The End Is Nigh

 Switch
User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 52 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 42 out of 52
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 52
  3. Negative: 6 out of 52
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  1. LuccaSSC
    Jan 2, 2018
    7
    Despite being a fun, challenging platformer, The End is Nigh is too similar to Super Meat Boy and the comparison does it no favours whatsoever. It does work very well on Switch though, especially in handheld mode.
  2. TheFlannelFox
    Dec 14, 2017
    9
    When Ash, the only survivor after the apocalypse and YouTuber begins a live stream, Oh no! A tragic error breaks his gear. Without anything else to do he decides it’s time to make a friend from scratch, which in true Ed McMillen macabre fashion, means he will be collecting body parts in order to do so. Grab a heart, a head, and a body to frankenstein yourself a brand new amigo.

    With    When Ash, the only survivor after the apocalypse and YouTuber begins a live stream, Oh no! A tragic error breaks his gear. Without anything else to do he decides it’s time to make a friend from scratch, which in true Ed McMillen macabre fashion, means he will be collecting body parts in order to do so. Grab a heart, a head, and a body to frankenstein yourself a brand new amigo.

    With that in mind grab that pro controller because you have quite the platforming challenge ahead of you. Leaving the nest, you walk through a tutorial showing you the basic mechanics of the game. In that time meeting some funny little characters, which actually made me laugh out loud.

    Dying to play
    Each screen is a contained scene, unlike most platformers where the camera follows you, it lays out your challenge and you have to break it down into little micro moments in order to venture to the next screen. In each new screen you collect a tumor, which can be used later to open up new parts of the game. After you get the tumor you, make it off screen which saves the tumor capture, because if you die, the challenge restarts. All of the enemies are back to their original position, the tumor must be recaptured, and you still must hook hop your way to victory.

    Meating Expectations
    A Lot of people have been comparing The End is Nigh to Super Meat Boy. While it does have quite a bit of similarities. Like the Fast re-entry after death, the incredible difficulty, and the cute yet creepy aesthetic...which feels like it takes place in the same universe as Meatboy. Mechanically the games are quite different. Ash, like meatboy feels great to control and his movements are very finely tuned, as they must be for such a precisely difficult platformer, however he cannot wall slide or wall jump. Instead he can hang on to little hooks on the wall, jump out from them, or pull them down to reveal new sections of each level. Furthermore, pressing RZ, propels Ash downward which is used swimming quickly through toxic water or plummeting at hawk like speeds to smash through stone barriers, opening new areas to explore. Having some amazing secrets to discover The End is Nigh is a bit of a metroidvania. Learning new abilities, using new objects, and collecting enough souls, opens up new creepy caverns to explore.

    We’re in RETRO-grade
    Throughout the game you collect NES-Like cartridges that contain mini games, which you can warp back to the beginning stage, which ironically is named the end. In order to play them on your little tube television. These little 8-bit challenges are punny throw backs to classics. However, the gameplay of The End is Nigh is retro by it’s very nature...this is not a game that you will beat in two hours or casually play through while also catching up on some netflix series. Each challenge brings with it many lives lost. Each life getting a little further and further, learning how to solve each gruesome puzzle. Eventually you will reach a light bulb moment, when you figure out how to reach that level’s tumor and get to the exit. Followed by the realization that now you actually have to do it.

    Verdict
    If you are a fan of Edmund’s games such as I am, then you already are aware of the extreme difficulty. Well The End is Nigh will certainly not disappoint you. Like Super Meatboy and The Binding of Issac, there are moments when you want to pull your hair out, followed by immense satisfaction when getting past a difficult challenge. If this doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, then maybe this isn’t for you, because this is a high difficulty twitch response adventure that requires everything you’ve got. However, if looking back on the number of deaths you've died and watching that number grow exponentially makes you laugh and jump back into action. Then The End is Nigh is certainly the game for you. Already tried and testing platforming mechanics mixed with new and innovative puzzles. Make a fresh, funny, and fantastic addition to your Switch library.

    Be sure to watch my video review at YouTube channel TheFlannelFox,

    See ya next time Switchers!    … Expand
  3. jeffbizloc
    Oct 8, 2018
    4
    I usually enjoy platformers but didn't get too far with The End is Nigh.

