MURI Demo

Although it’s not technically difficult to design and publish a platformer nowadays, you still need talent to create a good one that’s worth playing. Targeting older gamers is a much safer bet as well, especially if the game in question aims to provide the players with a retro experience. Hence, it’s not enough to throw a few platforms in the game and call it a day, because there are plenty of such games already.

MURI is an arcade platformer with a very ancient vibe about it, since it looks and plays like something you might have enjoyed on MS-DOS at some point. That is the entire purpose, however, since the game even features EGA graphics to appeal to those who remember the technology. However, the gameplay is quite nice as well, at least if you are a fan of hardcore platformers.

The story is pretty simple and to the point, although it features some interesting ideas. As it happens, humanity managed to evolve and expand to Mars sometime in the future, which is when the problems appear. After a few scientists decide to build an ultimate robot with unimaginable power, a war ensues between a variety of factions, which is where your character comes in.

Gameplay-wise, not much is different from a modern platformer, except everything moves a bit slower and it’s more predictable. You have to collect various items that grant you points, energy or special ammunition, jump over obstacles, and shoot as many enemies as you wish. It’s not mandatory to shoot them, but it’s significantly more difficult to navigate the stages when it’s crawling with robots and turrets.

As mentioned before, the graphics are designed to look like EGA, and the artists did a good job. You can practically feel the DOS vibe emanating from the limited color palette, which obviously helps a lot with the atmosphere. The sound effects are great as well, not to mention the basic soundtrack that keeps you company along the way.

In the end, MURI nails it in regards to gameplay, graphics and nostalgia potential. The levels are not as engaging as they could be, on the other hand, and it would seem like the difficulty level is not what you would expect from the genre.