Can you become the ultimate phobia?
Fearmonium is a psychedelic metroidvania where suspense intertwines with humour. Beginning the game as an unpleasant memory, you must progress and become a true phobia by breaking through all boundaries to uncover the most hidden corners of Max’s mind.
Fearmonium is a Metroidvania style game with an art style that looks familiar to Cuphead. Luckily, the difficulty isn’t in the same level as that, but it still does have its challenging moments. As you would expect, you’ll get new abilities and have to a level of backtracking in true Metroidvania style.
The story is that you are begin as a memory in someone’s head that has to become a full phobia with the help of Lady Depression. You even have to defeat the poor guy’s defence mechanisms like comfort. It’s a decent story and when you consider that the entire game is made by one single person, it’s very well done.
The controls are easy to get to grips with but can be a little clunky at times. Nothing too game breaking here though, so you shouldn’t have too many issues. The Cuphead-esque visuals are superb and is a real treat on the eyes. The game has a nice sense of humour while still adding in a good level of suspense, while maintaining the core Metroidvania fundamentals.
The soundtrack is also very impressive with some great tunes, especially during the memorable boss battles. The framerate is mostly consistent but does have a few drops here and there. I didn’t come across any bugs during my playthrough. The game is also a PS4/PS5 title so there’s a double Platinum trophy up for grabs for just £9.99.
The Verdict
While it doesn’t reinvent the Metroidvania genre, Fearmonium provides an impressive experience with its great story, memorable bosses, amazing art style and a killer soundtrack. For a tenner, you can’t go far wrong here.