Once you're several bosses deep into The Game Baker's Furi, you realize its name has so many meanings that weren't immediately apparent. There's the rage-quitting fury as a boss fells you again, for the third, fifth, tenth time; a fury tempered by the satisfaction of coming back with a battle-forged mastery and succeeding. There's the fury of your foes' attacks, as they flood the screen with bullets and beams and pounce with relentless blows. And there's the fierce furious nature of your own assault, as the nameless pale-haired ex-prisoner cleaves the air with his blade and dodges with incredible speed.

Whatever meaning you ascribe to the title, Furi's appeal remains unchanged: a stylish and challenging hack-slash that slices away gameplay fat and filler to focus on the thrill of the boss fight.
Furi's beating heart is its simplicity. Sure, the bosses you face are divided into myriad complex stages, and they throw psychedelic waves of bullets at you, but at its core, Furi is a simple game. No other enemies. No combos to remember. No gear to equip, no stats to improve, no levels to explore. Every encounter is you, your sword, your gun, and evasive dodge against a boss. Stripping away all the extraneous aspects reveals a lean game where combat is king, where you don't tear through enemies like a force of nature but face a single combatant in lengthy battles of attrition.

Your moveset seems paltry at a glance, anemic compared to the Devil May Cry's and Bayonettas...