Princess Remedy in a World of Hurt

Videos games are pretty straightforward when it comes to how characters improve their skills and abilities: by killing evil people or monsters. That seems to be the only way one can learn anything, although tomes and scrolls do a pretty good job as well. Undertale tried something different a while ago and people absolutely loved it, which means that combat is not always the answer.

Princess Remedy in a World of Hurt is an 8-bit adventure game played from a top-down perspective, in which you have to heal enemies instead of killing them. Granted, the gameplay feels very similar to a hack & slash, but the underlying idea is that you are not actually hurting anyone. Other than that, it’s just a cute little adventure through a magical land.

Story-wise, you play the role of a girl by the name of Remedy who’s a fresh graduate from a prestigious healing school. In short, Remedy must gain experience and improve her abilities by descending into the Hurtland, the place where sick people and creatures are living. The main plot revolves reaching and healing Prince Hingst, a very important and powerful man.

The combat system is quite alert and demanding, given the fact that you must target down a multitude of targets as quickly as possible. It actually feels a lot like a shoot ‘em up, although with fewer aliens and lasers. You need good reflexes to avoid some of the attacks, and some fights are tough enough to require multiple attempts. There are multiple difficulty levels to choose from as well.

As mentioned before, the game uses 8-bit graphics to render the world, which should hit home with older gamers. On the other hand, younger players may find the lack of color depth annoying, especially if they are not used to the genre. To make things harder, you only need to use one button to perform every action except walking, which is a bit disorienting sometimes.

Princess Remedy in a World of Hurt may not be the most complicated adventure game out there, but it’s definitely a pretty original one. Hence, if you are in the mood for something interesting and challenging, this is a good option to go for.