Target Acquired: Nefarious

Nefarious, from developer StarBlade (game site) is a game that reverses the well-established video game formula of a princess-kidnapping villain by placing you in the shoes of said villain. Instead of rescuing a princess, you are travelling from land to land, kidnapping princesses to use in your world-conquering doomsday device, all the while facing off against plucky heroes who hope to stop you. The villain, Crow, comes equipped with bouncing grenades and a powerful punch, but can eventually upgrade these attacks to unleash rockets and machine gun fire. Some levels end with Crow manning a huge machine and smashing the hero with repeated attacks, taking a page from many such 16-bit villains of old. Some levels change things up a bit, including a boss fight that takes place as a turn-based JRPG-style battle, and another where a princess hops Crow's back and smashes enemies with her axe as Crow dashes madly through a crumbling and shifting ice environment.

The game is now available for PC via Steam. Check our coverage here.