Dark Fantasy Games — Michael CavaciniMichael Cavacini

If you grew up watching VHS copies of The Beastmaster and Conan the Barbarian, or spent hours pouring coins into arcade cabinets like Golden Axe and Magic Sword, indie developer Dormidin Studio and publisher Selecta Play made a game aimed right at your nostalgia cortex.

Barbarian Saga: The Beastmaster isn’t trying to be a delicate, sanitized indie platformer. It is an unapologetic, blood-soaked, sword-and-sorcery 2D Metroidvania that wears its pulpy ’80s and ’90s dark fantasy influences on its leather-clad sleeve.

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If you grew up during the NES era, you likely have a love-hate relationship with “Nintendo Hard” games. You remember the stiff jumps of Castlevania, the frantic pace of Ninja Gaiden, and the rewarding (if brutal) feeling of finally conquering a level after fifty tries.

Lillymo Games’ latest title, Saint Slayer: Spear of Sacrilege, is a blood-soaked love letter to those exact feelings. After spending some time with it on Xbox, I can safely say it’s one of the most authentic—and challenging—retro throwbacks in recent years.