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SUNBLAZE
review | PC
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Publisher: Bonus Stage Publishing.
Developer: Games From Earth. Released: June 2021. Genre: 2D Platformer. Other versions: SWI. Posted 18th October 2025. By Tom Clare © 2025 |
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It may be tempting to think that we reviewers, with so much to cover, might have been inclined to shortcut an opinion on something as unendingly brutalising and sadistic as Sunblaze, but not a bit of it. I died no fewer than 4,375 times over the course of formulating this article. For anyone counting, that’s 486 deaths per paragraph, and comfortably more than four deaths for every word written. Call it Stockholm Syndrome if you will, but the longer I played, and the more I died, the more I came to appreciate this game’s gruellingly addictive machinations.
Sunblaze is one of the new breed of precision platformers, building on the legacies established by Celeste and Super Meat Boy. Here, players must tackle more than 300 static-screen, quick-fire levels designed as an extreme test of dexterity, logic skills, timing, and patience. Players control Josie, who unwittingly becomes trapped in a deadly training simulation where she is tasked with pushing on through the levels as her superhero father tries to work out what’s gone wrong, and how to free her. Along the way, she gains a unicorn sidekick and the chance to die hundreds of times per session, in a play-die-repeat loop that mitigates frustration through absorbing gameplay and instant respawns.
It looks cute, but if you're to beat all of Sunblaze's levels, you'll die thousands of times trying
The move set couldn’t be simpler: left or right to run, as well as jump and double-jump options, ledge and bar grabs, and a handy dash move. However, if you’re to get anywhere near finishing Sunblaze, you’re going to have to learn the physics engine down to the atom. When best to time second jumps, how far and how quickly Josie propels with a dash, as well as the possibilities wrought by sliding down walls, and how long she can get away with gripping platforms before they fall.
There are six chapters of more than 50 levels each, and as the story progresses, the challenge ramps up. It’s tricky from the outset, with the opening chapter giving players little chance to settle, bombarding them with blocks that sweep a deadly path once Josie has crossed into their activation range. From here, things only become more punishing, courtesy of some at-times hellish tests of timing in the form of alternating electrical fields. Survive this, and the player must learn to predict concertinaing explosive blasts, avoid dangerous organic growths, and thread between deadly swinging blades. Once levels begin, any scenery interacted with typically collapses, leaving few safe spots. Often, the trickiest task is working out a complete sequence of moves, because most of your reactions will need to be very quick and unerringly accurate.
There are six chapters of more than 50 levels each, and as the story progresses, the challenge ramps up. It’s tricky from the outset, with the opening chapter giving players little chance to settle, bombarding them with blocks that sweep a deadly path once Josie has crossed into their activation range. From here, things only become more punishing, courtesy of some at-times hellish tests of timing in the form of alternating electrical fields. Survive this, and the player must learn to predict concertinaing explosive blasts, avoid dangerous organic growths, and thread between deadly swinging blades. Once levels begin, any scenery interacted with typically collapses, leaving few safe spots. Often, the trickiest task is working out a complete sequence of moves, because most of your reactions will need to be very quick and unerringly accurate.
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Perhaps recognising the high barrier of the super-challenging Story, Games From Earth crafted a welcome Zen mode, granting less hardened players the chance to tackle an abridged, easier iteration of the game. It’s a really nice idea, allowing players to sample the story and the themes without the grind. The complexity of the levels is drastically reduced, and you’ll likely finish Zen in a couple of settings. It’s a bit too easy, and doesn’t reveal any of the devious skill or cleverness that the main levels eventually reveal. This leaves Sunblaze feeling a bit all-or-nothing.
The main game is a bruising experience, but not without its rewards. Despite a death count that would have Hotline Miami blushing, the level design is excellent, with an unusual amount of thinking (and indeed trial and error) needed to plot a safe route to the goal. As a result, many successes feel enormously rewarding. Additionally, the boss levels, which typically incorporate avoiding attack patterns and finding paths to breach an entity’s defences, are great.
The main game is a bruising experience, but not without its rewards. Despite a death count that would have Hotline Miami blushing, the level design is excellent, with an unusual amount of thinking (and indeed trial and error) needed to plot a safe route to the goal. As a result, many successes feel enormously rewarding. Additionally, the boss levels, which typically incorporate avoiding attack patterns and finding paths to breach an entity’s defences, are great.
