Super Crush K.O. (Game) Review

 

It's hard to judge the value of a game for me. I base a lot of my own experiences around how something emotionally left me feeling. And it's easier to judge that scale when it's strong welled emotion or the absence of it. So it's odd but quite soothing that I can judge Super Crush K.O. as quite lovely, of high quality, of definitely being a fun experience while not really going one way or the other but simply maintaining a satisfying, quite tender content even as I went through it.

Apart from flairs of irritation at myself not quite understanding each interaction and moments where the screen would get filled with things that my brain couldn't parse entirely, I never quite felt apart from once or twice it was truly the game's fault. Some small incidents began to make sense as I realized I had much more manoeuvrability then I initially considered as this side scrolling beat em 'up offers a special meter that allows you to do special moves which increase the traversal of every part of the screen intensely. And when I do it, it's something that makes me feel like I'm powerful even when I make mistakes or realize the moves don't really have invincibility on them, meaning using them without considering a second of cool down or what's happening on screen can cost me health. The only truly confusing/unfair part came toward the end where the rules of giant screen filling lasers, changed for no other reason than 'it's the end' which didn't feel fair.

The story itself is mild and very comic book but it contains quite lovely pastels and also a queer undertone story that only solidifies my desire to see more like me in games; subtle but sweet queer rep over a display of exploding robots and fun game systems truly does hit a mood in me that's very much sinking into the couch and focusing on emotional healing while focusing on something warm but is at its core, a far more welcoming beat 'em up even when it's difficult. I didn't find my time wasted and for the length, it truly was a moment where I felt even in the throes of everything, I could rest.