Fearmonium from Redblack Spade and Ratalaika Games is a psychedelic hand-drawn 2D Metroidvania on PS5. Learn more about it in our Fearmonium review!

 

Fearmonium from Redblack Spade and Ratalaika Games is a psychedelic hand-drawn 2D Metroidvania on PlayStation 5. You’ll be taking on the story of Max, who is having a really hard time at home after his stepfather moved into the house. This game deals with some serious issues, which is why before you begin, you’re shown this disclaimer:

ATTENTION!

This game contains representations of depression, psychological disorders and traumatic syndrome.
Some may find these depictions disturbing.

After he comes back home at night and has an argument with his mother, Max decides it’s best to go to sleep. Once he closes his eyes, he ends up in a dark world where you’ll get to meet the character you’ll be playing as a phobia growing inside of Max’s confused mind! You’ll be taking on a journey that will let you see if fear always causes irreparable damage or if a phobia can change someone’s life for the better.

 

You’ll control your character with the left analog stick or the D-Pad as she jumps with the X button, attacks with the Square button, and dashes left and right by using the L1 and R1 buttons as needed – that is, once you unlock that skill! You can use an item with the Circle button and can change which one you have equipped by pressing the R2 button. Abilities are mapped to the Triangle button, and you can cycle between them with the L2 button. Since this is a Metroidvania, you should check your map every now and then by pressing the Touchpad on the DualSense.

What items will you be able to use during your time with Fearmonium? You will need to keep some adrenaline handy since it can be used to heal your wounds and recover some of your lost hit points. You can also get your hands on some powerful explosives to make enemies go boom. Or maybe you’d like to have a special token in your inventory that can revive you if you end up losing all your health after making too many mistakes?

Be sure to visit Lady Depression every now and then so that you can save your game. Lady Depression is a big one in Max’s mind. As a teenager who is most certainly unhappy about his current situation, Max sheds many tears due to his pain. It’s those tears that nourish Lady Depression, and it’s why when you see her, she is bathing in them. While Max saw a doctor due to his depression, Antidepressant – which is shown as a character in-game – was not strong enough to beat her. Lady Depression just asked her for a towel! You’ll also be able to teleport between the different locations where Lady Depression dwells so that you can quick travel.

Antidepressant will offer to mark spots on your map where you can meet Lady Depression… for a price. It’s then that you learn that balloons act as the in-game currency, which is why you should do your best to pop as many as possible! What else can you use balloons for? You could also visit Melfice and pay him 50 balloons to mark a spot on your map where you need to go next. For each subsequent visit, his price will increase. You can also exchange balloons with Lady Depression to obtain more adrenaline, or to buy some explosive rockets!

Since this one is a Metroidvania, that means you won’t be able to visit all locations right from the start. You’ll first need to get your hands on some new abilities that can open up the way. Dashing is something that will initially be locked away from you, so you’ll first have to progress further in the game to add that skill to your repertoire. You will also learn how to slide so that you can move into some tight spaces. By getting your hands on some explosives, you’ll be able to hit enemies from a distance, as well as things such as the floating clowns carrying the boxes you can use to solve some platforming puzzles.

At different times, you’ll also be able to check out some of Max’s memories, which will allow you to better understand what is going on with him. This is how you’ll get to learn that his depression started, among other things, from having Alice, whom he was dating, having to move after her father got a new job. Add the whole stepfather situation – with hints at him verbally and physically abusing Max and his mother – and you have a cocktail for teenager disaster.

Trophy-wise, this game has a full trophy list with a Platinum trophy for you to work on. And since it’s a Cross-Buy title, if you have a PlayStation 5, you’ll be able to download both the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 versions of the game at no extra cost. Each version will have its own separate trophy list with 12 Bronze trophies, 2 Silver trophies, and 9 Gold trophies. You’ll get trophies for beating each of the bosses in the game, as well as for finding all the masks, locating all the birds, finding all red clowns and all purple clowns, exploring 100% of the map, upgrading all abilities, and for helping out a hug rocky creature, to name some examples.

Fearmonium is a psychedelic hand-drawn 2D Metroidvania in which you’ll explore the mind of Max, a teenager dealing with depression after learning that Alice, who he’s dating, has to move to another town due to her father landing a new job. Add his oppressive and abusive stepfather moving in with his mom, and you can imagine how things in his mind can be a bit bizarre and convoluted. As a phobia, you’ll be aiming to explore all of Max’s mind as you grow in power, which means you could end up scarring him for life or help him overcome his fears. Fearmonium is available as a Cross-Buy title, so your $19.99 purchase will allow you to download both the PS4 and PS5 versions of the game.

Disclaimer
This Fearmonium review is based on a PlayStation 5 copy provided by Ratalaika Games.