Magenta Horizon Preview

Magenta Horizon is an intense and fast-paced 2D action platformer that follows the story of Gretel, a reaper who has been trapped in purgatory for the past 200 years. She is freed by Archibald, a wandering soul, and decides to help him find sanctuary while navigating through dangerous paths infested with soul-devouring demons.

The game draws influence from titles like Nioh, DmC: Devil May Cry, and Ninja Gaiden, featuring combat against hordes of enemies using ranged skills and melee attacks. At the start, players can choose from four different difficulty levels:

• Still Alive: designed for players with little experience in platforming action games, this difficulty offers increased damage to enemies and more health. It also includes simpler platforming sections and easier health gauge refills.

• Wandering Soul: geared towards action game players seeking a slightly easier challenge, this difficulty removes fall damage and still provides increased damage to enemies.

• Wraith: the game's default difficulty, recommended for players experienced in this genre. It presents spikes in difficulty and challenges throughout the game.

• Reaper: suggested for the second playthrough, this difficulty unlocks the full arsenal without any tutorials.

There is also an additional difficulty mode that is initially locked, promising an insanely challenging experience. I wasn't able to challenge it and probably won't as I found the Wandering Soul difficulty hard enough!

While exploring Purgatory, players will encounter peculiar question mark-shaped plants that offer assistance; Magenta Horizon advises against skipping these tutorials, as the moves may have unexpected mechanics. Regardless of the difficulty, the game ensures that enemies won't defeat players in one or two shots — instead, it focuses on trading hits, dodging, and crowd control. Upon completing a stage, players receive a rank based on factors, such as completion time, number of deaths, and combo performance. Even a low rank doesn't mean you are bad; it simply indicates that to improve your rank, you have to complete the stage faster, improve your combos, or just don’t die as frequently — that's easier said than done though!

Gretel possesses a wide array of moves to navigate the tunnels and rooms of these hellish caves. Jumping, dashing, double jumping, and using quick or heavy attacks are among her abilities. Some moves serve purposes beyond attacking, such as breaking rock barriers with heavy attacks or using the scythe as a grappling hook. These abilities prove useful in retrieving the multiple-coloured keys required to open Gate Demons and expand the map's playable area.

Magenta Horizon boasts vibrant visuals resembling a living fantasy painting. Players will encounter a diverse range of demons, both large and small, including robotic dodo birds and enemies emerging from the ground or attacking from above. Each room presents a rush of monsters hungry for a quick snack. Despite being stuck in a hellish world, the music in Purgatory is catchy, energetic, and fitting for the non-stop action. Gretel's face remains hidden behind her owl mask, adding to her mysterious character.

The game's story is divided into three acts, with the demo offering the first act and the Early Access version featuring the first and second acts. Players can revisit completed stages to improve their rank or continue their progress from where they left off. Checkpoints are represented by peculiar snail creatures, which also replenish health and stamina bars. However, each snail can only be used once, so it's advisable to save one for challenging boss battles at the end of the stage so your stats are at max.

For fans of fast-paced action platformers with exploration elements, Magenta Horizon is highly recommended. Although the full game is not yet released, the available content offers substantial replayability. To truly challenge yourself, focus on learning combos rather than button-mashing; it may take time to break the habit of immediately attacking upon encountering an enemy, but it's worth the effort!