There are many reasons a game might catch your interest. The gameplay is the most obvious one. Or maybe it’s made by people whose previous work you’ve enjoyed. One of the sillier reasons that I keep finding myself be convinced by is that the vibes are just right. What does that mean? I’m not entirely sure, but you know it when you see it. And when I saw the new 2D horror boss rush game Perennial Order from developers Gardenfiend Games and publisher SOEDESCO, I could tell that the vibes were just right. Unfortunately, this has now forced me to face the fact that this whole vibes thing might be an imperfect method of judgment. Who would’ve thought?
But let’s start with the positives, because yes, even in my disappointment and frustration with Perennial Order, I can’t deny the vibes. It takes place in a world overtaken by a mysterious plague that has turned everything into nature-infested eldritch horrors. You yourself are an undying knight grafted together out of flesh, plants, and metal who has been created by a higher power alongside other knights like you who all receive telepathic commands to slay a dozen or so powerful enemies. It combines a few different kinds of horror I adore: lovecraftian horror, body horror, plant-based horror, even some gothic horror. On paper, this should be 100% my thing, and, well… it is! I absolutely adore this very unique dark fantasy world they have created here. Every time I entered a new area or fought a new boss, I was in awe of their design, and the oppressive atmosphere is never dropped for even a second.
Naturally, this is in large part due to the fantastic art direction Perennial Order is showcasing in its visual design. The classic painterly 2D art style creates murky images that are stunning in their grotesqueness, and the 2D spine animation that, as I find, can sometimes feel a little cheap in other games works perfectly here, making characters feel like marionettes controlled by a higher, cosmic power. Unfortunately for how exceptional the visual presentation is, the score has very little beyond the generic dark fantasy fair to offer, and I could hardly identify it if you made me listen to them with a blindfold on. Still, if we’re just talking about the design of this new world, then I can’t praise Perennial Order highly enough.
But we do need to talk about the gameplay at some point, and that’s where it all falls apart for me. As mentioned before, Perennial Order is a boss rush game. While there is an overworld that you run around in with a few traps you might have to outmaneuver or simple platforming challenges, as well as NPCs that you can (and should) talk to, you’ll be spending 90% of your time in this game fighting bosses. Too bad many of the bosses just suck. Maybe the biggest problem I have with many of them is that it doesn’t feel like they were designed to be fought in a game with instakill. Because yes, did I mention yet that any damage in Perennial Order will instantly kill you?
Most of the bosses are gimmick bosses, but some of these gimmicks just don’t feel like they could ever properly work with instakill. Take, for example, one boss whose gimmick is parrying. The only way you can damage him is by parrying his attacks, meaning you have to let yourself be hit by him and trust that you can react in time for the parry. And you have to be able to do that with 100% consistency because if you mess it up a single time, you’re dead. This boss fight is also the first time parrying as a mechanic is introduced into the game, by the way.
Another boss fight that stood out is one designed around chess. You fight on a chess board and have to dodge the different pieces while attacking the king. At first this is actually a very fun boss fight with a cool gimmick, but they just push it too far. For whatever reason, this fight has almost 10 phases where you have to do the same thing over and over but with a few more pieces every time. By the final phase, you have to dodge 16 enemies at the same time, which is hard enough as is but becomes incredibly frustrating when you’re instakilled the moment any of them touch you.
Frustration is really the key word to sum up my experience with Perennial Order. Many boss fights feel like the worst version of trial and error, as you smash your head against the wall for hours on end, only to be rewarded with another boss fight that will drive you mad. I will mention that while I was only able to play it solo, there is a two-player mode that might improve the experience ever so slightly. Or maybe you just think you’re better than me, in which case feel free to give it a try. I adore the world that was created here so much, but I would be lying if I pretended I felt much enjoyment while actually playing it. For a boss rush game, many of Perennial Order’s bosses are unfortunately not very well designed, which makes the whole game fall in on itself.
Nairon played Perennial Order on PC with a review code.
I think this is a really harsh review. The game doesn’t deserve 4/10. For you maybe the frustrating elements were the bosses, I agree the Grandmaster one was a pain in the ass, however, this game doesn’t waste your time walking back to the them and once you learn their patterns, things definitely are easier. For me the game was not that punishing and you are able to experiment with skills, so it definitely not as bad as you’re saying. It was a solid multiplayer experience as well, and for only 20€ it’s a real steal for me.