Infernax review — The angel on one side, the devil the other

Games usually don’t ape Castlevania 2. Despite being the first literal example of the “Metroidvania” (i.e. the Metroid-inspired Castlevania games to purists as opposed to the “any game that has item and ability gating” that non-purists constantly refer to), folks tend to shy away from paying tribute to the troubled milestone game. Infernax goes all in, doing its best to evoke that game’s design and structure, although it’s honestly a better game by a fair margin. It doesn’t take long to beat, but it has a surprising amount of replay value, a good amount of depth, and plenty of entertaining gameplay. It has its frustrations, but Infernax is something fans of ’80s action platformers simply need to play. Infernax drops you into the shoes of the Duke of Upel, Alcedor, who sets out to the region after it’s been assaulted by a wave of demonic undead, courtesy of a rampaging cult. An ominous cathedral lies in wait, locked by five …