FELIX THE REAPER Review for Nintendo Switch

Yours is a love tale that would rival Romeo’s and Juliet’s. Bound to each other as if some supernatural force connected you, together you move in tandem so fluidly, perhaps you even share minds. Your entire world is her, and hers is you; the other’s presence amplifies every moment.

But, oh, the cruelty of it all. You are two sides of the same coin, destined to never see each other due to some twisted fate. For you dwell with those that have perished, while your lover resides with those that can still breathe.

Would you not do anything for a love such as this? Would you not try your hardest just to catch a glimpse of your beloved?

Herein lies Felix’s problem in Felix the Reaper by publisher Daedalic Entertainment and independent developer, Kong Orange. As a member of the Ministry of Death, he longs simply to see his Betty who works in the Ministry of Life. He discovered a way to travel up and away into the World of the Living: by becoming a Reaper, or one that manipulates the world into finishing the life of those whose sentence has been written. Not the most common motivation, but at least his is purer than others.

Felix the Reaper is a romantic comedy, puzzle game about a quirky creature who has good intentions that result in the death of many on earth. But hey, if he wasn’t going to do it, someone else would have! No hard feelings.

In many different scenarios, Felix navigates the mortal realm to manipulate objects after freezing time around him in a sequence that eventually results in someone dying. However, being a part of the Ministry of Death means he cannot step outside of the shadows. By hiding around trees, moving barrels, and dancing his heart out, you must find a way for Felix to accomplish his tasks so he can finally see Betty again.

You enter the same sequence many times, each with a different scenario. After you accomplish your tasks and time starts back up, the real world plays out, and you can see just how Felix has changed someone’s fate. To the mortal, it seems like just bad luck, but we know better…

The graphics of Felix the Reaper are pleasantly very nice, with Felix’s smooth moves always keeping the mood upbeat and light even with the grim task he has at hand. He leaps from square to square, his music keeping his eyes on the prize: Betty. Keeping Felix from the shadows proves to be difficult at times. The beginning puzzles were a breeze, but as you move forward in Felix the Reaper, you realize how much you need to interact with the world around you, and place objects to block the sun strategically. Some mind-bending and stretching is absolutely necessary!

Features continue to be added in Felix the Reaper as you move along; you get to lift objects, and even see how the sun will shift before you change its actual angle. That only helps so much, however, so if you are really struggling, there is an option that will give you a hint as to what your next move should be. It is always more fun to figure it out for yourself, however, as you also get ranked on how well you completed the level, on statistics such as time, number of sun shifts, how many times you got stuck in the sun, and more.

The narrator (or Felix’s instructor) is very humorous. Although not explicitly an adult game, there are adult aspects and jokes in Felix the Reaper that are entertaining and liven up the scenes Felix is trying to cause mayhem in.

A charming premise with a simple but elegant execution, Felix the Reaper is a good puzzler to sit around and laugh at while exercising the brain.

End score: 8/10

Check Out FELIX THE REAPER Behind-the-Scenes Video:

Felix The Reaper starts his swift dance on October 17 on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Windows PC and Mac via Steam and GOG.com. The title is also available as part of Xbox Game Pass.

For more information, visit https://www.felixthereaper.com/.