Info about Combat Complex: Official game description: **Combat Complex** is a fast-paced ARPG / roguelike hybrid with lasers, alien bugs, WASD / twin-stick controls, random loot, and procedurally-generated levels. Wield legendary weapons, unlock devastating skills, create overpowered builds – and turn your enemies' attacks against them. Try the free demo! ARPG / ROGUELIKE HYBRID ----------------------- Loot is permanent (as soon as you bring it home) but power-ups are lost on death. TURN YOUR ENEMIES' ATTACKS AGAINST THEM! ---------------------------------------- Lure them into their own lasers, or pull them into their own exploding bombs. Get creative! PROCEDURALLY-GENERATED LEVELS ----------------------------- No level is the same – levels are generated procedurally to keep the challenge fresh. RANDOM LOOT ----------- Rare, epic, and legendary random loot – railguns, pulse rifles, flamethrowers and more! HORDES OF ENEMIES ----------------- This won't be easy. Prepare to get overwhelmed. SKILL IS EVERYTHING ------------------- It's not just about your stats. You'll need lightning-fast reflexes and quick thinking to survive. STATS AND SKILL TREE -------------------- Become a hard-to-kill tank, a deadly glass cannon, or a space wizard! SINGLE-PLAYER ONLY (SO FAR) --------------------------- The game is currently single-player only, though we may add multiplayer later. Release date: Oct 4, 2024 Categories: Twin-stick Shooter, Roguelike, Looter Shooter, Procedural Generation, Character Progression, Skill Tree Progression System, Top-Down Shooter Feature scans: - Proton/Linux: score 15; verdict: Works well on Proton/Linux with minor optional tweaks; summary: All three reviews are positive about Linux/Proton compatibility, specifically on the Steam Deck. The game runs well or perfectly, with only a single mention of using Proton Experimental as a minor tweak for controller use. There are no reports of crashes, severe glitches, anti-cheat blockers, or launch failures tied to Linux or Proton. - Steam Deck: score 45; verdict: Playable with tinkering; summary: The game is playable on Steam Deck but requires Proton Experimental and has controller mapping issues. Performance is good after configuration. - Hardware Profile: No data Feature extractions: - Community Price: No data - Playtime Metrics: - Game completion: N/A - Story completion: N/A - Session length: 0.5h - Endgame: N/A - Reasoning: The session length is supported by two quotes: one states missions take 5-10 minutes each, and another recommends the game for half-hour play sessions, implying a typical session of about 30 minutes. The 7-hour and 20-hour quotes indicate total playtime but do not provide completion or endgame milestones, so those metrics remain null. - Time-to-fun: - Summary: The game starts slow and tedious, but picks up as players descend through the facility with more enemies, though some players find it never becomes fun due to grind and boredom. - Stance: Clicks after - Anchor: Descending through the facility - Time to anchor: N/A - Friction: slow start; tedious walking; low action early; repetitive; grindy; boring - Unlock drivers: descending through the facility; more enemies on screen; getting more hectic - Conditions: if you enjoy skill-based combat; if you like roguelike progression; if you can tolerate the slow early game - Player Archetypes: - Casual Player (buy) - Motivation: Enjoyable, low-commitment play sessions without punishing difficulty. - Playstyle: Plays in short bursts, prefers lower difficulty, may skip hard content. - Experience: familiar - Purchase stance: buy - Labels: casual player - Reference games: Diablo - Skill-Based Enthusiast (buy) - Motivation: Mastery of challenging gameplay and satisfying loot progression. - Playstyle: Engages deeply with mechanics, seeks optimal builds, appreciates skill expression. - Experience: veteran - Purchase stance: buy - Labels: N/A - Reference games: The Ascent - Early Access Critic (no buy) - Motivation: They want a polished, complete experience; the current state does not meet expectations. - Playstyle: Not specified, but likely plays normally and encountered issues. - Experience: familiar - Purchase stance: no buy - Labels: N/A - Reference games: N/A Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category. Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews. What players like: - Game is fun and engaging (weight 0.81): Players consistently report that the game is fun from the start, with great action and solid gameplay. The core loop is praised for being engaging and well-crafted. - Combat feels responsive and satisfying (weight 0.78): Combat is highlighted as amazing with responsive controls, fluid movement, and a satisfying flow. The fast-paced, skill-based nature of combat is a major positive. - Weapon variety and overheating mechanic (weight 0.62): The game features a variety of futuristic weapons with unique feels, and the overheating mechanic forces players to switch between them. This adds depth and keeps combat fresh. - Loot and progression systems are rewarding (weight 0.54): The loot system provides a steady stream of upgrades, and the ARPG-like inventory management is cool. Players enjoy the balance between playstyle preferences and the sense of progression. - Enemy interactions add tactical depth (weight 0.51): Enemies can damage each other, and their distinct properties require different strategies. This creates amusing scenarios and adds a tactical layer to combat. - Risk-reward mechanics encourage aggressive play (weight 0.36): The game rewards taking risks, trying new tactics, and aggressive forward pushing. Health drops and reward orbs tempt players to dive into mobs, creating a thrilling experience. - Enemy design is distinct and challenging (weight 0.29): Enemies are well-designed, distinct, and dangerous, each requiring careful handling. The variety, though sometimes low, is strongly typed and adds to the challenge. - Crafting and itemization are well-received (weight 0.27): Crafting is simple and makes sense, and the option to scrap junk items is a nice touch. Overall itemization improvements are appreciated. - Game is a great value (weight 0.23): Players find the game fun for the price, with many hours of fun. The developer is active in forums, which is appreciated. Common complaints: - Early access content incomplete (weight 0.43): Many core features like crafting, story, and skill tree are missing or incomplete due to early access. Players note that content is limited and the game could use more development time. - Lack of music and audio issues (weight 0.28): The game lacks a music backing track, with only title screen music, and the shotgun sound is bad. This detracts from the intended mayhem and atmosphere. - Difficulty spikes are harsh (weight 0.25): Players report significant difficulty spikes, such as from floor one to two, tier 3, and after level 10, with no way to go back and grind for gear. This makes progression feel unfair and frustrating. - Performance issues on various hardware (weight 0.24): Players experience frame rate drops, FPS spikes causing input lag, and lags even on RTX 3070. Some report it barely runs on older GPUs like the 750ti. - Gameplay is grindy and boring (weight 0.24): The game becomes monotonous and grindy, with repetitive elements and grinding arising. Players find it hard to stay engaged due to the lack of variety and meaningful progression. - Technical issues and missing features (weight 0.23): There are various tech issues, missing QoL features, and unpolished bits like fancy affixes that make legendaries matter. Achievements are planned but not present, and some content is missing. - Death penalty is harsh (weight 0.13): Dying results in losing all items picked up during a level, and there is no meaning in death besides that. This makes risk-reward feel punishing and discourages exploration. Gameplay feedback: - Twin-stick shooter with looter elements (weight 0.52): The game is consistently described as a top-down twin-stick shooter that incorporates looter-shooter mechanics, blending fast-paced combat with loot collection and progression. - Skill tree and progression systems (weight 0.51): Players can progress through a skill tree that offers non-linear paths and stat-based upgrades, with additional character customization through equipment and skill allocation. Performance notes: - Steam Deck performance praised (weight 0.35): Multiple reviewers report smooth and stable performance on the Steam Deck, with one noting 45-60 FPS an hour into the game. The game also loads quickly and does not crash on this platform. - Many small bugs cause lag (weight 0.08): Hundreds of little bugs contribute to a laggy experience, indicating a lack of polish that affects overall performance. Recommendations: - Positive recommendations for specific audiences (weight 0.2): Several reviewers recommend the game to players who enjoy skill-based combat, RPG progression, roguelike elements, twin-stick shooting, and loot-chasing. This suggests the game appeals to niche preferences. - Negative recommendations due to issues (weight 0.2): A few reviewers do not recommend the game in its current state, citing missing features like a proper