Should you be as Intrepid as Izzy and play her game?
Intrepid Izzy feels like a mash-up of a number of genres including platforming, beat-em-up and adventure that almost feels Metroidvania in its design. It’s an interesting idea but how does it work blending so many genres into one dish?
The end result ends up working quite well and while there are a few difficulty spikes here and there, the game is rewarding and going back to previous areas with new abilities to progress is always a great feeling for fans of the Metroidvania genre. The platforming itself is pretty standard but functional while combat can be either really easy or brutally difficult depending on the enemy itself. Working out their patterns is essential for victory, but also reaching checkpoints or warp points to the town hub is also critical.
As you go through the game, you’ll collect coins that you can spend in the town hub for items that can restore your health and temporarily make you stronger. There’s also an arcade that has a few cabinets you can play for a coin a turn and they want you to beat the high scores for specific trophies. The game also has a “Zelda-like” method for upgrading your health by collecting 4 specific items and taking them to a store for a new heart piece.
During your adventure, Izzy will get new costumes that give her different abilities which allow you to reach new areas or tackle specific enemies/obstacles. One big issue is that you can’t just switch between them in a menu but you need to find a way to return back to town, go to your house and your wardrobe to switch then work your way back to where you need to go. It’s unnecessarily time-consuming and you end up losing your focus as a result.
To be fair though, it’s the main issue I have with the game. The boss fights can be tough but they are beatable once you work out their pattern and if you have healing/strength items to use. Working out which way to go is a bit of a headache at times but there is a functional map that gives you a rough idea of where you are on each specific area.
The art style is cutesy, the levels all look nice and colourful while being well designed. The load times are very short and I didn’t experience any bugs that hindered me. The soundtrack has a nice retro feel to it while standard sound effects do as well.
The Verdict
Intrepid Izzy is a formidable game with a nice mixture of genres that works surprisingly well. The challenge is there, the gameplay is fun and the only real drawback is having to go back to your wardrobe to swap costumes for abilities. If you like even just one of these genres then you’ll have a blast.