THE FUSE

I’m pretty spoiled when it comes to platformers. I grew up on a healthy diet of Mario, Sonic, Sly Cooper, and pretty much every other mascot run-and-jump game you can name, so I’m real particular about whether a platformer’s movement feels good enough to hold my attention. Demon Tides, Fabraz’s sequel to 2021’s Demon Turf, feels like a mash-up of so many good platformers that, thanks to all those years I spent running and jumping, make it fit like a glove. The game’s impeccable movement design seems to draw on the best of what multiple games have done, fusing them all at once to make something that feels weighty, yet still fast and fluid enough that movement feels like a joy, not just a means to an end.