Review by Yellow Monkey August 18, 2009

A quality action-platformer, Assassin Blue is an experience worth a playthrough if only for its boss battles and story.

In Assassin Blue you take control of the eponymous Blue, a swordmaster styled in the fashion of Zorro. As Blue, you fight your way through four distinct areas, which are all structured in a way that guides Blue through a couple of levels filled with enemies in pursuit of the assassination target. The traditional platform levels are decent and offer a fair amount of exploration (an activity encouraged by targets which unlock extras) but are stifled by simple, boring, and easy enemies. The common lackeys which populate the levels tend to only superficially react to the player’s actions and are never a real challenge. Despite the ease in destroying the various enemies, the levels are rife with powerups which fully recover health, making bottomless pits the most deadly enemy in the game.

However, the lackluster quality in the normal levels is more than made up for in the stellar boss battles. Each battle is distinct, and every boss comprises of several different stages where they slowly gain more powerful attacks. They’re fun to battle and require careful timing and reflexes to defeat. Most bosses are also accompanied by a quick time event sequence, which helps to enhance the cinematic quality of the game. The game is worth almost worth downloading for the boss battles alone.

The presentation is remarkably solid, and the graphics and sounds come together to form a cohesive experience. Smooth animations, small details, and clever puzzles create a polished experience which shows the large amount of attention spent to creating every aspect of the game. The plot in particular, despite being somewhat predictable and cliché, still manages to be more sophisticated than the great majority of games produced using Game Maker. The music on the other hand tends to not be memorable, but it is perfectly functional.

Even though the game is short and offers little replay value, it is still worth the download for the engaging story and well-made boss fights. Give it a try if you have some extra time on your hands.

The Creator Said:
A swordfighting platforming game with a unique visual style. 12 Levels, cool unlockables, crazy boss fights.