Valfaris (Full Metal Update)

A dying sun casts its last light over a fortress that has returned from nowhere, now swollen with corruption, alien horrors, and enough heavy-metal excess to rattle the hull of a spaceship. Valfaris is a hard-edged 2D action-platformer built around brutal firefights, enormous creatures, and a grim fantasy-meets-science-fiction setting. You play Therion, the armored son of the lost citadel, fighting back through his ruined home to uncover why it vanished and what malignant force has claimed it. The mood is relentlessly savage, but its skull-covered machinery, fountains of gore, and thunderous attitude give the violence a pulpy, energetic charm rather than a dour one.

Combat asks you to balance three weapon slots: a rapid firearm for pressure, a heavier weapon for punishing targets, and a melee blade that can deflect attacks when timed correctly. Levels reward careful exploration with health upgrades, weapon improvements, resurrection idols, and optional paths, while checkpoints make even punishing sections manageable without draining their tension. Enemies attack from multiple angles and bosses demand pattern recognition, positioning, and disciplined use of your shield, so success comes from learning encounters rather than simply spraying bullets. The Full Metal update adds a New Game+ mode that carries your accumulated gear forward into tougher enemy layouts, enhanced boss battles, and the hunt for the new Destroyer-class weapon.

What separates Valfaris from the crowded retro-action field is its commitment to spectacle. Andrew Gilmour’s dense pixel art turns every corridor into a grotesque album cover, packed with biomechanical scenery and strange details, while Curt Victor Bryant’s crushing metal soundtrack keeps momentum high. It has the deliberate challenge and secret hunting of classic run-and-gun platformers, but its defensive sword mechanic gives it more tactical rhythm than a straightforward Contra-style shooter. Fans of Slain: Back From Hell, Blasphemous, or demanding old-school action games should feel immediately at home, while newcomers can still push through thanks to generous checkpoints and satisfying permanent upgrades.