Metroidvania. Phobia. Psychedelia. Fearmonium on Xbox, PlayStation and Switch comes with more than just the single twist.
Available right now as the latest to launch from the Ratalaika Games team is Fearmonium. It drops onto Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, fully optimised for those current-gen consoles. And to round things out, Fearmonium is on PlayStation and Nintendo Switch too.
In Fearmonium you’ll be found battling some inner-demons, all as you try and help a young boy, Max, cope after losing his grandfather. When his mother and father are all but gone, it was his grandfather who was the only one who really knew Max.
Playing out as an abstract horror affair, building in psychological ideas and the strangest of visuals, Fearmonium is certainly one that looks to up the usual weekly Ratalaika Games release board. And seeing as the whole thing – the design, graphics, codeing and more – has all been done by one person, Slava Gris, it is all the more remarkable. Perhaps it’s the master’s in psychology that has allowed Gris to put this one together.
Fearmonium is a pretty lenghty affair too. In fact, you can expect to have to put in some fifteen hours or so in order to beat what is in place here. But with a huge map to work though, plenty of clues, even more combo-based battles and some frame-by-frame animations, it’s a game that is highly intriguing.
Key features
- Animated made frame-by-frame.
- 15-17 hours to beat the game.
- Huge map of Max’s consciousness, woven from abstract images and half-forgotten memories.
- Memorable enemies, whose images reflect what Max saw in the real world.
- Clues from Lady Depression.
- Battles with combo attacks and a variety of unique abilities.
- The answer to the question: does a phobia always cause irreparable harm, or can its presence change life for better?
The dev speaks
Slava Gris, the man behind Fearmonium, was on hand to briefly explain two of the game’s sections/settings.
“First section is Max’s memory of a city fair. Our enemies are his bright memories about this day – some artists and magicians he liked. However, on the same day Max saw a puppet show and a pupaphobia (phobia of dolls) began to grow in his mind. Pupaphobia is the first boss.”
“Fourth section is the school itself, we face three guys who messed with Max’s mind into one huge monster. Phobia should be more scary than an objective fear. We beat these guys and a cutscene shows that Max stops being afraid of these bullies and tries to punch them back. It helps him to gain self-respect.”
Buy and play Fearmonium on Xbox now!
You can find Fearmonium on the Xbox Store as we speak for £10.74. It’s playable on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, whilst also on PlayStation and Switch.
Stick around for our review.
Fearmonium on Xbox Game Description
Fearmonium is a psychedelic metroidvania with an expressive aesthetic where suspense joins together with humor. You play as a phobia growing inside the confused mind of a teenage boy named Max. Discover a nightmarish world of his consciousness to explore. Get ready for a psychological world teeming with 2D platform exploration, memorable enemies, unique abilities, and incredible hand-drawn art. Fearmonium poses the important question of whether fear always causes irreparable harm, or whether phobia can change life for the better.
