There's very little downtime in Boomerang X, the debut first-person action game from developer DANG! and noted publisher Devolver Digital. Each new arena provides more rounds of enemies to slice and fewer platforms to land on. New kinds of shadowy creatures swarm from every direction, each requiring precision to dispatch. Alone, they're manageable. Together, they demand precision and patience. It's impressive how daunting each new round seems and how natural it can be to learn the ropes after a few deaths. While the difficulty spikes may intimidate some, the stylized presentation and chaotic action combine to form an irresistible gameplay experience.
The action in Boomerang X revolves solely around the boomerang players find as the game begins. When thrown, the weapon dashes ahead and returns just as quickly. Anything unlucky enough to stand in its way splits in two as it slices through the air. Eventually, players gain the ability to leap towards the boomerang as it flies, giving them enough hangtime to navigate each new pit like a bird surveilling prey. Slicing multiple creatures at once or while staying in the air grants super moves to use against the toughest foes, but it all comes down to split-second timing. In Boomerang X's best moments, players pinball through the air amid the remains of a dozen shadowy creatures, all while gravity tries in vain to wrestle back control.
Part of what makes Boomerang X so satisfying is its focused build to a final challenge. It's a typical setup for classic arcade action games, but Boomerang X really sands off the edges to deliver a pure dose of uninhibited gameplay. Outside of a few touching moments with a friendly centipede, the stripped-down storytelling is subtle and conveyed more as a mood than lengthy exposition. Every few stages, players gain a new way to attack or move that they need to immediately master in order to tackle the challenges ahead. Strategies that worked just 20 minutes ago against a horde of spiders are no good when faced with freshly spawned beholders and their deadly laser beams.
It's trial and error in the best ways, with a slow burn of accomplishment that leads to much-needed mastery. While a player may conquer the game in just two or three hours, others could hit brick walls on the way to the top. There are definite difficulty spikes throughout the campaign, especially once the game expects players to spend more time in the air than on the ground. However, there are accessibility options for anyone that truly gets stuck, and even the most daunting challenge never becomes insurmountable.
Even if a single level takes countless tries to conquer, there are worse games to get stuck in. Boomerang X's vivid presentation is engrossing. This stunning world looks like a modern-day reinterpretation of Okami by way of Samurai Jack. Colors pop off every environment early on before morphing into oppressive shades of grey. Deep black shadows pulse around every enemy, threatening to engulf the player if they're not careful.
From the moment that Boomerang X's demo hit Steam, it was possible that DANG! and Devlover had a hit brewing, and the full experience delivers on that promise. No occasional difficulty spikes can get in the way of this exciting mixture of retro FPS movement and stylish action, and Boomerang X will likely remain a contender for one of 2021's best indie titles throughout the rest of the calendar year.
Boomerang X is available now on PC and Nintendo Switch. Screen Rant received a PC copy of the game for the purposes of this review.