Platform: Microsoft Windows
Developer: Strange Scaffold
Initial release date: September 10, 2024
Genres: Shooter game, Platform game
Publishers: Strange Scaffold, Frosty Pop
Engine: Unity
One thing I love in an action game is when adversaries are clearly terrified of the player. There’s no macho guy swagger or cheesy boss lines, just fodder who’ve taken on far more than they can handle. The Batman: Arkham games did an excellent job with this, as did the later Halo series. Strange Scaffold’s new lightning-fast FPS I Am Your Beast establishes your character, Harding, as a John Wick-style badass right away and keeps you there throughout the game.
Harding simply wants to be left alone. He is a highly trained agent for the COI who has absconded from service and is attempting to live a peaceful life in the bush until his former employers call. They want Harding to complete one last task and are willing to use any means necessary to lure him in. Maybe the idea is a touch weak, but it’s sturdy enough to support two to three hours of some of the most satisfying first-person combat I’ve experienced in a long time.
I say two to three hours, but that’s only to complete the short, snappy missions with the required A or B-grade. It does not involve attempting flawless runs, completing all bonus objectives, discovering secrets, or playing the extensive list of challenge missions, which are wholly independent entities. Realistically, there are five or six three-hour missions here, but the movement and action feel so amazing that you might not mind repeating missions and going for higher scores.
Harding is a tool of death. He’s the classic legendary murderer, just trying to go along without troubling anyone, but when the agency destroys his home, he vows to murder them all with their own weapons. Of course, it gets a little more creative than that, but the purpose remains.
See, you don’t start many missions armed. There are firearms, knives, bear traps, lumps of wood, and explosives lying around in field tents and camps, but the quickest method to obtain a weapon is to steal it from an enemy’s dying hands. You ascend trees by rushing at them (which are represented by snow-covered branches), and you can move silently and quickly from one tree to the next. Getting the drop on an enemy results in an instant kill. When they die, they will drop whatever weapon they are carrying, which Harding can easily catch.
When you take up the gun, all you have is the ammo inside. After that, pulling the trigger causes Harding to hurl it instead, knocking foes down enabling you to trample on them. The mission timer normally starts after you’re detected or make your first kill, which is when the enemy attack you. More elegant kills will enhance your mission times, so being dexterous pays off, which comes with practice.
As you kill adversaries with headshots or well-thrown knives, they’ll shout to each other, and you get the impression that you’re a mythical figure to them. Of course, the game references Baba Yaga, and you feel like a nightmare creature punishing these morons for their misdeeds. You can set traps, slide tackle foes, or kill two or three at once with a lined-up sniper shot. However, it is very simple to become disoriented during missions, and you will need to think quickly in order to deal with various scenarios.
Each mission is scored based on the manner of kills and speed, but like with any good speed-run game, you can restart at any time, and failure sends you right back to the beginning with no fanfare. Mission objectives differ, but virtually always finish with Harding reaching one of his escape hatches.
In between missions, the narrative and voice performance are outstanding, selling a believable plot and making you care about Harding and the NPCs he interacts to, such as former boss Burkin or Byron, a hesitant soldier sent to murder him who would rather be anywhere else. Despite the visual, it isn’t played for laughs, and I was completely sold after only a few missions of static cutscenes. The story here is deceptively strong, and the voice actor portraying Harding is amazing, imbuing every phrase with utter horror.
Most missions last less than two minutes, but the game runs so smoothly that you won’t mind redoing them. It helps that it looks great, with colorful, chunky visuals and cartoonish surroundings. It also plays pretty well on Steam Deck, making it great for a game to play on the commute or in a waiting area (although maybe keep the volume down, eh?).
I was actually astonished with I Am Your Beast. Like Children of the Sun, it takes a strong core notion and runs with it, without adding unneeded baggage or pomp, to offer a truly unique, moreish experience that you’ll want to revisit simply because it’s enjoyable. Despite some occasional weirdness, I Am Your Beast is a superb first-person shooter that resembles a cross between Superhot and XVIII. Definitely recommended.
Review Overview
Gameplay: 81%
Controls: 79%
Aesthetics: 85%
Content: 78%
Accessibility: 80%
Value: 82%
Overall: 81%
A DARK AND IMMERSIVE TALE WITH BITE!
Summary:
“I Am Your Beast” is a darkly intriguing experience that combines narrative exploration with aspects of horror and mystery. The gameplay strikes a mix between hard decision-making and exploration, keeping players engaged with its unexpected turns. The controls are easy to use, however several interactive sequences might use some modest tweaks. Aesthetically, the game’s eerily gorgeous visuals and music design draw players further into its unsettling universe. Perfect for aficionados of immersive narrative with a dark edge, “I Am Your Beast” is a memorable experience.