ChainStaff PlayStation 5 Review: A Heavy Metal Alien Blast
Earth has been overrun by the Star Spores, mutating the world into a series of grotesque, hand-drawn alien landscapes. You play as a soldier with a parasitic alien attached to your head, using the transforming ChainStaff to swing, spear, and shoot through 10 wild levels. It is a high-octane 2D platformer that mixes 70s and 80s rock album aesthetics with brutal, physics-based action.
Developer: Mommy’s Best Games
Publisher: Null Games
Genre: Action / 2D Platformer
Release Date: April 8, 2026
Website: chainstaffgame.com
UK Store: PlayStation Store Link
Specs & HUD | Gameplay Review | Performance & Fidelity | Settings & Controls
ChainStaff PlayStation 5 Review: Specs & HUD
- 3.45GB download size.
- Platinum trophy included for the hunters.
- 3 save slots for different runs.
- Levels on the map select screen show star spores, soldiers rescued, and fragments found.
- General game settings allow you to always show the laser and the Shaina chain reticule.
- Full cheat support, visit the website for cheats or type in anything you want, as they may work! The game warns you that this could break the game.
Gameplay Review & Mechanics Breakdown
Opening tutorial section showing the basics of shooting, controls, and how the chainstaff works, though it’s a weird choice that the very first level gives you all the pop-ups just like it does in the tutorial part. Platform shooter gameplay, where the game is surprisingly accessible, and general movement is easy to pick up. The gimmick is your chainstaff system, as you use this to grab onto walls or enemies and then swing around or climb, but you can also use it to create a bridge, hang off it, and also charge it up to fire at enemies. It can also be used to slow down crushing platforms and use the Chainstaff to block enemy bullets. Physics plays a huge part, like swinging, so momentum is key. It’s a great, simple run and fun type game, but the chainstaff mechanics add that wow factor.
Beacons act as checkpoints, and hitting them lets you craft new shields and weapons using alien technology from rescued soldiers. You find shield recharge capsules to replenish your shield, and find chainstaff fragments to upgrade and extend the tail. Secondary weapons will auto-fire as per their rules, so all you do is shoot your own gun. You can only have one secondary weapon equipped at a time, and you can change it with a button press to cycle through them. As you fight a boss, you can have shields sent to you to help. Levels will have roadblocks with alternate paths until you get new abilities. Ten levels, but you do open up new parts within them to make it feel a lot beefier. Find injured soldiers and choose to save them or kill them for health. Multiple endings are based on your actions.
In between levels, you can choose to x-ray your character. Weird but great fun as you move it around, re-watch any cutscenes, and replay any completed missions. When replaying a level, you can choose which discovered beacon you spawn at, which is a great little addition. Star spores are collected to open up new areas. The chainstaff really changes up the gameplay and leads to great sequences and boss fights. Two game difficulties: Easy and Normal.
ChainStaff PlayStation 5 Review: Performance & Fidelity
- Cool cartoons like graphics with a 2D game world and animated backgrounds/foregrounds.
- I love the atmosphere of it all, and it reminds me of Earthworm Jim. The animations and writing speak to me.
- Graphics settings include a v-sync toggle and quality options.
- The soundtrack is of the heavy metal rock genre and suits the game a lot, and really amps it up.
- No voice work is a bummer, as the writing is fantastic, as is the game world and having just text kind of flattens it all.
- In-game cutscenes and character interactions help set the scene.
Settings, Customisation & Control Details
- Controller settings vibration toggle.
- Set the game to single stick or dual stick controls and choose sticks for moving left and right.
- You can also remap the controls.
- The controls have to be tweaked to your liking, as it is awkward using twin sticks as standard, as the charge move is not easy to pull off or aim, especially in battle.
- Audio sliders for sound effects and music.
- Language settings available.
- There are no accessibility options like dyslexic font or Colourblind support, etc.
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ChainStaff Review
Summary
THRILLS & HIGHLIGHTS:
It’s a great, simple run and fun type game, but the chainstaff mechanics add that wow factor. I love the atmosphere of it all, and it reminds me of Earthworm Jim. The animations and writing speak to me, and those cool cartoon-like graphics with the animated backgrounds really pop. The soundtrack is of the heavy metal rock genre and suits the game a lot, and really amps it up. Finding chainstaff fragments to upgrade and extend the tail feels rewarding, and being able to choose which beacon to spawn at when replaying levels is a great little addition. The X-ray feature between levels is weird but great fun!
KEY NEGATIVES:
It’s a weird choice, but you do the opening tutorial section, and then the very first level gives you all the pop-ups just like it does in the tutorial part. The controls have to be tweaked to your liking, as it is awkward using twin sticks as standard, as the charge move is not easy to pull off or aim, especially in battle. No voice work is a bummer, as the writing is fantastic, as is the game world and having just text kind of flattens it all. Also, there are no accessibility options like dyslexic font or Colourblind support, etc.
OVERALL VERDICT:
The game surprised me in many ways and is a great addition to the genre, a real blast. Even with the awkward twin-stick default and the lack of voice acting, the chainstaff really changes up the gameplay and leads to great sequences and boss fights. Whether you are rescuing soldiers for tech or killing them for health to see the multiple endings, it’s a beefy experience despite only having ten levels. If you want a platform shooter that grabs you with its style and momentum-based physics, this is it.
