Dark Adelita has the shape of a snappy side-scrolling shooter, but it mostly feels like a very short idea stretched just far enough
I requested to review Dark Adelita because, at a glance, it gave me a little bit of that Broforce energy. Big bullets, side-scrolling action, quick deaths, messy enemies, the kind of game that looks like it could be pure arcade fun for an evening. And to be fair, there is a little bit of that feeling here. You run, jump, shoot, die in one hit, and try again.
The problem is that the comparison only goes so far. Dark Adelita is much simpler and less exciting in motion. Most of the game is built around shooting dudes with rifles or shotguns, then dealing with skeletons, flying eagles, and a few other threats that rarely change the rhythm in a meaningful way. The bullets are chunky and satisfying enough, but the actual encounters do not have much personality beyond aiming first and keeping distance.
There are boss fights too, inspired by Mexican folklore, and they are fine. They break up the regular stages and give the game a clearer identity, but even those fights never really pushed me into that zone where I wanted to replay them or master patterns. They are okay, which is basically where I landed on most of Dark Adelita.
What works best is the setting. The Mexican cultural inspiration gives the environments, enemies, and overall premise more flavor than the mechanics can provide on their own. Playing as Angela, an adelita fighting through supernatural threats in a post-revolutionary Mexico, is a cool hook. I just wish the game did more with it beyond visual texture and light setup.
On ROG Xbox Ally X, it plays well with a controller. There is an auto-aim assist that makes the game even easier to settle into, and I did not have any major issues with performance or controls. It is also dirt cheap and super short, so it is not asking for much time or money.
Still, I do not really recommend it unless the screenshots, folklore theme, or one-hit arcade shooting specifically grab you. Dark Adelita is playable, affordable, and occasionally charming, but it is not all that interesting once the initial comparison fades. Thanks for reading!
