Dear reader, you'll have to excuse me.Īh, deep breath.

So tough I can feel my hands trembling, my pulse quickening, my temples throbbing right now as I recall the salesman's price hike the new enemy placements or the fact that the bosses are a shit-sight harder now than they ever were before. So tough I nearly screamed when I lost ALL of my orbs after running out of lives. So tough I had to get up from my chair, leave my desk and wander into the kitchen for a break when I realised my HP didn't restore itself upon entering a new location.

If you beat it before, developers JoyMasher have just released a 'Veteran Mode' in a free update. If you missed it before, it's well worth a bash. Against the waves of pseudo-old school throwbacks that have spawned over the last few years, Odallus not only captures the late 80s/early 90s ala mode Castlevania-esque aesthetic with aplomb, it backs it up with genuine challenge, solid platforming and thoughtful AI. If you're into bastard-hard 2D retro platformers, you may have enjoyed Odallus: The Dark Call earlier this year.