Studio MDHR’s Cuphead was an absolute inspiration, and came along at just the right time to keep the indie gaming scene running beautifully. But it also showed a number of up-and-comers the best way to go with a run-and-gun design these days, though obviously the artwork and music are on a completely different level.

That’s when the small team at Xixo Games Studio decided to try the formula themselves with Enchanted Portals, a game that tries to run in a different direction with the Cuphead formula. While the intentions are good, however, that direction isn’t necessarily up for the entire game.

It’s a Wizard’s World

The game follows two young wizards who accidentally let a magic book run loose through a series of portals, taking them across many eras until they can reach a final showdown. It’s an elaborate set-up for various stage designs, including a weird battle with a cow in outer space and a three-headed dog that has more danger in its bark than its bite.

To say this game is weird is an understatement, as the team at Xixo decided to get creative with its boss battles. On one end, it pays off, with impeccable designs and some interesting multi-stage events, so you always keep on your toes. That said, it leaves the difficulty way too high in some cases – even higher than Cuphead, believe it or not.

And the gameplay? Sadly, it just doesn’t come together like it should. While the controls are responsive, they’re also problematic at times, particularly with your double jump and dash. Due to the inability to avoid some shots, you get hit multiple times. Even with a multi-hit meter that’s higher than Cuphead’s, you’ll still lose quickly if you aren’t careful.

It does help there are three different firing types to choose from, but it can be difficult to switch between them when you’re being battered by enemies – which, unfortunately, is quite often. This leads to more frustration than we’ve expected with this game, leaving it only to the masters. And more than likely, they’re probably going to remain content with Cuphead.

The co-op isn’t bad, but even with a friend, the battles can just be too much. You’ll likely give up after several rounds with the cow boss and not being able to finish him off, sadly.

Enchanted Portals could’ve used a little more focus in the gameplay department. And maybe some better conceptualizing of some stages. I mean, that three-headed dog is ugly.

Inspired Presentation, But It Only Goes So Far

For a small team, Enchanted Portals actually looks pretty good. Not as amazing as Cuphead, as it has too many static backgrounds and not enough animated cinemas. But what’s here doesn’t look bad, and it’s kind of cool how little touches are made. For instance, the look of your character actually changes with nearly every boss battle, which is a nice touch.

Something has to be said for the music. It’s great. Each stage has something new to offer, even if it’s not on the level of Cuphead’s smooth jazz. But there are some diverse tunes worth listening to here, including a remix of Beethoven’s classic symphony when he’s trying to flatten you with piano keys.

Alas, there are also problems. Some animations feel off; some backgrounds are a bit too staticky for their own good; and some in-game cinemas come across as slapped together. That’s not to say the game’s art style doesn’t win – it does – but we needed more of it to bring more balance to the product. Without it, it’s all too easy to see the flaws.

Not Quite an Enchanting Spell

I gave Enchanted Portals multiple chances to impress me, and, in some ways, it did. Some of the animations are awesome; the boss battles can be creative at times (though some make absolutely ZERO sense); and the soundtrack is a cool surprise. But then we have the problematic gameplay, not to mention the difficulty (even on easy, it’s too much) and the disjointed level design.

I like some of the ideas that Xixo have put into play here, but Enchanted Portals just needed more of everything to really click. As it stands, this apprentice has its talents, but it fails to keep up with the master.

GAMERHUB RATING: 1.5 (out of 5) JOYSTICKS

Thanks to Xixo Games Studio for the review code!