    Pros:
    - Controls were good

    Cons:
    - Atmosphere was too minimalist for me
    - Game was too difficult for me
    - Had to go through entire chapters again to get to a certain stage
  4. forreverendmeme
    Apr 6, 2018
    8
    While the platforming and controls are obviously top notch, the overall atmosphere, art style, and sense of dark humor are all the main reasons why this works so much for me. Physical copies are pretty cheap now, too.
  5. Terrector
    Jun 29, 2018
    10
    Art, music, and sound is incredible. Environments are incredibly macabre but enchanting in their own right.

    Game design is a masterpiece. Each level challenges the player in it's own ways. Some, are obviously easier than others. But in it's whole, its hardest, yet most rewarding experience I've ever had. WARNING TO COMPLETIONISTS: DO NOT ATTEMPT. This game will actually break    Art, music, and sound is incredible. Environments are incredibly macabre but enchanting in their own right.

    Game design is a masterpiece. Each level challenges the player in it's own ways. Some, are obviously easier than others. But in it's whole, its hardest, yet most rewarding experience I've ever had.

    WARNING TO COMPLETIONISTS: DO NOT ATTEMPT.
    This game will actually break you. As I am going to school right now, and work and video games are the only things I really have to worry about during my three months of summer, this game would break any man working a 40 hr job and trying to raise a family. **** I would say if you're going to complete this, set aside a month, or say goodbye to your social life.

    Playing the base game and gathering all the collectibles is one thing, but finishing the entirety of the Cartridges; the collectible mini-platformer levels with extreme difficulty, will kill you.

    In all, I love every aspect of this game. I personally think it's a masterpiece.    … Expand
  6. RedBlueCarrots
    Mar 17, 2019
    9
    This game is a must play if you like 2D platformers for a pure platforming experience. If you do not like these games, I would NOT recommend playing this game. It's very difficult. The music, however, is some of the best in any game I've ever played.
  7. SnappyGR
    Sep 2, 2019
    9
    Snappy Game Reviews - So close, yet so far

    The End is Nigh is a brand new hardcore adventure platformer by Edmund McMillen, the man behind such classics such as Super Meat Boy and The Binding of Isaac. In this game, the player takes control of a one-eyed blob named Ash who’s one of the few beings to survive the end of this world. Tired of feeling lonely, Ash decides to venture out into    Snappy Game Reviews - So close, yet so far

    The End is Nigh is a brand new hardcore adventure platformer by Edmund McMillen, the man behind such classics such as Super Meat Boy and The Binding of Isaac. In this game, the player takes control of a one-eyed blob named Ash who’s one of the few beings to survive the end of this world. Tired of feeling lonely, Ash decides to venture out into what remains of this world in the hope to build (yes, build) himself a friend from other people’s remains.

    This post-apocalyptic world is broken into over a dozen different themed zones, each comprised of single-screen levels for you to master. Since Ash is missing any kind of limbs he can only rely on two core abilities, jumping and hang on to ledges by his eye socket, yes, the fact that the main character is missing an eye is integrated into the gameplay. The more limited array of moves makes for an overall more cautious and methodical approach to each and every platforming challenge which felt quite refreshing.

    This was far from my wrongly preconceived notion that The End is Nigh was going to be more of the same Super Meat Boy style of gameplay with a sombre tone. Each screen felt like a little self-contained puzzle in the grand scheme of things and more often than not I would find myself analyzing the whole stage, looking for ledges that I could grab on to and learn enemy patterns before making the first move. This doesn’t detract from the complexity of the level design, in fact, I’d go as far as to say that the ones in this game felt more well balanced, cohesive and fun to me than the ones in Super Meat Boy while retaining the same high pedigree platforming and tight controls.

    With that said though, the game is still quite the endeavour. Aside from the first world that serves as a tutorial to get things going than anything else, The End is Nigh will put your nerves to the test with extremely tricky platforming bits and insane enemy placement. Throughout my 10 hour playthrough though none of the stages felt cheap or unfair. In fact, deaths felt more like a slap in the hand than a punch to the gut due to how short each level is and how fast the game respawns you back into the action, giving you that urge to give it one more go in the hopes that this time you’ll finally be able to make it through. This feeling was especially true while playing the game outside of the house during lunch breaks, every time I had 10-15 minutes to spare I’d grab my Nintendo Switch and beat a couple of stages before getting back to work making this version the definitive way to play this game. Besides the staggering amount of levels, more than 600, there are also some goodies for those that master the game such as retro mini-games with in-game achievements of their own and a couple of alternative endings.

