Overall, players have found 'The Messenger' to be an extremely enjoyable experience, praising its humor, movement mechanics, and retro aesthetic. However, a notable number of reviews express dissatisfaction with the game's transition to the metroidvania style, along with frustration over level design and difficulty spikes. There is a general tendency toward positive sentiments, although some players did have mixed feelings about certain elements of gameplay.
The Messenger begins as a straight, linear ninja platformer, a loving homage to 8-bit action games, then pulls a structural rug: partway through it becomes a full metroidvania, opening its world for backtracking and time travel between 8-bit and 16-bit versions of the same map. That reinvention is its hook and, for some players, its stumble. Player reviews single out the sharp writing, the standout soundtrack and the tight platforming, while the recurring complaint is that the shift into open-ended exploration feels abrupt and the later backtracking drags. It is one of the wittiest games on this list and a strong value pick. For players who want a metroidvania with a comic streak and a genuinely surprising structure, it rewards sticking past the transition.
Single Player Only
Overall, players have found 'The Messenger' to be an extremely enjoyable experience, praising its humor, movement mechanics, and retro aesthetic. However, a notable number of reviews express dissatisfaction with the game's transition to the metroidvania style, along with frustration over level design and difficulty spikes. There is a general tendency toward positive sentiments, although some players did have mixed feelings about certain elements of gameplay.
Based on 100 reviews from steam