quest system and suggesting the developer look at other games for inspiration. This indicates significant gameplay or content gaps. - Encouragement to try demo (weight 0.18): Multiple reviewers suggest trying the demo before purchasing, indicating that the demo is a good way to evaluate the game. This is a common recommendation for uncertain players. Other player notes: - Early access incomplete (weight 0.43): Multiple reviews note the game is in early access with incomplete story and content, still in alpha or beta stages. This affects overall experience and expectations. - Crafting system upcoming (weight 0.33): Reviewers mention a crafting update is coming or in development, with some noting it's not yet fully implemented. This is a highly anticipated feature. - Steam Deck issues (weight 0.19): The game works on Steam Deck with Proton Experimental and a controller, but all D-pad button mappings are currently broken. This is a specific platform concern. Emotions: - Frustration (weight 0.23): Players are frustrated by severe performance issues, including frame rate drops, input lag, and loading problems, which directly cause deaths and make the game unplayable on various hardware. Additionally, the game's difficulty spikes, tanky enemies, and forced weapon/ability challenges create a tedious and unbalanced experience, compounded by the inability to replay missions and the loss of items upon death. - Satisfaction (weight 0.19): Players feel satisfied with the game's fast-paced, chaotic combat, which is highly dependent on player skill and features satisfying gunplay mechanics like ricocheting bullets and quick weapon switching. The generous roguelite structure, non-linear skill tree, and rewarding upgrades contribute to a challenging but rewarding experience that offers many hours of fun for a low price. - Enjoyment (weight 0.13): Players enjoy the game's responsive controls, amazing combat feel, and brisk gameplay, which is fun right away and heart-pumping. The equipment selection, skill respec, and random loot mechanics add depth, making it a pleasant way to kill time and an intense, interesting top-down shooter. - Disappointment (weight 0.12): Players are disappointed by the lack of meaningful progression, generic loot, enemies, and levels, and the absence of proper bosses or complex elites. The game feels monotonous as skill points and equipment only affect numbers, and the weapon variety is boring, with all maps looking the same and everything having been done better elsewhere. - Excitement (weight 0.1): Players are excited by the non-stop action, tons of guns, upgrades, and enemies, and the rewarding risk-taking that triggers dopamine. The roguelike elements add tension, and the overheating mechanic instead of reloading is cool, making the game well-crafted and promising for its early access future. - Appreciation (weight 0.04): Players appreciate the twist of making enemy attacks work against other enemies, the world filled with secrets and challenges that reward exploration, and the work the developers have put into the game. The game delivers 100% on fun action. - Boredom (weight 0.03): Players are bored because the gameplay is too grindy and boring, and they are forced to play with certain skills and weapons through challenges. Some players already felt bored after just two missions. - Anticipation (weight 0.03): Players are looking forward to the crafting system and seeing how the game develops, with some waiting for the EA release and expecting it to become one of their favorites in the genre. - Hope (weight 0.03): Players hope for crafting implementation and performance improvements, believing the game can reach an 8 or 9 with correct changes. They hope to see it prosper and develop into something awesome. - Impressed (weight 0.01): Players are impressed that the game is better than Dreadhunter gameplay-wise. - Annoyance (weight 0.01): Players are annoyed by the shotgun sound and hard-to-break boxes. - Relief (weight 0.01): Players feel relief that performance issues were resolved by adjusting FPS, vsync, and disabling certain visual effects. - Love (weight 0.01): Players love the top-down shooter gameplay, which is one of their favorites. - Enthusiasm (weight 0.01): Players are enthusiastic because the gameplay is awesome. - Uncertainty (weight 0.01): Players feel uncertain because the game feels muddled with systems that don't quite fit together. - Disengagement (weight 0.01): Players find it hard to get and stay engaged with the game. - Concern (weight 0.01): Players are concerned about enemy spawns, leading to creeping around corners.}