Vindefiant – ReviewVindefiant is a physics-based action-adventure platformer where you play as the villain. Use your powers to wreak havoc and destruction in this 2D-pixel game from Blakey Games. Let us take a look at a game that takes you on a philosophical delve through the human psyche and gives you an outlet for the frustrations of your day job. Story In Vindefiant, you take up the role of Alyx, a dedicated white-collar worker who lives in relative squalor and gives his all at his job until he gets fired out of the blue. This causes him to unleash an eldritch power that gives him tendrils and the means to take vengeance. With these powers, Alyx goes on a rage-fueled rampage to have his old employer pay for firing him. This path takes Alyx through a variety of environments as his boss flees away and even escapes to a private security compound. Throughout Vindefiant, we learn more about Alyx’s story as he discovers more about himself through this journey of destruction and vengeance. Through conversations with NPCs, the game tackles the moral aspects of Alyx’s murder spree without condemning or glorifying it. Graphics Similar to a lot of other indie games, Vindefiant features a 2D pixel art style. However, this is by no means a bad thing since, despite its pixelated art style, the game’s colors are vibrant and every detail is easily distinguishable from its surroundings. This helps make destroyable walls and other environmental items that are reused in the various levels obvious to see, even when the levels have wildly different color palettes. This simple pixel art style also takes away nothing from the gore that results from ripping apart the bodies of innocent security guards and other salarymen. The art style also does wonders in showcasing the destruction you wreak on your environment, as almost everything can be destroyed in one way or another. Sound Following in the footsteps of the graphics, Vindefiant‘s sound design leaves nothing to be desired. In the same way that every level has its color palette, they all have their own background track. This soundtrack, which reflects Alyx’s mood based on the recent bits of story you encountered, gets joined by the sounds of the environment. You can hear the humming of lasers, switches clicking, the objects you break, and the screams of horrified onlookers as you go on your journey of unhinged destruction. Gameplay The game starts as a simple platformer where you have to jump up and traverse an elevator shaft in the traditional platformer fashion. This immediately puts the game in a similar category to Celeste, causing you to assume that this is the gameplay for the rest of the game. However, as soon as you reach the end of the elevator, all of those preconceived notions get washed away as it becomes obvious this was just the introductory level. Once the real game starts, everything is different: Alyx is now surrounded by a multitude of eldritch Tendrils that suspend him in the air and protect him from fall damage and bullets. These Tendrils allow you to freely climb up walls as long as you have at least one physical anchor point, and they allow you to do a short dash to bridge small gaps. On top of movement, these Tendrils also allow you to interact with your environment. You can flip switches, tear heads from bodies, move around objects, and open doors. Even though these tendrils grant Alyx increased mobility, dexterity, and durability, he is not truly an immortal being. You have to make use of your superior mobility to avoid the various hazards around the levels, such as spikes, hot water, and lasers, to progress further. There are also hazards, such as springs, that actually help you get through the levels by helping you bridge a gap that you cannot simply dash over. While traversing the various buildings and locations, you will also encounter enemies such as businessmen and security officers. Businessmen will simply run away when they see you, while guards will shoot at you with various weapons. The guards will shoot you as long as they still have their guns or all of their limbs. While you will not die from one or two shots, taking continuous fire will kill you. Dying causes you to restart the current room you were in. These fundamentals make up the whole gameplay. You will hunt through the various levels, solving puzzles that are only solvable because of your newfound powers. You’ll be aiming for your old boss while avoiding hazards and annihilating everyone who gets in your way, innocent or not. On top of that, Vindefiant also offers an extra challenge: throughout the levels, purple orbs, or so-called relics, are hidden to be collected. The game shows you the exact number of relics you can collect on each level and indicates which ones you have already found. The only downside to the game is part of its physics engine, because the Tendrils don’t keep you perfectly in place, which means your hitbox can unexpectedly collide with hazards. However, this downside also adds an unexpected difficulty to certain levels, meaning that you cannot always rely on lucky passes. Conclusion Vindefiant is a nice change of pace in the pixel platformers, as playing as the villain is an amazing way to unleash some steam after a long day at work. The vibrant colors and solid sound design make the havoc you wreak even more satisfying, while the game takes a more introspective stance on the morality of those actions. The rug pull at the beginning of the game also makes for a nice surprise. With the optional relics strewn across the levels, the game also provides a convenient way for you to up the difficulty. All in all, Vindefiant is an amazingly fun game that definitely has replay value and sets a great example of how a simple premise and mechanic can make for an entertaining experience.
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