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Perhaps recognising the high barrier of the super-challenging Story, Games From Earth crafted a welcome Zen mode, granting less hardened players the chance to tackle an abridged, easier iteration of the game. It’s a really nice idea, allowing players to sample the story and the themes without the grind. The complexity of the levels is drastically reduced, and you’ll likely finish Zen in a couple of settings. It’s a bit too easy, and doesn’t reveal any of the devious skill or cleverness that the main levels eventually reveal. This leaves Sunblaze feeling a bit all-or-nothing. The main game is a bruising experience, but not without its rewards. Despite a death count that would have Hotline Miami blushing, the level design is excellent, with an unusual amount of thinking (and indeed trial and error) needed to plot a safe route to the goal. As a result, many successes feel enormously rewarding. Additionally, the boss levels, which typically incorporate avoiding attack patterns and finding paths to breach an entity’s defences, are great.
The game might have been even better, but for a couple of issues. If Sunblaze was an ordinary platformer, its controls would have been entirely inoffensive. However, with such an onus placed on timing and precise character placement, they’re put under significant scrutiny, and feel a little spongy at times. Even after several hours of play, making a marginal jump, dash, or fall never feels entirely intuitive, in part because Josie doesn’t do small movements, meaning you’ll often blunder off platforms, smash into scenery, or accidentally climb a ledge when intending simply to grab it. Under ordinary circumstances, these would likely have been chalked off as small irritations, but in this precision platformer, they result in hundreds upon hundreds of deaths.
The game might have been even better, but for a couple of issues. If Sunblaze was an ordinary platformer, its controls would have been entirely inoffensive. However, with such an onus placed on timing and precise character placement, they’re put under significant scrutiny, and feel a little spongy at times. Even after several hours of play, making a marginal jump, dash, or fall never feels entirely intuitive, in part because Josie doesn’t do small movements, meaning you’ll often blunder off platforms, smash into scenery, or accidentally climb a ledge when intending simply to grab it. Under ordinary circumstances, these would likely have been chalked off as small irritations, but in this precision platformer, they result in hundreds upon hundreds of deaths.
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Sunblaze’s visuals are a reasonable 16-bit homage, and its menu presentation is gorgeous, with the titular heroine-in-training regaled via some awesome artwork, making her look every inch the comic-book superhero. The soundtrack features quietly effective electronic tunes that add a little atmosphere without contributing to the madness of the death loop. Those planning to play primarily for the game’s story via Zen mode might find this aspect a touch trite. Expect middling father-daughter dialogues featuring pizza, Pokémon, and Dad jokes galore, as well as a dollop of external monologuing. It’s not bad, and scenes rarely linger too long, but it’s a story that doesn’t really say much.
It’s far more likely you’ll be buying Sunblaze for its punishing precision platforming, in which case, Games From Earth certainly has you covered. I don’t think I’ve ever died so many times across ten hours of play, but I enjoyed this well-crafted, super-challenging venture. Stick with it, and you’ll find a game that improves with extended play, rewarding players with a considerable sense of accomplishment and a very decent selection of levels. Even seasoned genre enthusiasts should get a lot of mileage from Sunblaze.
It’s far more likely you’ll be buying Sunblaze for its punishing precision platforming, in which case, Games From Earth certainly has you covered. I don’t think I’ve ever died so many times across ten hours of play, but I enjoyed this well-crafted, super-challenging venture. Stick with it, and you’ll find a game that improves with extended play, rewarding players with a considerable sense of accomplishment and a very decent selection of levels. Even seasoned genre enthusiasts should get a lot of mileage from Sunblaze.
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VERDICT"I don’t think I’ve ever died so many times across ten hours of play, but I enjoyed this well-crafted, super-challenging venture. Sunblaze's controls aren't perfect, but genre enthusiasts should get a lot of mileage from it." OVERALL: 7/10 |
OTHER TRICKY PLATFORM GAMES REVIEWED
Doritos Crash Course (2010, Xbox 360)
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Kick & Fennick (2015, PlayStation Vita)
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