Game #65/225

I had played a good bit of VS, probably 10-15 hours, and was hooked on its simple-but-addicting synergy-based gameplay. The mass destruction of hordes of enemies, the ability to quickly put the game down and pick it up, and the massive assortment of unlockables and achievements made the game a blast and I fully intend on going back to it for more. Nonetheless, I started dabbling in some other "survivors-likes," such as 20 Minutes Till Dawn, and had some mixed experiences. Boneraisers, however, is an awesome alternative that scratched the same addicting itch, albeit with seemingly far less replayability, and modifies the gameplay enough where it is distinct from VS and not purely a clone or mere extension on it. First, the outstanding spritework and chiptune music is a pleasure. As a Game Boy Color kid, the style of both the visuals and music brought me a lot of joy. Not only are the tunes nostalgic, they are well arranged and there's a nice variety of mellow, upbeat, and straight up weird songs for which you'll want to raise the volume. The visuals consist of an also wide variety of wacky creatures, demons, mythical creatures, etc. that seems all encompassing of the monsters that could possibly exist. There is also a fusion system built into the gameplay which generates plenty of odd and cool looking creatures.

The gameplay itself is such a success because, while it copies the general gameplay loop from VS, it employs a minion system so that you're creating allies who deal out the damage for you while you focus on dodging. The auto-battling aspect lends itself well to this system, even though you take seemingly very large amounts of damage sometimes when hit. The gameplay is quite punishing in this sense, although there are countless ways to bolster your defenses in a run. The major joy of the game, not unlike Isaac, is unlocking the hundreds of achievements, seeing new items, and realizing how items and creatures interact to build a powerful run. There is clearly a lot of Isaac influence (some items are even referential), and Boneraisers benefits from this influence. The constant rush of picking up bones that translate into level ups, allowing you to choose how you want to increase your power, followed by opening presents and picking up more bones and gems, is simply a dopamine factory. The basic "final boss" can be beaten in about 5 hours of repeating runs, but there is simply way too much else too unlock, plenty of other game modes to play (including a card battler not unlike Final Fantasy IX's), a new game plus, and so much more. Boneraisers is a nice pick up for anyone looking for a little more VS but with a different presentation and some welcome, if slight, variations to the gameplay loop.