One thing I really appreciate in action games is when the enemies are clearly scared of the player. Without that haughty behavior and corny boss phrases, just a regular mob that has crossed the line of what they can bear. Games like the Batman: Arkham series did this brilliantly, as did the later Halo titles. The new lightning-fast FPS I Am Your Beast from Strange Scaffold, the developers behind El Paso Elsewhere, wastes no time establishing your character, Harding, as a fearless, John Wick-esque fighter, and keeps you in that role throughout the game.
Harding just wants to be left alone. As a highly trained operative for the COI, he has escaped from the service and tries to live a quiet life in the forest, until he is contacted by his old employers. They want Harding to do one last job and are willing to get him at any cost. The premise may be a little shaky, but it’s solid enough to support two to three hours of some of the most satisfying first-person combat I’ve played in a while.
I say two to three hours, but that’s only if you get through the short, quick missions with the necessary A or B grades. That doesn’t include getting perfect scores, completing all the bonus objectives, finding secrets, or playing the huge list of challenge missions, which are a whole separate entity. Realistically, there are five to six times three hours of gameplay here, but the movement and combat are so good that you might not mind repeating missions and aiming for better scores.
Harding is an instrument of death. He’s the quintessential legendary killer who’s just trying to get away from everyone, but when the agency destroys his home, he vows to kill every single one of them using their own weapons. Of course, it gets much more creative than that, but the intent is clear.
Look, you don’t start many missions armed. Weapons, knives, bear traps, pieces of wood, and explosives lie around field tents or campsites, but the fastest way to get weapons is to take them from the hands of a dying enemy. You climb trees by running towards them (they are marked by snow covered branches) and you can move silently and quickly from tree to tree. If you surprise the enemy, it is an instant liquidation. When they die, they drop whatever they were carrying, and Harding can catch it without interruption.
You only have the ammo that was in the weapon when you picked it up. After that, by pressing the trigger, Harding throws a weapon, which knocks enemies down for you to finish them off. The mission timer usually starts when you are detected or take the first stab, and then the enemies start chasing you. Stylized kills improve your mission time, so it pays to be nimble, and that only comes with practice.
As you eliminate enemies with precise headshots or well-thrown knives, they will shout warnings to each other, and you really get the feeling that you are a mythical creature to them. The game of course refers to Baba Yaga, and you really feel like a nightmare, punishing these unfortunates for their transgressions. You can set traps, slide down enemies, or eliminate two or three enemies at once with a sniper shot. However, it’s easy to lose your bearings in the missions, and you have to think quickly to navigate some situations.
You’re scored at the end of each mission based on kill type and speed, but like any good speed traversal game, you can instantly start over whenever you want, and failure sends you back to the beginning without any fanfare. Mission objectives vary, but almost all end with Harding reaching one of his exits.
Between missions, the dialogue and voice acting are fantastic, selling a believable story and making you invest in Harding and the NPCs he talks to, such as his former boss Burkin, or Byron, the reluctant soldier sent to kill him, who would rather be anywhere else. While it wasn’t played for fun, despite the aesthetics, I was completely hooked after just a few missions with static cutscenes. The narrative is surprisingly strong, and the actor who voices Harding is fantastic, infusing every sentence with pure menace.
Most missions are over in less than two minutes, but the gameplay is so smooth that you won’t mind replaying them. It also helps that it looks beautiful, with a bright, punchy visual style and cartoonish environments. It also works great on the Steam Deck, so it’s ideal for playing while traveling or waiting (just maybe turn the volume down, right?).
I was really pleasantly surprised by the game I Am Your Beast. Like Children of the Sun, it takes a solid core idea and goes all the way with it, without cluttering it with unnecessary details or pomp, to deliver a truly memorable and addictive experience that will keep you coming back just because it’s fun. Despite its occasional clumsiness, I Am Your Beast is a great FPS, somewhere between Superhot and XIII. I absolutely recommend it.
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