Some say if you listen carefully you can hear the sound of your own fear as it creeps over your body. It’s the lump in your throat absorbing the moisture; the goosebumps that raise hairs and heighten the senses. Dread closely accompanies this fear, smothering it like a jealous lover. “Overwhelm” is the term for when you come face to face with this toxic pair; Overwhelm is also the frightfully befitting name of the indie title we are going to discuss.

Looking over the eShop page for this perilous platformer, I was thoroughly impressed with its quality synopsis. Overwhelm is immediately, concisely described as, “Horror-world Exploration”, which is amazingly accurate. In fact, one of the first things you notice when you dive into the hive (and no that is not a euphemism) is the unsettling feeling that washes over you almost instantly. And once it envelops you, it never goes away.

Hello Darkness . . .

You know what? Let me describe my first experience.

The screen is dark, dilating your pupils. It is eerily quiet; subconsciously focusing your attention and hearing. You are greeted with vibrant, red text and deafening feedback when pressing a button to enter the main menu (I literally jumped with headphones on – BTW I HIGHLY recommend playing with headphones on). The menu UI is crisp and responsive. Every move you make feels permanent and decisive, as if it could be your last. I’ve often said something as simple as menu design is a strong indication of overall game quality . . . I was not proven wrong.

Overwhelm is carefully crafted and deceptively nuanced. From the graphics to controls to the sound design, I applaud the details that are incorporated. First of mention – the colors, or rather lack thereof. This indie title incorporates a customizable, monochromatic (or dichromatic) color palette that elegantly dances in contrast. Whether you decide to go with the macabre, classic red and black or another variation, they are all fitting of the environment they portray. This leaves the decision solely down to personal preference. I personally enjoyed the classic look most. However, there was also something alluring in the cold, desolate look of the blue hues as well.

Precisely

The colors are only the tip of the iceberg though. The second element of note are the tight, responsive controls. Every movement from attacks to double jumping are razor sharp in their precision. This is key as many movements and maneuvers are like splitting hairs for the accuracy required in their execution. Whether you are shooting, falcon-punching, or double jumping, every move is on reliant on you; every death results from you too.

Overwhelm plays as a precision-platforming, twin-stick, action shooter. You are a small (relatively speaking) humanoid figure who is introduced to the player riding in on what appears to be a horse. I use the term “introduced” lightly, as you never really learn any information about the protagonist, just how to control them. Your character never says a word throughout the entire game either; but it’s probably because they use their ultra-powerful gun to speak for them! In that sense – speak you will. Hell, you’ll rain down dialogic death and destruction to all who cross your path; and it’s all in the name of purification.

Your purification mission leads you into the infestation of ‘The Hive’. There is an evil embedded within its grotesque depths. The air is stale with death and despair. However, beneath the layers of immorality lie five crystals quiescent in patient anticipation. Your goal in Overwhelm is to recover the five crystals. You do this by destroying each boss that guards it, collecting each crystal, and returning them all to the base. There’s even a choice: gather them one by one, or all at once – it is up to you. Though somewhat foreboding, the task sounds simple enough, right? Well, we all know “simple” tends to get a little complicated.

ANTI-Rogue

Another, and probably the most unique, element I want to speak on is what I’m calling “Anti-Rogue” gameplay. By now we are jaded by the amount of Roguelikes and Rogue-lite formulated games on the Nintendo eShop. Overwhelm takes the suffocating genre and impales it with the devil’s pitchfork, effectively performing an infernal tracheotomy. FINALLY, a breath of fresh air.

Don’t rejoice just yet though. I call it Anti-Rogue because it works like this: every boss you beat (out of the five total) strengthens every enemy around you. YES, SERIOUSLY. As you navigate the depths of crumbling platforms and darkness, you are literally creating more danger. Each boss you defeat will power-up the hive in a specific way (it is referred to as “evolving”). For instance, beating the large, agile twin lizards will give all scorpion enemies (nasty little buggers) the ability to climb! As if they weren’t pesky enough, now there is no obstacle that will hold them back. They’ll claw their way up walls for a chance to dig into your flesh. It’s legitimately frightening.

Death is Waiting

Don’t get me started on frightening. Aside from every single thing I’ve spoken about thus far, by far, the most terrifying aspect of Overwhelm is its incredibly immersive soundscape. The incessant buzzing of killer flies lurking around you is unsettling. The urgent beeping of your gun – nay – your savior, running low on ammunition speeds up your heart rate to an alarming pace. And if you’ve died twice, you’ll be exposed to the most uncomforting sound you’ve ever heard. A deathly screeching in your ears letting you know death (and a reset of your progress) is waiting for you upon your third and final life. You have to experience it for yourself to truly understand.

Along with understanding Overwhelm, you must also know this game is brutally difficult. The options menu literally states that it is incredibly hard, and even impossible, for some. Thankfully the developer understood this and included a myriad of helpful options to assist those in need. Shout out to Ruari O’Sullivan for incorporating both the various options and the Switch exclusive co-op mode!

Get Your Options Here!

Accessibility is great. The player can choose to alter (or match) ‘reaction speed’, opening up the game to those who may not be as quick on the draw. There are also options to turn on unlimited ammo, unlimited lives, or to keep the play screen up upon pressing the start button. Normally upon pressing the start button the screen background changes, and gives the illusions that enemies are near you. This may or may not be the case but is in place solely to add to the anxiety of trying to take a rest! I will admit, I was only able to get through the entire game (after many, many attempts) by utilizing the unlimited lives option. I kept everything else the same but completing the game with three lives is a task that I am not up to at this time.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Overwhelm is an amazing little game with a hand-crafted precision to set the bar for other indie platformers out there. The horror-world that was created is brought to life through the unsettling soundscape and unique boss fights. Your firearm’s limited burst-fire ammo and falcon-punching ability complemented by the one hit death system adds an intense layer of strategy needed beat the game. Containing so many options, it’s hard to argue that this game can’t be picked up anyone and everyone.

My one and only complaint is that the main game of Overwhelm is a bit short once you know what you’re doing and where you’re going. However, I highly recommend beating it to explore the New Game + option that becomes available once you do (and, you know, to experience the AMAZING ending sequence as well). To clarify, and in summation, I also recommend picking up this beautifully terrifying indie game as well; you won’t regret it.

Thank you so much for reading my review! Your time, no matter how short, is appreciated. We have more great content on the way! If you need more now we have a YouTube channel aside from all of the other quality reviews on this site. We also have a community Discord where we discuss games on the daily! If you want to support further consider becoming a Patron here or buying us a coffee here.