It’s that time of year. The wondrous time of starting a new school year with lots of friends, fun evenings and widespread happiness in beginning a new chapter in your college life. What game would be more fitting than a cathartic, rage and hatred-fueled Canadian murder romp! 

“Bloodroots” is an ultra-violent brawler that follows the story of Mr. Wolf., an 18th-century woodsman in the great Canadian north. Wolf runs with a gang of colorful, animal-themed baddies, where he ends up betrayed and left for dead in the woods, in classic western fashion. 

He wakes up the next day, a dead man walking, bursting at the seams with vengeful vinegar, target set on Mr. Black Wolf, leader of his former posse who’s now gone their own separate ways. Level by level, Mr. Wolf ventures deeper into the Canadian wilderness, fighting hired thugs and soldiers protecting the now filthy-rich posse members of his old crew, not welcoming the resurrected Wolf with warm hearts. Mr. Boar, the greedy industrialist of the crew, aims to level the forestry in mustache-twirling villainy. Mrs. Bison, the hot-shot gunslinger, aims to become the new queen of the Canadian underworld. Mrs. Crow, an old woman with a short fuse, simply wants out of the crime life.

Finally, the big bad Mr. Black Wolf is driven by sheer bloodlust and a desire for criminal power, terminating Mr. Wolf in order to take control, with such a move proving to be a big mistake. Mr. Wolf’s revenge quest takes him to snow-covered forestry, atmospheric tundras and a break into the drug-induced nightmare realm of his own head. Mr. Wolf doesn’t speak much, with only his silent yet unwavering desire for vengeance being the only character development needed. 

That’s the basic rundown of the plot, but “Bloodroots” takes a page from the 2012 classic “Hotline Miami” in conveying its plot in an episodic intermission format, slowly exploring the cast in vague but interesting campfire sessions between levels. It’s a standard revenge tale elevated by its unique setting and satisfying combat. 

It’s not done with taking inspiration from “Hotline Miami” in just a story, nearly the whole gameplay loop of “Bloodroots” is in the same vein of fast-paced, top-down brawling with one-hit kills in exchange for your character being a one-shot death away. Unlike the former, “Bloodroots” is almost entirely focused on melee combat, devoid of modern firearms given its 1700s colonial times theme, with the angry woodsman taking to stone axes, scythes, frying pans, even his bare fists, to take on hordes of enemy goons. Occasionally, the game throws you a weapon of creative mass-destruction, from a harpoon gun that can annihilate everything in its path, to a giant boot the player can cartoonishly hop around in, crushing enemies below. 

You’ll be facing an endless barrage of French and British soldiers, as well confronting the fiendish posse members in climatic boss encounters. It, like “Hotline Miami,” suffers from mild repetition in that regard, worsened by the high difficulty pushing the player to replay some levels upwards of a dozen times. The core loop, however, is based on continual trial and error, getting your butt handed to you till you know every move you’re gonna make to a tee. Two seconds of choking or lost thought will get you killed. Sounds tough, as it is, but getting a satisfying combo of successful moves, stringing them together like a blood-covered ballet, makes the grind worth it. 

“Bloodroots” wraps up around the five-hour mark, making it an indie-title beatable in just a weekend or long afternoon. Difficulty obviously may drag that out, but in substance, it aims to not overstay its welcome. If anything, it is a great example of not needing to be stretched out to unnecessarily long runtimes for the sake of casual audiences worried about purchasing anything that can’t be replayed forever. This is a sin far too common in the modern landscape of gaming, with internet-infused looter shooters being the bread and butter of today’s market, with the 10-12 hour single-player title being a sparse affair, found only in sequels and Sony titles. Indies seem to be at the forefront of keeping that magic middle ground alive, and “Bloodroots” stands as a great reminder of a great game keeping it simple. 

Bloodroots is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox and Nintendo Switch. 

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