HyperParasite is, to me, a throw back to NES games without being a inspired by any particular game from that era. I don’t know if developer Troglobytes Games intended for this or not, but it makes me enjoy the game more than I otherwise would.
HyperParasite is a top-down rogue-lite that is best played as a twin-stick shooter. Meaning you really want to use a controller to get the most control over your parasitic character. As the name suggestions, you play as a parasite that can occupy the body of any enemy (or host) and use their skills against them. There is a wide varied of enemies and skills. While many may sound similar, such as the ability to shoot a gun or a laser-gun thing, the projectiles act differently. Speed and curvature vary along with appearance. My favorite is the basketball player – so funny.
The reason this reminds me of the NES era is not the art direction or mechanics. It’s the premise. Not only is the whole parasite thing a little like Kirby, but the whole concept of playing a parasite and taking over bodies – it’s just crazy! And I dig it!
The build I played was on Steam in a pre-alpha status. You can support the developer and via Kickstarter. Here are the game’s features as described by the developer.
- A fresh twist on the genre: hop from one host body to another
- 60 Playable Characters to Body-Snatch and utilize their attributes
- Unique retro 3D-pixelated visual style
- Original retro inspired synth-wave soundtrack
- Cast+weapons includes – cops+guns, Werewolves+claws, robots+lasers, aliens and so much more
- Procedurally generated levels that will play differently each time, challenging even the most seasoned of players
- An intense and frantic co-op mode: can the humans handle TWO HyperParasites?