NanoApostle [Review]
Boss rush game NanoApostle is a slick and challenging gauntlet for skilled players.
NanoApostle. Credit: 18Light Game / PQube
Blazing fast and punishingly difficult, NanoApostle is a dark sci-fi boss rush action game from 18Light Game and PQube. Play as Anita, a young girl—and experimental bioweapon—augmented with lethal nanomachines she has named Kuro, battling against other bioweapons in a secret facility as she tries to escape.
NanoApostle is played in top-down 2D. Anita can run, dodge, parry, slash, and fire a viral canon. She can store up to three shots in the canon, powered up by slashing enemies. Landing a shot on an enemy infects them; land enough hits afterward, and the infection will heal you for a small amount of HP.
NanoApostle. Credit: 18Light Game / PQube
Parrying is key. Not only does it negate damage against you, but it can also open up the enemy's “destruction point,” which you can slash to open them up to a devastating grapple attack. The most effective combat strategy is to nimbly dodge and parry as many attacks as possible and watch for opportunities to land one of these devastating attacks. It’s easier said than done—the timing window is very tight.
The boss battles are demanding, to say the least. In the several hours I spent playing, I could only defeat the first one and nearly kill the second. Both were totally unique and required different strategies; I’m eager to see what the game will throw at me next. Defeating a boss lets you fight the next one, but you can earn skill points even without winning by meeting specific goals throughout your fight against each. For example, reaching the first boss’s second phase three times will earn you a skill point. This design choice made me feel like I was progressing, even if I was hitting a wall against the boss.
NanoApostle. Credit: 18Light Game / PQube
The game is centered on boss fights, but there are also training challenges that have you traverse obstacle courses or kill waves of smaller enemies on a timer. These provide a nice break and are an excellent way to earn more skill points.
You can use skill points to buy perks you can equip. At the start of the game, you can only equip two, but more slots will open up. Perks can boost your abilities, sometimes at a small cost, and are essential to success in the game.
NanoApostle. Credit: 18Light Game / PQube
The game has impressive 2D pixel art graphics, with beautiful, glowing particle effects for attacks and projectiles. Attack animations are stylish, with clear areas of impact that make dodging and parrying feel fair. When you win, NanoApostle rewards you with a gruesome animation of Anita’s nanomachine robot, Kuro, dismembering the boss.
I’m enjoying my time with NanoApostle. It feels great to play, and I can tell that the bosses aren’t unfairly difficult; they’re just going to take some careful observation and patience to best. The last boss rush game I enjoyed this much was *Titan Souls,* and it’s been too long since it was released. NanoApostle is a worthy successor.
NanoApostle is available now for PC (Steam) and Nintendo Switch.
Overall Score: 8/10
Played on: Steam Deck
