Unveiling PG-Geisha's Revenge: A Complete Guide to Mastering the Game

When I first booted up PG-Geisha's Revenge, I'll admit I approached it with certain expectations shaped by its retro aesthetic. The pixel art visuals and chiptune soundtrack screamed classic 2D action game, and I instinctively assumed I'd need to maintain distance from enemies to survive. Boy, was I wrong about that. The combat system revealed itself to be something entirely different—and honestly, much more interesting than I initially anticipated. What appears to be a straightforward retro-inspired title actually hides one of the most innovative combat systems I've encountered in recent memory, blending old-school presentation with surprisingly modern mechanics that completely redefine how players should approach encounters.

Let me walk you through my discovery process because it fundamentally changed how I play the game. During my first hour with PG-Geisha's Revenge, I found myself cautiously keeping my distance from enemies, firing off projectiles when possible, and backing away whenever foes got too close. This conservative approach seemed logical given the game's visual language, but it led to frustratingly long combat encounters and surprisingly high damage taken. It wasn't until I accidentally rolled directly into an enemy while trying to evade another attack that I had my eureka moment. Instead of taking contact damage as I expected, my character passed harmlessly through the enemy, allowing me to immediately strike from behind. This single moment completely transformed my understanding of the game's combat philosophy. The developers have essentially taken the close-quarters combat mechanics typically found in 3D character action games like Bayonetta or Devil May Cry and translated them brilliantly into a 2D environment.

The dodge-roll mechanic deserves particular attention because it's the absolute cornerstone of effective combat in PG-Geisha's Revenge. After that initial discovery, I spent about 45 minutes in the second stage just practicing dodge-rolling through enemies and immediately attacking from behind. The system feels incredibly responsive once you adjust to its timing—there's approximately 12 frames of invincibility during the roll, giving you just enough time to pass through enemies and position yourself advantageously. What makes this mechanic particularly clever is how it encourages aggressive play rather than passive avoidance. Instead of backing away from threats, you're rewarded for moving directly through them, creating offensive opportunities where none seem to exist. This creates a rhythmic flow to combat that feels almost dance-like once mastered—dodge through an attack, strike twice, dodge through the next enemy, strike again, and so on. The satisfaction of chaining together multiple dodge-roll attacks while navigating crowded screens filled with enemies is unparalleled in recent 2D action games.

Now, I do have one significant quibble with the control scheme that took me about 6-7 hours of gameplay to fully come to terms with. The developers decided to map forward dodge-rolls and backward dodge-flips to two separate buttons, despite both moves functioning almost identically in terms of invincibility frames and utility. Throughout my first complete playthrough, I found myself using the backward dodge-flip maybe 3-4 times total, and even then mostly by accident. This design choice feels unnecessarily complicated for a system that otherwise excels through its elegant simplicity. Having both maneuvers mapped to the same button with direction input determining which version you perform would have been more intuitive and freed up a valuable button for other functions. That said, this is relatively minor in the grand scheme of things, and the core dodge-roll mechanic remains so exceptionally implemented that it easily overshadows this peculiar control decision.

What truly impressed me about PG-Geisha's Revenge's combat is how the dodge-roll system seamlessly integrates with the game's various enemy types and boss encounters. Each enemy presents unique dodge-roll opportunities that you'll need to master to progress efficiently. The standard samurai enemies, for instance, have a quick horizontal slash that's perfectly timed for you to dodge-roll through and counterattack from behind. The larger oni creatures have slower, more telegraphed attacks that allow for easy dodge-rolls but require immediate follow-up with multiple attacks to capitalize on the opening. The game's magnificent third boss—a massive spider yokai—literally requires you to dodge-roll through its leg sweeps to access its vulnerable back area. This thoughtful enemy design ensures that the dodge-roll never feels like a generic solution but rather a specialized tool that needs to be applied strategically against different opponents.

I've played through PG-Geisha's Revenge three times now, totaling approximately 28 hours according to my save file, and I'm still discovering new ways to utilize the dodge-roll system. On my most recent playthrough, I started incorporating dodge-rolls into basic movement, not just combat, finding that they allow for surprisingly fluid navigation through environmental hazards. The system has that magical quality where it feels immediately accessible yet reveals deeper layers of complexity the more time you invest. I've come to view PG-Geisha's Revenge not as the retro throwback it initially appears to be, but as a genuinely innovative evolution of 2D combat that other developers would do well to study. Its masterful blending of classic presentation with modern mechanical depth creates an experience that honors gaming's past while simultaneously pushing the genre forward. If you approach it with an open mind and willingness to unlearn certain gaming conventions, you'll discover one of the most rewarding action games in recent years.