Dire Vengeance (2021)

Developer: Magic Shot Games
Genres: Action, Adventure, Indie
Rating: 5.0 of 5, 13 player ratings
Typical playtime: about 1.9 hours
Where to get it: Steam

The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

It feels like a frantic, old-school run through demonic dungeons with hand-drawn visuals and a dark, Lovecraftian atmosphere.

dark fantasyhack and slashatmosphericretrocolorfulaction-adventure2d platformerlovecraftian

What players say

Players say it feels like classic Castlevania with faster mobility and a Gradius-style upgrade system. The difficulty is high, especially with bosses after stage 4, and one hit can reset your upgrades. There is strong praise for the controls, art, and heavy metal soundtrack.

Screenshots

More games like this

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.