REVIEW: ‘I Am Your Beast’ Is A Fast And Brutal Revenge Story (PC)

I Am Your Beast, the latest from Strange Scaffold, is a fast and frenetic action title. It nails the run, gun, and repeat formula that Hotline Miami popularized. It’s in your face and constantly engaging, a pulse-pounding murder spree with an intriguing narrative that unfolds over more than 25 levels. The action and combat are tight and dialed in, pushing the player to re-run each level to try and get a better score.

I Am Your Beast puts you in the shoes of ex-CIO operative Alphonse Harding. Alphonse retired, escaping to the wilderness to live out his years in peace. Rudely interrupted in his isolation, Alphonse stumbles on the force he use to work for infiltrating his forest. They need him for one last mission, and when Alphonse declines, a war breaks out in the snowy tree-laden space he calls home.

The back and forth between Alphonse and Burkin, his ex-boss, is typed across the screen in dynamic fashion. Colors change and words are emphasized in different ways as the exchange gets more tense and aggressive. Neither side is willing to give in, and while the cast is small, each character met is memorable and incredibly voice acted. The story has some great twists and turns, breaking up the action with short scenes as the two big personalities clash.

The heart of I Am Your Beast is its level design and combat. Each level has an objective, more often than not to kill the enemies or escape. The normal enemies go down in one shot or a few punches, while the armored enemies may require more to go down. Harding hurdles through each space, mowing down every enemy he comes across. Whether your jumping on them doing your best Mario impression, shooting them with a gun, beating them down with your fists, or curb stomping them on the ground, each action is incredibly satisfying to pull off.

Chaining them together makes it more so, as shooting one enemy with a pistol, tossing it at another to stun them, catching the knife they were holding as it flies through the air, and tossing it at another enemy in quick succession makes you feel like an unbelievable badass every time. These moments fill I Am Your Beast and never get old. Quick decisions and constant moving around will be key as your health drops quickly.

The levels are short and sweet, really energizing the player to run each one over and over to try and find a better route or way through. For players who love chasing times and high scores, I Am Your Beast nails the formula as you try to bump your letter grade for the level from an A rank to a S rank. Time is key for a good score, and each kill grants a varying amount of time back.

A normal kill with a pistol will grant 0.3 seconds, for example, while an explosive kill grants a full second, making not only the route through the level important but also the methods in which you dispatch your enemies. There are a lot of ways to do so as well, between your fists, pistols, shotguns, beartraps, wasps, explosive barrels, and plenty more to aid Harding in his bloody endeavors.

Each combat field has a good mix of verticality, open space, and blocked sightlines. Harding feels like a force of nature, whipping through each level and devastating anyone in his path. He can run up certain trees as well to gain some height, hopping back down to surprise a group of enemies.

The levels have bonus objectives as well, changing each replay to grant a new focus. New laptops may spawn that need to be accessed, or combat may need to be avoided entirely. There are also challenge levels that unlock as you complete the main story as well, adding another layer of difficulty for those looking for it. It also runs really well on Steam Deck, making it the perfect pick up and play experience on the go.

I Am Your Beast is a fantastic action game, one that really hones in on speed, adaptability, and efficiency. Memorizing levels and finding creative ways through them is a necessity for top times. Factoring in methods of murder on top of that adds another intriguing layer, all wrapped in a fantastically voice acted narrative that keeps the player engaged. It’ll grab you and not let go, bringing you into Harding’s forest and keeping you for one more run.

I Am Your Beast is available now on PC.