A scared mouse scurries through an unforgiving landscape packed with abominations that may be friend or foe. This timid squeaker can join forces with Morsels, strange creatures with offensive abilities that fight at their side. With this help, the mouse travels upward toward the domain of the evil overlords who control this twisted world.
From that simple premise, Morsels presented me with a wealth of visual information and a relentless assault of creatures and environmental hazards. It’s a lot to take in and it never really lets up.
An odd blend of Enter the Gungeon and Binding of Isaac, Furcula Games has crafted a twin-stick shooter cum card-based companion collector. The resulting creation is just as bizarre as that sounds.
Starting off in the sewers, you are gifted a morsel at the beginning of each attempt. You assign this friendly creature to a slot, collecting others later that can be added or swapped out. Morsels can level up from use or via power-ups scattered throughout levels.
For the first few runs, I had no idea what I was doing. There is no useful flavour text or tooltips in the game. Aside from a rough guide to the Morsel’s ability set, you don’t really know what you’re getting until you learn what everything does. Some are powerful from the start, others have a steep learning curve to master. All of them are unique.
The general trial-and-error nature of Morsels isn’t a detriment. Much like Animal Well, the compulsion to learn more about your purpose in this world is strong.
Death comes swiftly across the densely populated environments. The intricate art style and twitchy gameplay go hand in hand. I found myself trying to dodge benign creatures wandering the maps, jumping headlong into hostile ones spewing projectiles in my general direction. Enemies come in myriad flavours and boss battles are typically chaotic bullet hells. Luckily, each attempt will accrue XP, rewarding buffs that make subsequent runs a bit more forgiving.
Morsels is a pleasingly nightmarish experience, with an oppressive atmosphere and an aesthetic that sets it apart from its peers.
