Haunted by your past.
Recently, there has been a surge in local multiplayer party games releasing for both PC and the new systems. While they offer some fun with some friends on the couch, they usually offer little to no content for the single player people out there. Then comes Extreme Exorcism. While a fun game with multiple players, this arena party game still offers a lot for the solo player as well.
Extreme Exorcism is a 2D arena-based fighting platforming game (that’s a mouthful) where players take on the role of multiple ghost hunters fighting off spirits with guns, knives, rocket launchers, and any other kind of weapon they can find. It starts off simple with only one enemy to take down, but in later rounds more ghosts come into the fray. There’s a trick to the game play – when killing the king ghost, the next round begins. A new ghost is added to the overall enemies that mimics the winning player’s movements and attack from the previous round. When that one is killed, it shows up in the next round as well, with the newest ghost mimicking the round before. So when playing well, I would end up with tons of ghosts redoing what I had did in previous rounds, so I had to be careful not to get killed by a ghost doing the same thing I did before. It can get really hectic.
MSRP: $12.99
Price I’d pay: $12.99
Platforms: XB1, PS4, PC, Wii U
Mimicking ghosts.
There are a large variety of weapons players can pick up: simple pistols, shotguns, swords, throwing knives, a death staff that leaves behind an area that kills whoever touches it, and the ultimate attack – the exorcism wings. Depending on what I used the last round, the ghost would also be equipped with what I had, so if I shot a machine gun in the last round I now have a ghost attacking me with a machine gun in the next round.
The platforming is tight and controls really well. There is a double jump for those who want to reach higher places or get out of the way of attacks. The simple control scheme works well with the game and allows for a more strategic style of play when it comes to taking out the ghosts.
Hey, an actual single player.
Now, while this game is pretty fun with friends, there is a robust single player in both a small campaign that allows players to unlock more maps as well as complete challenges with specific goals or limitations involved. Some are pretty hardcore and took me some time to actually finish.
While a fun game overall, there are a few issues I had. Many times, after only a few rounds, I would have some many characters on screen I would lose track of my own character. It was a combination of the camera being so far back and the number of enemies on screen. I feel bad for the players playing as the green character, since the ghosts give off a green hue. That one is a bit much. As with all these local only multiplayer games, I feel this could have been an even better package with online play added in, but alas, not this time.
Unlike many other “party” games of this type, I actually enjoyed Extreme Exorcism much more that others in the genre, partially due to the fact that the single player content was well done and actually fun to play. It’s a hectic game that can get overwhelming at times, but still a lot of fun when taking out multiple ghosts with a well placed shot. Get tighter with some friends and you’ll have even more fun in an even more hectic manner. Extreme Exorcism is one of the few games in this genre that I would suggest people try out.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
