Inmost begins with a warning that the content within can be unsettling for players as it tackles some very difficult issues, so please be wary about that going in. The game is a wonderful 2D puzzle/adventure game that mixes platforming and combat within a dark but meaningful story. At only around four hours long, its perfect for getting through in one or two sessions and it deserves your full attention.
Three’s Allowed
Inmost follows three separate characters with very different playstyles, whom the game jumps between at the end of each level. First, we have an older male figure who is essentially a pixel Nathan Drake. With this character you can climb surfaces freely, jump across gaps and slide under obstacles. He also carries various pieces of equipment throughout the game that can help in certain situations, such as a pickaxe to destroy hard obstacles.
Then, there is a younger female character. She is far less physically capable due to her size so she has to use her wits to find ways around the environment, pushing and pulling objects where they need to be.
Lastly, there is a knight, who is the badass out of the three and can take on the evil beings that he meets face to face. He also has a handy grapple hook, even if what the player can do with it is very limited.
These three playstyles provide a great amount of variation in the gameplay, with perfect pacing that never lets you feel bored of each character. It’s fun to play as each of them, as its just as satisfying solving an elaborate puzzle as it is swinging your sword around.
The little girl has some of the more humorous and emotional parts which really make her parts poignant and impactful.
The Girl, The Man, The Badass
On the surface, Inmost might look like a traditional 2D platformer and for the most part it is! But that would be putting this game into a genre that is already overcrowded and full of mediocre experiences. This however is definitely not that. True, there is platforming, puzzle solving and slaying dark creatures but it all means something. It’s all a part of the bigger picture and that is something quite brilliant. It’s all part of the journey to the climax.
There are secrets everywhere in this game, sometimes even in plain sight. There are many hidden passages to find which may require some elaborate platforming to find or sometimes just a bit of luck jumping at random walls. Either way, it’s enjoyable to go around and discover them and your reward for doing so is lore in the form of a reaper-esque character that tells you tales of the world in exchange for how many collectables you find. I won’t reveal what the collectables are as that is spoiler territory but they’re not your average collectables that’s for sure.
As you flip between characters you are faced with new and increasingly difficult challenges. It’s a game where the player will die a lot but that’s part of the trial and error gameplay. Sometimes it can get frustrating when the solution to a problem doesn’t reveal itself quickly but the game ensures that it’s never too much but getting you straight back to where you failed in seconds.
Team Effort
Sometimes, you will need to combine puzzle solving and platforming into one seamless set of actions that play out like an incredible action set piece. There are a few of these throughout and they’re genuinely tense and will have the player squeezing their Nintendo Switch tightly as they just make it through.
It’s an experience that not many other games in this category can do and it really stands out for those reasons. To go much further into the gameplay would be ruining a fresh experience for the player.
On the flipside, sometimes the platforming can be a little fiddly and will definitely be the cause of some deaths in player’s playthroughs. Though, with the speedy load times and kind checkpoints it’s never too much of a problem.
There are also issues with decreased frame rates at random points which can really slow things down for a little while but they usually fix themselves. Alongside this, the game did freeze on a couple of occasions after returning to the game once the Switch had been in sleep mode, so be wary of that if you leave your Switch on a lot.
What are some of your favourite set pieces in a platformer / action game?
Utmost Beauty
The pixel art style of Inmost is as haunting as it is beautiful. It maintains a gothic tone with it’s grey and bleak settings with only short glimpses into the safe havens of light. There are ruined buildings, violent storms and woods that engulf the backdrop. It really is stunning. Despite the pixel style it’s insane how detailed everything is, with layers of foliage, dirt and rubble all waiting to be waded through.
It’s also animated gorgeously that make everything feel alive. The interactions between physics almost defy the art style. With the pixel art you would think the world might seem flat and empty but it feels the opposite. Running into objects knocks them over, climbing on to weak structures makes them fall and there are numerous ways you can cause destruction and solve puzzles. It’s really quite something.
Then there’s the soundtrack. It has a melancholy to it that fits the tone superbly. There are moments of silence for intense dialogue scenes, slow creepy piano pieces during slower paced sections and then faster and moodier sounds when action kicks in.
The sound effects are surprisingly detailed too. You can hear mechanical objects grinding, the wind sweeping the grounds and every hit that the player takes your dishes out. It combines perfectly and is something that isn’t the norm for a game in this genre but it’s just another reason why it stands out from the pack.
Better Than All The Rest
With a deeply powerful story interwoven into its three protagonists’ excellent gameplay in a bleak and unforgiving world, Inmost is a game that everyone should play. The game doesn’t bring much new to the genre but it does it pretty much better than all those before it. With the niggles of performance aside, it is truly engaging to play.
The only downside with the story is that it gets spoken at the player in the end. This after experiencing everything while being in control throughout makes it a little disappointing having everything forced on to you in one long finale. That being said, it still hits the player in the feels and is a game that should be on everyone’s radar, even if you aren’t a lover of indie games. Bring tissues and play this game.
Have any other favourite games you think we should know about? Let us know in the comments below!
Review copy provided by PR