Furi, indie studio The Game Bakers' action shoot-'em-up, made a rainbow-shaded splash when it released in 2016. It lured players in by being small, but as mighty as a redwood trunk, offering up boss fights, neon projectiles, and quick sword combos in its packed six-ish hour runtime. But despite its spectacle, Furi has ducked under the radar over the years. If you haven't yet checked it out, the '90s-style demake that The Game Bakers just released for free on Steam is a great place to start.
The short demake reinterprets the game's first boss fight — The Chain, a masked sentinel who produces shockwaves of stuttering, deathly energy — as an 8-bit epic. Like the original Furi, which, Lucas Sullivan wrote in GamesRadar's Furi impressions, often looks "like a still from a flashy anime," the demake prioritizes hot colors, tense, close combat, and cinematic drama.
In other words, "It's the Furi experience," the developers write in the demake's Steam description, "agile and intense, reimagined in retro style." It's also a sweet way for The Game Bakers to thank dedicated players "for their ongoing support."
As another part of this goal, The Game Bakers are hosting a demake speedrun competition, which you can participate in now through December 18. To enter and possibly win a "Furi OST vinyl, artbook and a t-shirt," the developer writes on Twitter, email them a video of your fastest run.
And if all of that inspires you to give Furi's full game a try for the first time, there are presents for you, too. The game is now 60% off ($7.99) on all available platforms (PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Switch, PC), and its Onnamusha downloadable content is 50% off ($3.49) on Steam until December 9.
The Furi demake's 8-bit-style glory might have you feeling nostalgic. Channel that feeling into discovering the best retro games of all time.
