Developer: 18Light Game Limited
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Microsoft Windows
Genres: Indie game, Role-playing video game, Fighting game
Engine: Unity
Publisher: PQube
Initial release date: March 15, 2024
NanoApostle is a boss rush sci-fi game that consists nearly solely of challenging battles with enormous bosses. The game has six boss fights, which will take you between 6 and 8 hours to complete and 10 to 20 hours to platinum, depending on your video game skill level.
The game places us in the shoes of Anita, a young girl who awakens inside a testing lab with a parasite attached to her. Anita and her parasite, Kuro, are put to different experiments and treated as live weapons, facing off against gigantic robots and cyborgs until they die, all for the purpose of combat data.
So, is there anything more to this game? Are the bosses any fun? Is it only for crazy folks who enjoy ultra-hard games? (Yes). Find out the answers to these and other questions in our full NanoApostle review.
It goes without saying that NanoApostle is a demanding game, but it never feels overwhelming or impossible to keep track of. The game is graphically appealing, and fights do not consist of hurling mechanics at the player until they are weary, but rather rely on careful timing and minor differences from monster to boss.
Your first boss encounters are likely to be a carnage, as you gradually learn how to respond to and exploit each boss action. The game forces players to interact with its mechanical systems and will continually test their reflexes and memorization throughout bouts.
Each boss fight has a unique set of objectives, such as completing the boss’ second phase a certain number of times or interacting with the boss’ attacks in specific ways, as well as a few “perfect” run requirements, such as avoiding certain mechanics or clearing the fight without taking any damage.
NanoApostle’s combat is extremely simple: the player has a melee attack, a ranged shot that may be charged, and a dodge. The game makes extensive use of these three elements, with each boss introducing new features and power-ups that can alter how you approach future battles.
Every new fight in NanoApostle is an escalation of the previous one, visually and conceptually distinct but progressively demanding of your basic game knowledge, leaving less opportunity for error.
Every single element in the game is instantly recognized and understood, resulting in a fast-paced experience where mechanical execution is everything. There are subtle visual cues for assaults that can be parried, and each attack feels perfectly timed to allow you just enough time to react.
Your moveset and talents evolve with each fight, and each encounter introduces and tests a new mechanic. The clearest illustration of this is the game’s third boss, who has an entire health bar of armor above his regular health, forcing the player to employ charge attacks in a variety of ways to get through.
Kuro’s moveset may be modest, but it is enhanced by the number of assaults of opportunity the player receives when confronting bosses, thus extending your own. Every new mechanic introduced affects older bosses, making it extremely interesting to replay previous bouts and see how many varied interactions your attacks can have.
It feels amazing to take down previous employers with your new tools and knowledge, making what was once a tremendous challenge seem trivial. The upgrades and new talents you acquire are important, but the most important layer of meta growth in NanoApostle is your combat knowledge.
Visually, NanoApostle scratches a very distinct itch, whereas Kuro is a mass of Tokyo Ghoul-style tentacles that envelop Anita in a protective manner. He’s not as stunning during combat due to Anita’s small stature, and you’ll probably never glance at your character during combat because focusing on the boss is more important, but he still looks fairly fantastic in the game’s art.
The bosses all look amazing during their battles and have extremely expressive motions. Not only do their designs look excellent, but their animations are easy to interpret without losing flair.
Every boss has an instantly recognizable motif, and their fights are all quite diverse. The fourth boss is a particularly entertaining fight since he disrupts the game’s rhythm of sci-fi-themed enemies by appearing completely supernatural.
Overall, NanoApostle is possibly one of the best boss rush games available. The game properly balances its difficult encounters by providing the player with tools, and platinuming it was a lot of fun. Needless to say, we need a sequel as soon as possible.
It’s almost impossible to express how remarkable it is when a game manages to get 200% out of its mechanics in a way that feels so satisfying from start to finish. NanoApostle is a boss encounter masterclass, since each fight you replay reveals a new way for a boss’s attacks to connect with yours.
The game’s final fight may be a little overtuned if you’re attempting a no-hit run, which is a platinum requirement, but given how NanoApostle receives balancing patches almost daily, this could be changed in the future. The amount of effort put into the game after its release is admirable, and it demonstrates that the 18Light Game team is not wasting time.
Review Overview
Gameplay: 86%
Controls: 83%
Aesthetics: 84%
Content: 80%
Accessibility: 77%
Value: 82%
Overall: 82%
CHALLENGING & INTENSE!
Summary:
“NanoApostle: Difficult Boss Rushes!” is an exciting, high-stakes adventure designed specifically for players who enjoy intense boss encounters and precision gameplay. The gameplay is mainly based on reflex and strategy, with each boss presenting distinct and hard patterns. The controls are crisp and quick, although the learning curve can be severe, particularly for beginners. Aesthetically, the game creates a slick sci-fi environment that compliments the furious confrontations. While the material is confined to boss-rush mode, it’s a gratifying experience for those looking for a challenging, skill-based game that tests patience and precision.