Elsie (2024)

While a few aspects of Elsie don’t quite succeed, the Mega Man X influenced gameplay certainly does. The combat loop of improving your stats and swapping out abilities in a run does a lot to shake up one run from the next. However, the limited scope of its environmental layouts needs work. The biomes are colorful and vibrant, and all look incredible, but the repeated tilesets and transition zones appear far too frequent causing extreme repetition to play out, especially as it can take a while to start to unlock more of the story and see more of what the game is capable of. Elsie has an interesting hook, taking the pixel platformer down the roguelite road; however, with few stops on the way that makes it memorable, or even original, it’s one journey that can unfortunately run out of gas far too soon.

Roguelike diehards will feel right at home in the cyberpunk world of Elsie. Gamers seeking a straightforward platforming experience might find the roguelike mechanics convoluted and confusing with its messy UI. When you have the right upgrades at your disposal and the action is firing on all cylinders, Elsie is hard to put down. However, it feels like a chore to reach that point within every new run.

Nothing in Elsie makes it seem very original. It’s borrowing heavily from games that are decades-old without putting any real spin on any of it. If you just miss Mega Man and want a slightly more modern take on that game, you’ll get that here, but you won’t see anything new.

Despite its steep learning curve and occasional forced endings, Elsie is a fast, frenetic and fun roguelike with plenty of ways to change up your runs. It'll have you running and gunning for hours on end, leaving you eager to jump in for yet another run. If roguelikes are your thing, Elsie is well worth its bargain price.

Elsie is an excellent action roguelike that deserves the attention of any fan of the genre. Its tight controls, flexible gameplay mechanics, and addictive progression system make for a highly enjoyable experience. While it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it executes its familiar formula with enough polish and flair to keep players engaged. The game’s only real drawback is its adherence to the well-trodden path of the action roguelike genre. If you’ve already played your fair share of these games, Elsie might not offer anything new enough to rekindle your enthusiasm. However, if you’re still hungry for more roguelike action, or if this is your first time exploring the genre, Elsie is well worth your time.