The most popular games of all time almost always have great teams behind them. Chrono Trigger brought together some of the best talent Square Enix had available, and now this turn-based role-playing game is rightfully acclaimed as one of his best games of its genre and of all time. I am. But his one of these all-time classics was created entirely by one person. The title in question, “Cave Story,” features some of the best gameplay and presentation the Metroidvania genre has to offer.
“Cave Story” encapsulates the timelessness of early ’90s video game presentation. Every pixelated area feels unique and memorable, making it easier for players to remember details and encourage them to explore their surroundings. Compared to other Metroidvanias, this environment doesn't have much to offer, but exploring them is always fun and rewarding thanks to its appealing visuals and aesthetics. Additionally, retro-style music is catchy, memorable, and sticks in your brain.
The gameplay has also been nicely tweaked. Movement is tight. Players have incredible control over their movements, so tricky jumps and maneuvers to avoid hordes of enemies feel smooth as butter. Combat is a constant back-and-forth between enemies and players, as weapons not only improve in quality the more enemies you kill, but also decrease in quality as the player takes damage. It's a dance of fending off enemies while adapting to the environment and your current weapons, making the most of any situation.
The only major problem Cave Story has is how its extreme difficulty clashes with its other aspects. The problem is not the difficulty itself, but rather the situations that are difficult to avoid without prior knowledge. Players can miss out on the best weapons in the game multiple times, there are a weird number of sections where players can't revisit certain areas, and one-time full heal items can cause him to re-visit on a long hike back to one section. You can get it.
The most egregious examples of this trial-and-error nonsense arise from seemingly innocuous events. In the middle of the game, there is a situation where the player fails to cross the ditch, falls to the bottom, and gets a jetpack that allows him to jump over the pit. This will not only cause you to miss out on the upgraded jetpack, but it will also lead to a bad ending. What you have to do is cross the ditch without a jetpack, which is very difficult. This introduces completely unrelated new items at key points in the plot.
These issues aren't that big of a deal in and of themselves, but they inevitably snowball once players reach the finale. The final boss in Cave Story is challenging even with the best equipment in the game. A great mix of dodging and carefully timed attacks, making him one of the best boss fights in any game. But if you're unlucky enough to have lackluster weaponry, a bad version of a jetpack, and a lack of full recovery, this encounter will go from a great challenge to complete madness.
However, if you can overcome these challenges, you will find that the experience was worth it. In this review, I won't spoil what changes between the bad and good endings. For those who appreciate a tricky yet satisfying challenge, it's a worthwhile experience. Additionally, achieving a good ending will provide players with additional content.
I give Cave Story a 9/10 rating and highly recommend playing it if you like challenging games.
