The core mechanic of grabbing and throwing objects, enemies, and projectiles is consistently praised. This mechanic adds depth, strategy, and a unique feel to the gameplay, allowing for creative combat tactics and emergent physics interactions.
The game features well-designed and varied enemies with unique attack patterns and roles. Some reviewers noted the influence of other games in the enemy design, while others appreciated the strategic depth added by the different enemy types.
The game is frequently described as a fun and engaging roguelike or roguelite experience. Reviewers appreciate the replayability, challenging gameplay, and the sense of progression offered by the roguelike elements.
The game's controls are consistently described as smooth, responsive, and well-executed, enhancing the overall gameplay experience. Some reviewers specifically noted the effectiveness of keyboard and mouse controls, while others praised the controller support and aim assist features.
Reviewers highlight the satisfying and dynamic combat, noting the variety of enemies and the strategic considerations required. The physics-based interactions and the visual/auditory feedback contribute to an engaging combat experience.
Negatives:
The game suffers from a lack of content, depth, and variety, leading to repetitive gameplay and a low cost-performance ratio. Many reviewers mention a lack of meaningful upgrades, skills, and weapon choices, resulting in uninteresting builds and limited replayability. Additionally, the game is plagued with bugs, crashes, and save issues, further diminishing the player experience.
The game lacks a save feature, forcing players to restart from the beginning upon exiting or dying, leading to frustration. Additionally, the game features 'ambush rooms' and bullet-hell-like combat that can be overwhelming and unforgiving, especially with unclear enemy projectiles and instant-death scenarios.
The game's difficulty is inconsistent and often unforgiving, with a steep learning curve and balance issues. Some reviewers found the game too easy, while others struggled with artificial difficulty spikes, limited healing, and insufficient attack power upgrades, leading to frustration and a poor tolerance for mistakes.
The game suffers from poor balance, with inadequate healing, weak bosses, and unavoidable damage situations. Reviewers also note a lack of environmental diversity and visually distracting elements, contributing to a frustrating and unrewarding experience.
The game's mechanics feel disjointed, with a fast-paced design clashing with slow-paced core mechanics. Reviewers found the gameplay loop repetitive and unengaging, with a disconnect between the intended playstyle and the most effective strategies.
Gameplay:
Levels are structured with interconnected rooms featuring shops, challenges, and boss fights. Players explore these rooms, often with teleporters for navigation, to progress through each area. The position of the rooms changes each time you re-enter that layer, making the game full of unknowns.
The game blends roguelike/lite elements with permanent upgrades and progression systems. Players can expect to retain some progress after death, enhancing replayability. The game accurately tagged as a roguelike due to its permanent progression system that primarily offers sidegrades.
Combat involves dodging, normal attacks, and unique grab attacks. Precise positioning is crucial for dodging enemy attacks, and invincibility frames are utilized during dodges. The game starts with 3 different attack moves and a defensive move.
The game incorporates a build system with perks and upgrades that expand player actions and possibilities. Players can improve perks or weapons using cards, and meta-progression mechanics allow enhancing base stats and weapon strength. Four types of upgrade power are used to upgrade passives, and the original effects remain.
The game features a weapon system with diverse options like ranged bullets, shotguns, and daggers, each with unique characteristics. Special weapons are often tied to the chosen normal weapon, encouraging strategic weapon selection. Weapons can be modified by investing cards into their upgrades.
Performance:
The game generally exhibits excellent performance, running smoothly on various PC configurations, including older systems and the Steam Deck. Loading times are also notably fast, contributing to a seamless user experience.
Some players have reported crashes and bugs, including map freezes and blue screen errors, particularly when using specific weapons or in certain areas. The lack of error codes makes troubleshooting difficult.
The game incorporates realistic physics that influence object movement and combat, adding depth to gameplay. This, combined with good optimization, enhances the overall player experience.
Some users have encountered issues that required compatibility mode or specific Proton versions to make the game playable, indicating potential compatibility problems on certain systems.
The PC version of the game supports DS controller button icons, which is a nice feature for players who prefer using PlayStation controllers.
Recommendations:
The game is widely recommended for its engaging gameplay, innovative mechanics, and overall fun factor, especially for fans of roguelikes, bullet hell shooters, and space adventures. Many reviewers highlight its potential to be a top-tier game in the genre, praising its solid foundation and polished early access state.
Reviewers are anticipating future updates and content additions to enhance the game's depth and replayability. There is a strong desire for more maps, weapon systems, and overall improvements as the game progresses through early access towards its full release.
The game is noted for its engaging vibes and dynamic casual gameplay, making it a good way to relieve boredom.
Some reviewers suggest balancing adjustments, specifically increasing boss difficulty while decreasing the health of smaller enemies. This change could improve weapon build diversity and early-game enjoyment.
One reviewer suggests that using a keyboard and mouse provides more flexible controls for the game.
Miscellaneous:
The game is in early access, with developers actively engaging with players and releasing regular updates based on feedback. Players are looking forward to future updates and improvements as the game evolves.
The game's progression and upgrade systems are considered formulaic and conservative, drawing comparisons to other games like Dead Cells. The limited modifications to core systems and repetitive upgrade variations contribute to this perception.
The game features a story involving a trapped AI or a god-like being, but the narrative is considered a light bonus. The plot serves as a backdrop for the gameplay.
The game encourages exploration and discovery within its space exploration theme. Players can progress without relying on external guides.
The game includes Chinese language support but lacks Japanese. However, the skill descriptions are simple enough that the lack of Japanese support shouldn't be a major issue for experienced gamers.