The Citadel Review Summary

Exceptional gunplay mechanics: The game features highly detailed and satisfying gunplay, including bullet drop, manual reloading, alternate fire modes, and weapon degradation. Players consistently praise the weighty, precise, and varied weapon handling.

Tactical and fast-paced hybrid gameplay: The game uniquely combines boomer shooter mechanics with tactical elements like bullet drop, cover-based combat, and manual reloading. Players appreciate the flexibility to play aggressively or methodically, with mechanics rewarding both playstyles.

High replayability and customization: Features like New Game+, difficulty sliders, secret levels, weapon upgrades, and mod support extend the game’s longevity. Players also praise the customizable settings for gore, HUD, and gameplay mechanics.

Engaging level and enemy design: Levels are praised for their variety, verticality, and secrets, while enemies feature distinct attack patterns, weak spots, and impactful death animations. Boss fights and platforming sections add further depth to the gameplay.

Accessible yet challenging difficulty: The game offers extensive difficulty customization, including sliders for enemy aggression, bullet physics, and gore levels. Players appreciate the balance between accessibility and challenge, with options like ‘Zealot’ mode for a zen-like experience.

Poor optimization and performance issues: Performance problems include stuttering, frame drops (especially during particle-heavy scenes), and high system requirements despite retro-style graphics. Unreal Engine 4 is frequently cited as a source of unoptimized performance and crashes.

Frequent game crashes and instability: The game suffers from widespread crashing, particularly during level transitions, late-game segments, and save/load sequences. Many players report crashes tied to Unreal Engine 4 errors, memory leaks, or specific actions like sprinting or respawning.

Janky and buggy gameplay mechanics: Numerous bugs affect core mechanics, such as mech boarding animations, weapon-switching glitches, ladder climbing inconsistencies, and enemies getting stuck in walls or terrain. These issues disrupt gameplay flow and immersion.

Unintuitive and poorly explained mechanics: Key systems like the hunger gauge, armor status, and alt-fire modes are poorly explained or lack tutorials. Players struggle with unclear mechanics, such as reloading, food consumption, and weapon upgrades.

Repetitive and monotonous level design: Levels lack variety in textures, colors, and layout, leading to a monotonous experience. Players note that environments feel samey, with repetitive assets and uninspired design, particularly in the latter half of the game.

Complex Weapon Mechanics: Weapons feature alt-fires, manual reloading, jamming, and degradation systems. Some guns require single-bullet reloads or tactical magazine management, adding depth to combat.

DOOM-Inspired Retro Design: The game mimics classic FPS titles like DOOM and Wolfenstein 3D with maze-like levels, projectile-based ballistics, and fast-paced movement. Modern twists include verticality and mobility options.

Gory and Anime-Style Violence: The game features extreme gore (e.g., dismemberment, burning enemies) and anime-inspired character designs. Gore effects are customizable via settings.

Mech Sections and Destruction: Players pilot mechs in certain levels, using heavy weapons and jetpacks for large-scale combat. These sections add variety with explosive autocannons and dual miniguns.

Movement and Mobility Focus: Players can sprint, double-jump, ledge-grab, and slide. Movement is fast-paced but punishing (e.g., fall damage), with air control limitations to maintain challenge.

Hardware-dependent instability: Performance varies drastically by hardware, with crashes, FPS drops, and overheating reported even on mid-to-high-end systems. Low RAM or CPU bottlenecks exacerbate instability, particularly in later levels.

Auto-save and save system flaws: The auto-save system is buggy, and the lack of quick save/load functionality frustrates players, especially after crashes or progress loss. Some crashes occur during respawn or death sequences.

Post-patch residual bugs: While the 2.0 patch improved stability, players still report lingering crashes, FPS drops, and minor bugs. Some issues (e.g., UE4 errors) persist despite updates.

Input and display limitations: Issues include filtered mouse input, unsupported resolutions (e.g., 3440x1440), and controller button limitations. Some players also report texture flickering or anisotropic filtering missing.

Low-end hardware compatibility: The game runs on low-end hardware but with significant trade-offs, such as chugging, overheating, or reduced visual fidelity. Performance is often capped at 30-40 FPS.

Highly recommended for genre fans: The game is frequently recommended for fans of retro FPS, DOOM-like shooters, and anime-style violence. Players highlight its uniqueness, depth, and fun gunplay as key strengths, making it a standout choice for enthusiasts.

Unique art style and niche appeal: The game’s controversial design choices (e.g., erotic gore, anime aesthetics) are polarizing but praised for their boldness. It’s recommended for players who enjoy retro shooters with a twist or are tired of AAA homogeneity.

Purchase on sale for best value: The game is widely recommended at a discounted price, with many noting its affordability (e.g., $10–$15) and substantial content (6–7 hours). Sales are suggested for casual or budget-conscious players.

Technical issues and jank: Despite its strengths, the game is criticized for crashes, instability, and polarizing aesthetics. Some players tolerate these flaws for the gameplay, while others suggest refunds or waiting for fixes.

High difficulty and replayability: The game is praised for its skill-based, challenging gameplay and high replay value due to customizable mechanics (e.g., difficulty, episode order). However, it’s not recommended for players who dislike frustration or lack of quicksaves.

Guro and extreme gore content: The game prominently features guro (gore hentai) and extreme gore depictions, which are central to its artistic style and appeal. This includes graphic violence and fetish elements that may not suit all audiences.

Minimal and esoteric narrative: The story is minimal, leaving many questions unanswered, and is described as esoteric or metaphysical. Players note niche themes (e.g., 'catalepsy') that require interpretation, which may not appeal to all.

Unsettling character designs: Character designs, including visible anatomy and exaggerated features (e.g., 'thicc thigh soldier with B-Cup melons'), are described as unsettling or fetishistic by players. This reflects the developer's unique artistic perspective.

Accessibility for non-Japanese speakers: The game provides helpful tips for non-Japanese speakers, such as keybindings, which improves accessibility for a broader audience.

Niche appeal and fanbase: The game has a dedicated but niche fanbase, with players expressing excitement for future installments (e.g., a third game) and noting ownership of prior titles.