    In terms of presentation, we have a very simple but polished artistic design that takes us for a ride in this grim, brooding world with very few colours and filled with bizarre-looking creatures regardless of whether you decide to play it on the go or docked on your big TV. This more simplistic design choice not only functions as a way to instantly immerse you in the game but is also used in tandem with shadows to conceal secrets such as tumours, the main currency in the game, in unpredictable places. Another highlight is the stupendous soundtrack that borrows many classical music themes known to all and remixes them in a surprisingly catchy way while staying true to the overall theme of the game.

    The End is Nigh is without the shadow of a doubt a must-own for anyone who’s thoroughly enjoyed any of Edmund’s previous work and a perfect fit for the Nintendo Switch. It masterfully encapsulates the grim overtone of The Binding of Isaac with the tip-top platforming of Super Meat Boy while still having its own identity.    … Expand
  8. Kacek1996
    Nov 9, 2019
    8
    This is one of the great games that Edmund McMillen created, to be honest I had more fun with this game than the Super MeatBoy, in which he had his parts as well. This game is quite dark one and thanks to this it's a great game to play in the darkness. I got truly challenged while playing this game and I got my in game friend back. However playing it after the second end of the world isThis is one of the great games that Edmund McMillen created, to be honest I had more fun with this game than the Super MeatBoy, in which he had his parts as well. This game is quite dark one and thanks to this it's a great game to play in the darkness. I got truly challenged while playing this game and I got my in game friend back. However playing it after the second end of the world is just too brutal for me since limited amount of lives got me bad.
    Graphics aren't complicated but they do match the game style and the animations in this game are quite smooth as well.
    I love it but I doubt that I will finish the part with limited amount of lives, so I added it to my list of finished games XD    … Expand
  9. Meeleepit
    Mar 19, 2020
    5
    After playing Celeste and Super Meat Boy i must say The End is Nigh is a bit disappointing.

    The atmosphere of the game is too morbid.

