This game just got full release after a couple of years in early access. I got it on the Switch. Anyway, it's another one of these excellent retro styled shooters that are doing the rounds, and it's definitely worth checking out.
The main inspiration is Doom but the hook is to reimagine/present the original sprite graphics 'in the round', while also situating everything in dynamically lit environments with gibbage galore. The result is bizarrely mesmerising, offering a grimy beauty that really draws you in.
The level design is amazing. Very large complex environments with lots of secrets and the standard coloured keys mechanic. They start in a fairly standard Doomy way to bed you in and then increase in ingenuity and complexity as you go on. Some are already clear genre classics, in my view, e.g. the simply incredible 'Marksman' level. A fully navigable map invites you to scour each bit for the secrets and collectibles that you'll need to unlock extra levels and buy/upgrade weapons. It's a lot of fun going back to hoover these up on higher difficulties (default/medium is too easy, most will find).
Weapons are, again, the usual roster but presented with real flair, including well-considered alt fire modes and near-pornographic reload animations.
Plot: forget it! Seems the devs did too. There are a few sentences in the descriptions of levels but it's all so half-arsed you feel they just couldn't be bothered, as did I after reading about three of them. There are things that got mutated, probably as a result of some inter-dimensional thing that happened, and then those things got more mutated and turned into blue things...? So, just shoot the things. Overworld map, in which you move your little avatar guy from level to level and go shopping, is also strange - almost feels like some kind of in-joke. But it's functional enough.
The music, however, by Andrew Hulshult, is utterly magnificent, a mix of his usual djenty metal - such as he poured all over Doom Eternal - with more synthy compositions more akin to a spooky Bladerunner-era Vangelis. Great. Sounds effects are also top notch, especially from weapons fire/reload. Indeed, some weapons crackle away with their own ambient effects when you're not even firing.
Runs very well. Far from 60fps in Switch, I think, but perfectly playable.
Multiplayer: dead in the water. Completely. The 'set up and host room' system is barren. Haven't seen a soul online. Thought this might be a Switch thing as it came out a couple weeks later than other systems, but apparently this is true across the board.
One of the main draws beyond the stellar level-design, images, sound and combat, however, is the level-sharing suite. The devs made their mapmaker available to the community and there's now a vibrant scene of homebrew levels available across all platforms. These are conveniently rated and its very easy to pick and download a few goodies to try. I set the filter for the winners/highly commended of the several map-making competitions, and got a bunch of unbelievably good levels to play. Very intricate and imaginative and, to judge by the player ratings, more highly recommended than some of the campaign levels. I'd recommend getting lost in the 'Retail Therapy' level - superb. Looking forward to trying more.
All in all, this is a great package for retro FPS nuts. It's the best FPS I've played since Dusk and Doom Eternal - and it's actually much less prescriptive than Doom Eternal which focused on playground acrobatics and almost forced players into a single playstyle, which rubbed many players up the wrong way. Probably most enjoyable as a dip in and out kind of affair when you fancy a quick cathartic blast.
Here's one of the release trailers:
The main inspiration is Doom but the hook is to reimagine/present the original sprite graphics 'in the round', while also situating everything in dynamically lit environments with gibbage galore. The result is bizarrely mesmerising, offering a grimy beauty that really draws you in.
The level design is amazing. Very large complex environments with lots of secrets and the standard coloured keys mechanic. They start in a fairly standard Doomy way to bed you in and then increase in ingenuity and complexity as you go on. Some are already clear genre classics, in my view, e.g. the simply incredible 'Marksman' level. A fully navigable map invites you to scour each bit for the secrets and collectibles that you'll need to unlock extra levels and buy/upgrade weapons. It's a lot of fun going back to hoover these up on higher difficulties (default/medium is too easy, most will find).
Weapons are, again, the usual roster but presented with real flair, including well-considered alt fire modes and near-pornographic reload animations.
Plot: forget it! Seems the devs did too. There are a few sentences in the descriptions of levels but it's all so half-arsed you feel they just couldn't be bothered, as did I after reading about three of them. There are things that got mutated, probably as a result of some inter-dimensional thing that happened, and then those things got more mutated and turned into blue things...? So, just shoot the things. Overworld map, in which you move your little avatar guy from level to level and go shopping, is also strange - almost feels like some kind of in-joke. But it's functional enough.
The music, however, by Andrew Hulshult, is utterly magnificent, a mix of his usual djenty metal - such as he poured all over Doom Eternal - with more synthy compositions more akin to a spooky Bladerunner-era Vangelis. Great. Sounds effects are also top notch, especially from weapons fire/reload. Indeed, some weapons crackle away with their own ambient effects when you're not even firing.
Runs very well. Far from 60fps in Switch, I think, but perfectly playable.
Multiplayer: dead in the water. Completely. The 'set up and host room' system is barren. Haven't seen a soul online. Thought this might be a Switch thing as it came out a couple weeks later than other systems, but apparently this is true across the board.
One of the main draws beyond the stellar level-design, images, sound and combat, however, is the level-sharing suite. The devs made their mapmaker available to the community and there's now a vibrant scene of homebrew levels available across all platforms. These are conveniently rated and its very easy to pick and download a few goodies to try. I set the filter for the winners/highly commended of the several map-making competitions, and got a bunch of unbelievably good levels to play. Very intricate and imaginative and, to judge by the player ratings, more highly recommended than some of the campaign levels. I'd recommend getting lost in the 'Retail Therapy' level - superb. Looking forward to trying more.
All in all, this is a great package for retro FPS nuts. It's the best FPS I've played since Dusk and Doom Eternal - and it's actually much less prescriptive than Doom Eternal which focused on playground acrobatics and almost forced players into a single playstyle, which rubbed many players up the wrong way. Probably most enjoyable as a dip in and out kind of affair when you fancy a quick cathartic blast.
Here's one of the release trailers:
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