REAPER Review Summary

Great weapon variety and level design with memorable bosses and retro graphics, but gameplay feels repetitive and lacks a proper ending.

Great weapon variety and feel: Players appreciated the arsenal of weapons, noting that all feel useful and satisfying. The scythe melee combat and ranged magic attacks were highlights, with the flying daggers being particularly memorable.

Clever and varied level design: Levels were varied with good use of verticality, textures, and creative concepts like a garden with a farmer using a pitchfork. The designs were often large but manageable, with hidden secrets encouraging exploration.

Memorable bosses and enemies: Players enjoyed the numerous boss fights and varied enemy roster, with distinct designs and funny voice lines. The gore effects and death animations were also appreciated.

Excellent retro-style graphics: The pixelated art style and sprite work received high praise, often described as top-notch and among the best in retro shooters. The medieval dark fantasy setting and gothic architecture enhanced the visual appeal.

Good voice acting and humor: Voice acting was a highlight, including cameos and funny lines that added charm. The humor was tongue-in-cheek and appreciated, with memorable sound bites and comedic enemy designs.

Gameplay is repetitive: Many players found the gameplay loop monotonous and lacking depth, with repetitive combat that becomes stale quickly.

No proper ending: Several reviewers noted that after defeating the final boss, the game returns to the start without credits or conclusion, making the ending feel abrupt and unsatisfying.

Ammo scarcity frustrating: Players complained about extremely limited ammo for ranged weapons, especially on easy difficulty, which hurt gameplay flow and enjoyment.

Hit detection issues: Numerous players reported broken hit detection, including scythe having terrible range and projectiles passing through enemies, making combat frustrating.

Level design uninspired: Levels were criticized for being bland, with long empty corridors, massive open arenas, and simplistic layouts that lacked engaging exploration.

Boomer shooter style: The game is consistently described as a boomer shooter, with retro aesthetics and mechanics similar to classic FPS titles. Players highlight its small-scale, bite-sized nature and old-school FPS elements.

Melee-focused combat: Combat is primarily melee, using weapons like a scythe and sword, rather than traditional shooting. Players emphasize the melee-centric approach, with only a few ranged weapons available, making it play like a hack-and-slash.

Level progression with secrets: The game features level-by-level gameplay with enemies, keys, secrets, and bosses, similar to classic FPS structure. Levels are compact and self-contained, with hidden secrets to discover and various gimmicks.

Retro FPS gameplay: The game evokes classic first-person shooters like Doom, Quake, and Wolfenstein 3D, with old PC style, pixelated graphics, and 2D maze-like levels. It uses an independent engine and offers a nostalgic experience.

Weapon progression system: There is a clear weapon progression starting with melee, then ranged, and upgrading to more powerful versions. Players have access to a scythe, swords, a staff, and a bow, with all weapons feeling useful.

Frequent crashes reported: Players report the game crashes constantly, sometimes every few minutes, making it unplayable. High-end hardware like the RTX 4090 at 3440x1440 still experiences crashes, indicating stability issues across configurations.

Worth price, but skip or sale: Several reviewers mention the game is worth its price point, fine for its price, or worth the price of admission, but one suggests it is worth skipping or buying on sale for those curious. This indicates a mixed but generally favorable view on value.

Recommended for retro FPS fans: Multiple reviewers highlight the game's appeal to fans of old, simple FPS games from the DOS or early Windows era, as well as boomer shooters and arena-based combat. It is described as an easy buy for this audience.

Not recommended in current state: Some reviewers state the game is impossible to recommend or cannot be recommended in its current state, suggesting significant issues or shortcomings. This negative sentiment is notable but less frequent than positive recommendations.

Positive, good effort from DOSMan: Reviewers are positive about the game, calling it another good effort from DOSMan Games. This reinforces the developer's reputation.

Must-have for shooter collections: The game is described as a must-have for shooter collections, indicating high value for genre enthusiasts. This is a strong positive endorsement.

Community fair range: $2.50 - $3.00.

Game completion: 1.0h.

Story completion: 1.0h.

The game is initially enjoyable with praised bosses and weapon, but quickly becomes repetitive and stale, especially towards the end of its short campaign.

Retro FPS Enthusiast: Melee-focused combat with weapon switching, appreciates variety in enemy sprites and level design. Motivation: Nostalgia for classic DOS-era shooters and simple, satisfying melee gameplay. Stance: buy.

Price-Conscious Critic: Evaluates games primarily on cost-to-value ratio; not focused on gameplay specifics. Motivation: Obtaining a fair price relative to game quality and technical polish. Stance: no buy.

Quality-Focused Skeptic: Prioritizes technical stability and polish; intolerant of bugs and missing features. Motivation: Desiring a fully functional, bug-free experience. Stance: no buy.

Game is very short: Multiple reviews highlight that the game can be completed in about an hour, with some mentioning a few hours of content. This is a common criticism affecting perceived value.

Comparisons to classic shooters: The game is frequently compared to retro FPS titles like Wolfenstein 3D, Heretic, Hexen, and Catacomb 3-D, often noting its engine and style. These comparisons frame it within the boomer shooter genre.

Low price and value: The game is sold at a very low price, even without sales, and is considered worth its cost. Some see it as a cheap time waster, while others note it competes with many free games.

Comparisons to other DOSMan titles: Reviewers compare this game to other DOSMan games, with some recommending Quartermain and the Cult of Cthulu as the top choice. Others mention that previous projects were better.

Developer is DOSMan Games: The game is developed and published by DOSMan Games, and it is part of their series of FPS titles. This context is important for fans of the developer's previous work.