    The game has no drive to finish a level.
  10. Miguelbarroso
    Oct 21, 2019
    10
    Muito melhor que Super Meat Boy. Parabéns ao desenvolvedor pelo trabalho. Com um história muito interessante e com níveis quase impossíveis, o jogo te vicia muito rápido.
  11. himarxuky
    Jul 6, 2020
    10
    me parece demaciado épico, lleno de secretos que buscar y muy rejugable. una historia entretenida.
  12. crazygamer7477
    Jul 4, 2020
    9
    This game is a masterpiece. It's the challenging, spiritual successor to Super Meat Boy. I have never been good at games like Super Mario Bros nor did I very much like them. I found them repetitive and literally the same thing but with new items and such (I liked the 3d games, though). But Super Meat Boy. Oh boy. That came around and I loved it. I didn't actually beat Super Meat Boy untilThis game is a masterpiece. It's the challenging, spiritual successor to Super Meat Boy. I have never been good at games like Super Mario Bros nor did I very much like them. I found them repetitive and literally the same thing but with new items and such (I liked the 3d games, though). But Super Meat Boy. Oh boy. That came around and I loved it. I didn't actually beat Super Meat Boy until last year, though. I really am not good with platformers. And I still haven't beaten The End is Nigh. But there are so many reasons I stick with it. For instance, the music. The music is definitely one of the best parts of the game. Being the spiritual successor to Super Meat Boy, they needed to also have very good music. Despite the music being by completely different composers, they are kind of similar. The end is nigh doesn't have original music, instead it has remixes of 19th and 18th century music. It can go anywhere from insane to calm, loud to quiet, etc. My favorite song? SS Exodus. It is based off of Tchaikovsky's Marche Slave. And they made it so much better. And the platforming, oh my! A section may make you think "HOW IS THAT TUMOR POSSIBLE TO GET?!?!?", well, you learn in this game. You will remember levels by memory and can beat a level on your first try at some point when the first time you did it, it took you more than 50 tries. I could say so much more about this amazing game. But I'm not gonna. You should try this game out yourself.… Expand
  13. Tspeed
    Apr 16, 2021
    9
    I think this one might drop scores based on comparisons with smb, but it’s a solid hardcore platformer in its own right with original ideas and challenges. My one issue, and I’ve heard the arguments on both sides, is the fact there’s no level select. Having to go back to the beginning of a whole section to get the tumours you missed is just a ball ache. And it’s happened twice now where II think this one might drop scores based on comparisons with smb, but it’s a solid hardcore platformer in its own right with original ideas and challenges. My one issue, and I’ve heard the arguments on both sides, is the fact there’s no level select. Having to go back to the beginning of a whole section to get the tumours you missed is just a ball ache. And it’s happened twice now where I exit to the map screen and accidentally click the section I’m on rather than backing out of the map, and instead of going back to where you left off it takes you right back to the beginning of the section. I know the devs wanted you to git gud and play it through it again and again to get all the secrets, but I don’t have much time to play games and after investing ages getting through some screens I just want to complete a section rather than do it all again. It just makes me rage quit and not touch the game for a few months. At least you should have been able to go back to specific screens for missing tumours after competing the game.… Expand
  14. Inkling05
    Aug 6, 2020
    10
    My god where to start, Ed you hit this one out of the park it is a awsome but brutal 2d platformer that is a dream to come back to and speedrun or find collectables often. The multiple cartridges add smaller bonus challenges some of which are way too hard for me and are barriering me from passing 99% but this foes not change anything and it is my favourite 2d platformer of all timeMy god where to start, Ed you hit this one out of the park it is a awsome but brutal 2d platformer that is a dream to come back to and speedrun or find collectables often. The multiple cartridges add smaller bonus challenges some of which are way too hard for me and are barriering me from passing 99% but this foes not change anything and it is my favourite 2d platformer of all time beating the likes of mario world, mario 3, sonic 1-3 and even celeste for me I've poured my life into the switch version and it runs amazingly with no slowdown. In typical ed fashon this game is dark setting place in the end of the world where you play as a sentient blob called ash who plays games on his bootleg nes, getting tired of the lonliness and monotony of daily life he sets out to “make” a friend by finding a head body and heart to put together to literally make his own friend. Next this game is a dream to play ash responds immediately to your inputs and plays so simply but with practice you can get him to do some really cool things. As for collectables there are the main collectables called tumors 1 of which can be found in each level of the first half of the game and bonus bundles of 5 can be found by exploring the world to find them all. There are also cartridges that you can use to play on your console at ashs house that play recreations of the world in an 8 bit format with new more challenging levels and bonus missions for each. To wrap up this game is an underrated gem that you should definitely pick up and lets hope ed makes that dlc he mentioned.… Expand
  15. alan2pc
    Oct 17, 2020
    9
    So, I’m a big fan of Super Meat Boy and bought this game because it’s made by the same creator. I knew based on reviews it probably not as good as Super Meat Boy. However, this was a delightful game, and I enjoyed many of the same aspects of both games: great controls, addicting gameplay, a serious platforming challenge, little dialogue, short loading times, and a bit of dark humor. Oh,So, I’m a big fan of Super Meat Boy and bought this game because it’s made by the same creator. I knew based on reviews it probably not as good as Super Meat Boy. However, this was a delightful game, and I enjoyed many of the same aspects of both games: great controls, addicting gameplay, a serious platforming challenge, little dialogue, short loading times, and a bit of dark humor. Oh, and GameStop ran a sale for 50% off used games if you bought 6 or more, and I was able to get this for $8.99!!!
    (Lucky me :))    … Expand
  16. luckozoid
    Feb 16, 2023
    9
    If you enjoyed "Super meat boy" and "Celeste" I highly recommend this game. But if you struggle with challenging games i recommend you look up some gameplay or review videos before buying the game to see if the game is worth your money.

Awards & Rankings

44
#44 Best Switch Game of 2017
70
#70 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2017
84
#84 Most Shared Switch Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. FNintendo
    Jan 31, 2018
    80
    The End is Nigh is an extremely difficult but well-designed challenge, one which will be sought after by those who enjoy games where the challenge level doesn't stop rising and where level design is refined. While the ending of each chapter may be less climatic than thought, The End is Nigh is a piece of gaming that is worthy of every attention.
    Read full review
  2. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Jan 7, 2018
    85
    It's a perfectly designed game. [Issue #31 – January/February 2018, p. 24E]
  3. GamePro Germany
    Jan 2, 2018
    83
    Brutally hard 2D-platformer with a bizarre setting and mainly aimed at fans of Super Meat Boy.
    Read full review
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