Nefarious

Nefarious is an action platform game developed by StarBlade. The game was funded through a Kickstarter campaign, raising over $50,000, and was released on Steam for Linux, Microsoft Windows and OS X on January 23, 2017. Ports for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One were released in 2018. The game subverts typical video game boss fights by allowing the player to take the role of the boss against archetypical hero characters. The game received mixed reviews from critics and has spawned a sequel webcomic series. Gameplay In Nefarious, the player takes control of Crow, a supervillain who captures princesses to power his doomsday device. Gameplay takes place on a two-dimensional plane; players are able to move from left to right and jump to progress through levels. Crow is able to perform a close-range melee attack and a grenade throw to attack distant enemies; these attacks can be manually aimed independently of Crow's movement. Grenades can also be used to "grenade jump", using their blast to propel Crow higher or across longer distances. Each level contains in-game currency known as Lucre for players to obtain, along with three collectible crowns and a vinyl record, which will unlock music at the in-game jukebox. If Crow's health is depleted, the player will lose some of their accrued Lucre and be forced to restart from the last checkpoint; this Lucre can be regained from a small flying robot that appears around the area where the player died Unlike most other platformers, the player controls the boss and must defeat the heroes in boss fights, many of which take inspiration from classic video game series like Sonic the Hedgehog and Super Mario. The game also features unique gameplay segments, such as a role-playing game boss battle inspired by the Final Fantasy series and a dating sim level. At the end of each level, players receive a letter grade based on their performance. After each level, players will return to Crow's airship, the Sovereign, which acts as a central hub. From there, players can select a level to play from the world map, interact with non-player characters aboard the ship, listen to music at the jukebox, and spend their accrued Lucre to buy upgrades for Crow; these include health meter extensions, additional grenade ammunition, and equippable modifications that add special properties to Crow's attacks. Some levels are hidden and can only be unlocked by achieving specific requirements.