There’s absolutely no denying that the Mega Man franchise has left its mark on gaming, and even though new games in that series are few and far nowadays, its followers have certainly picked up the mantle in some very clever fashion. Elsie by developer Knight Shift Games is the latest to try and shake up the established norms and in that it certainly succeeds.
Much like Mega Man and Mega Man X, in Elsie you play as a young cyborg designed by a scientist whose other creations have run amok. Innocent looking but certainly not weak, Elsie has the distinct advantage of being able to change her powers with each new run she attempts, as she explores all the different sections of the game. There are no boss powers to be borrowed, however, so Elsie has to rely on her wits and speed in order to survive.
Gameplay-wise, Elsie dabbles the line between your usual roguelite and a quicker, more streamlined platformer, resulting in a game that’s VERY fast to get through and repeat runs in. But due to the low number of level variations, it’s quick to get repetitive, especially with bosses that carry over patterns that feel pretty much the same regardless of who you are fighting.
Still, even with these issues, there’s quite a bit to enjoy in the game as it’s chock full of references and charming visuals, all playing homage to the clear inspirations that obviously went into the making of it, not only in the way that it plays but the whole premise behind your adventure. Elsie is downright adorable, carrying the same personable plucky hero idea that has made Mega Man such an iconic character.
Considering the nature of a roguelite and its inherent trial and error way of design, Elsie does a decent job spicing things up with its power-ups, which you can buy access to after discovering their blueprints by defeating enemies, as well as rescuing folks you’ll run across that will offer up a variety of cool little bonuses. Like the cook and their nutritious health-buffing meals and the lab, where you can unlock permanent passive skills that remain even if you die between runs.
In terms of accessibility options, the game is full of toggles that can be used to make it even more playable for those with visual and movement impairments, including an invincibility mode for those simply looking to button mash their way through Elsie, as well as a number of color-blindness options. These are important additions that have thankfully been made more and more present in gaming as of late, and for a fast-paced platformer such as this, even if not the hardest of the bunch, it’s surely a welcome addition, helping garner it to more players out there.
Elsie is the type of game that you’ll easily get the hang of and master in a matter of minutes, which is exactly what it seems the developers had in mind when making it very speedrun and muscle memory friendly. While I don’t think it has a lot of staying power due to the lack of variety when it comes to levels and enemies, what it does have on offer makes for a decent way showing off your gaming prowess without much sweat, as well as a feast for the eyes, which are always good things in my book.
