Boomerang X Review (PC)

Launch a quick attack to take down two spiders, happily catching a flying enemy on the return trajectory. Hold to charge and then throw far up, teleporting to the location to gain a better shot at another enemy. While there I realize I don’t actually need to kill him to end the wave. So I teleport again to my weapon, take out a cluster of too close enemies, and then hunt for the marked spider that will end this battle.

Can you call a video game a shooter when the killing tool is always a boomerang? Boomerang X is a game developed by DANG! and published by Devolver. I played on the PC via Steam and the game is also available on the Nintendo Switch. The title mixes action and platforming in some very cool ways.

At the center is a boomerang that the protagonist picks up very quickly and spends about one hour learning to use. Yes, it does the classic boomerang thing of hitting a target and then returning to the hand. But there’s a ton more it offers and each of the options needs to be mastered to make good progress.

I played with a mouse and keyboard, using the left mouse button to charge the boomerang before launching. Click Shift and time slows down for a little while, offering more opportunities to aim. Clicking again after the boomerang is launched the player can teleport to its location. With a little practice, this means a gamer can basically fly in the wide-open levels. The movement options are impressive even in arenas that are designed to be somewhat claustrophobic.

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The right mouse calls back the boomerang to the hand immediately. Players can also stop in mid-flight and unlock some special attacks when they combo with their weapon. Boomerang X offers a wealth of movement and attack combinations and is challenging enough that players will have to explore them all to move forward.

And players need everything mentioned above and more to get through the combat arenas. They are built around waves that require the killing of a number of marked enemies. It starts off easy, with spiders crawling around the ground, but it quickly adds flying medusa, massive launchers, creepy crystal wheels, and more.

The enemies don’t have much of a personality but their sheer numbers quickly become a problem. Boomerang X does have a narrative designed to push the player forward but it’s slim, even if solidly written. The real pleasure is in the action itself, the challenges of the arenas, the beautiful chaos that leads to progression, the thrill of finding out what the next challenge room holds.

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This is a hard game, make no mistake. It’s not hard to move too quickly, fail to take into account some enemies, recall a boomerang when you actually needed to teleport. The good thing is that it is clear why a fight ended in death and how one can improve performance in the next run. The game also packs options to make progression easier or to make everything more challenging, for those who want them.

But I suggest keeping the game as envisioned by its developers, even if at times you want to walk away from it. This is an experience best suited to 2 or 3 tries, trying to mix and match ideas and moves. If failure persists walk away and play something else. Then return with increased energy and try to learn something before engaging again.

Boomerang X aims to give the player freedom and the graphics work towards that aim. The enemies are a solid color, clearly standing out against the designs of the levels. Red shows weak spots and places where extra health is available, yellow marks objectives.

The boomerang itself is easy to spot in flight, most of the time. This means that there’s not too much detail in the world but the game does not suffer much because of it. The combat sounds work well but don’t stand out much. They are clearly designed to leave plenty of space open for the soundtrack, which shines but never becomes intrusive.

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The Good

The Bad

Conclusion