and found the difficulty increases particularly frustrating. Being based on checkpoints means a lot of repetition when one tiny traversal keeps causing you to die, and sometimes this is a matter of trial and error rather than skill. The boss fights can be particularly masochistic as any deaths result in restarting the whole fight. To its credit, in the first few levels the game kept me coming back for me, but my patience could only last so long.

    Having discovered that I also gave up just before a crucial juncture in the game actually brought me relief rather than regret, as according to some walkthroughs on YouTube I was only halfway through the game.

    I had stopped enjoying it so I stopped playing it. That's how I am with games. I can appreciate other people love the trial and tribulation approach ala Dark Souls, so take my review as my own opinion, because there is A LOT to enjoy in this game if it's your type of game. I loved the gameplay as it was very fluid and responsive. The hitboxes were questionable at times but I can't help but find a lot of these highly-rated indie games come with a pinch of salt. I want to see indie games succeed as much as anyone as I am sick of AAA garbage, but I want to be honest about my experience with gams too.    … Full Review »
  2. Arklaed
    Jan 20, 2022
    3
    Graphic lag on a PS4? The horrible jump hit jump mechanic? This game is awful in every sense. Go play a balanced game with honest difficulty,Graphic lag on a PS4? The horrible jump hit jump mechanic? This game is awful in every sense. Go play a balanced game with honest difficulty, like Blasphemous or HK, don't waste your time on this.… Full Review »
  3. BITESCREEN
    Apr 15, 2019
    7
    The Messenger sieht zwar etwas aus wie das klassische Ninja Gaiden – orientiert sich aber eher am NES-Underdog Kabuki Quantum Fighter und demThe Messenger sieht zwar etwas aus wie das klassische Ninja Gaiden – orientiert sich aber eher am NES-Underdog Kabuki Quantum Fighter und dem modernen Indie-Hit Celeste. Im Hardcore-Sidescroller dasht Ihr mit Katana und Wurfstern durch flinke wie fiese Gegner und meistert dabei gut getimt Platformer-Einlagen mit Puzzle-Einschlag. Die bunten wie abwechslungsreichen Levels und deren Bosse sind zwar manchmal etwas generisch, dafür motiviert The Messenger durch gute Spielbarkeit, ein hohes Tempo und jede Menge Meta-Humor. Die unzähligen Anspielungen auf frühe Retrogames erreichen derweil ihren nostalgischen Höhepunkt, wenn Ihr später mit nur einem Knopfdruck zwischen 8-Bit- und 16-Bit-Grafik wechselt. Leider wird The Messenger gerade zu diesem Zeitpunkt etwas repetitiv, während der Schwierigkeitsgrad aufgrund unschön gesetzter Checkpoints etwas ausartet.… Full Review »
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