Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 19 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 19
  2. Negative: 0 out of 19
  1. Nov 21, 2019
    90
    Even with no shortage of challenging side-scrollers to get into these days, Black Future '88 is more than worthy of your time and does more than enough to stand out in an increasingly populated crowd.
  2. Nov 21, 2019
    88
    I loved my time with Black Future ’88. It’s hard, it’s fun, it’s memorable. In a genre that I have felt has been stagnating a bit over the past year or so, SUPERSCARYSNAKES is here to slap us back into reality. While it doesn’t wholly redefine roguelikes, it does enough to make it stand in a class of its own. I’m going to be craving “one more run” for a long time, and I’m going to have that soundtrack stuck in my head for even longer. This is a great game. Don’t miss it.
  3. Dec 11, 2019
    80
    Black Future ’88 is a neon-drenched 2D roguelike that effortlessly encourages you to undergo repeated runs thanks to its great music, style and short bursts of fast-paced action.
  4. Nov 23, 2019
    80
    Even though there are loads of similar games out there, Black Future '88 manages to be wholly worthwhile and exceptionally fun.
  5. 80
    Black Future ’88 may borrow ideas from all over, but it puts those ideas to good use and gives them a unique spin. As you’d expect it’s pretty challenging, but it’s worth mentioning that there’s an Assist Mode that makes it less deadly and more accessible. While you may want to hang fire on the Switch version until it’s less prone to crashing, this is otherwise an easy recommendation for roguelike-likers.
  6. Nov 21, 2019
    80
    Black Future ’88 is almost a quintessential throwback to ’80s arcade games, with rock-solid gameplay taken straight from the era and mixed in with several interesting and unique gameplay twists. You may only get eighteen minutes at a time to take everything in, but what you’ll be hit with is a heavy dose of fast-paced action, a killer soundtrack, and and a ton of weapons and gameplay features to work with that reward you for experimenting and exploring every bit of Skymelt. You may be trapped in the ’80s here, but at least you’re trapped alongside some of the best parts of it. Well, at least when it comes to video games. We can’t help if you get permanently trapped alongside Kajagoogoo or something similar, after all.
  7. Nov 21, 2019
    80
    Black Future ‘88 is an intriguing, challenging but also supremely fun and rewarding game. It may be an audio-visual feast, but the tight gameplay, high degree of replayability and the sterling effort that has gone into overcoming many of the criticisms levelled at the genre mean it’s not just a pretty face. If you’re looking for a dose of intense cyberpunk action on your Switch, you can’t go wrong with this one.
  8. Nov 29, 2019
    78
    Black Future '88 is a good roguelike game that lacks in a compelling story, but shines thanks to a great cyberpunk atmosphere and an awesome chiptune soundtrack.
  9. Nov 25, 2019
    75
    Play Black Future ‘88 especially if you like to wander through procedurally made 2D dungeons with cool weapons. Despite its unclear and repetitive moments, this is a cool roguelike.
  10. Nov 21, 2019
    75
    Black Future '88 is a fast-paced, thrilling roguelike, but it offers little to shake up the genre’s inherent repetition. Its often underwhelming gear and lack of variety in levels makes for dull runs too often, even though its gunplay consistently satisfies. You’ll find lots of hidden depth in its upgrade system if you stick with Black Future '88 despite its uninspired structure, which is made easier by its great art style and stellar soundtrack.
User Score
7.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 11 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 11
  2. Negative: 2 out of 11
  1. Apr 3, 2023
    6
    Cool concept, below average execution, which makes for a pretty average game in an extremely crowded rogue lite space. The biggest sellingCool concept, below average execution, which makes for a pretty average game in an extremely crowded rogue lite space. The biggest selling point of the game is the art design. It captures an aesthetic and theme of something that really reminds me of Canabalt. The music is good, the graphics are solid, the setting and aesthetics are nice, which is the only thing that stands out from the other games in the genre. The only issue I have is the font is small and sometimes tough to read. The gameplay is fine, it really feels like a side scrolling Enter the Gungeon in many ways, but something about it just feels uninspired. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it just doesn’t feel really well executed. It really makes it feel unremarkable knowing there are other similar and better options out there. To it’s credit, it does have a couple unique mechanics, but nothing to really write home about. I got the game for $2 and I felt that it was a steal at this price. But even at the heavily discounted price, I couldn’t help but want to play some of the other games in the genre. It’s not bad, but it’s not great. Full Review »