Cold open

I jump on top of a barrel and smash it into two enemies. Hitting the ground, I grab a dagger and dash forward, disposing of the three in front of me; as I deliver the final blow I leap to meet the next challengers above with an empty can in hand. I hurl it at a rifleman, miss, and ping a pool-floatie goon instead — the can ricochets straight back at me. I dive into cover through rifle fire, snatch a spear, vault the fence, and stick the rifleman. One goon left. I sprint, grab a carrot, and crack it over their head — the room ends in slippery, slapstick style.

Bloodroots grows from the same design tree as Hotline Miami, Katana Zero, and last year’s Ape Out — a tree I love to see bear fruit.

How it plays

Levels are bite-size arenas packed with enemies and toys to kill them with. One hit kills you, so it’s about learning a room and executing with speed and style. Do it right and it feels like choreographing a bloody (and often hilarious) action vignette — sometimes ending with the last foe felled by a carrot slap to the forehead.

Story & tone

You play as Mr. Wolf, left for dead by the Blood Beasts. Across three acts — with boss fights and bonus stages — you hunt them through varied landscapes while flashbacks slowly sketch Mr. Wolf’s past. The Beasts’ designs and personalities make for fun villains, but the game occasionally undercuts itself: you can go from pelting floatie-wearing goons with snowballs to a super-serious villain monologue in the next beat. Bloodroots shines brightest when it leans into its playful chaos.

Difficulty & learning curve

I died 499 times by the credits (yes, I wish I’d hit 500 for symmetry). It took me ~4 hours, but your mileage will vary. Crucially, deaths feel fair. Enemy types teach you counters: spike-shield foes demand range; floatie goons reflect projectiles, so you swap to close-range solutions. You’re constantly reading, adapting, and iterating.

The arsenal (aka everything)

The toy box is glorious. From hammers to an oversized scythe; multiple guns and blades; and an assortment of silly objects that set up laugh-out-loud final kills as the camera zooms in. Almost everything in a level is a weapon, and knowing what breaks in one hit versus two or three becomes part of the route planning.

Performance, style & audio

Aside from the sound dropping out twice during finishers, I had no major technical issues on PC. I’d be wary of handheld play on Switch purely because there’s a lot to track on screen (I haven’t tested it first-hand).

The vibrant, pseudo–spaghetti-western art direction gives it a Cartoon Network–style energy. The soundtrack swings between western-tinged tracks and outright bangers that wouldn’t be out of place in Hotline Miami. It isn’t available to stream (yet), but if it hits Spotify I’ll be replaying several boss themes.

Boss fights & replay

Bosses feel like classic platformer bouts with distinct phases tied to personality — like a bulky Beast piloting a floating contraption while you juggle adds and lasers. They’re challenging and rewarding.

There are leaderboards to chase, and post-game you unlock hats that tweak runs (start with a gun, move faster, etc.). They’re limited to levels you’ve already beaten and are mostly for score chasing.

Accessibility & UX

Some welcome options open the door to more players, and deaths snap you back to the checkpoint almost instantly — no nag screens, just “try again.”

Verdict

Bloodroots is a must-play for fans of fast, reflex-driven action. Stringing together a stylish, improvised route through a room never gets old, and the colorful presentation sets it apart from its peers — even when the tone wobbles.

Score: 8/10