Holy Shoot Review Summary

A fast-paced roguelike FPS with satisfying gunplay and Borderlands-inspired art style, but performance stutters and shallow, incomplete content make it not recommended.

Game is fun and enjoyable: The game is widely praised for being fun, playable, and enjoyable, with fast-paced and chaotic gameplay that players find satisfying. Many reviewers explicitly stated the game is fun to play and has a satisfying feel overall.

Art style inspired by Borderlands: The game features a visually appealing comic art style with thick outlines and a Borderlands-like aesthetic. Players consistently compared the visual presentation to Borderlands and DOOM, noting the charm and appeal of the art direction.

Satisfying and polished gunplay: Gunplay is a standout element, described as satisfying, polished, and responsive, with each weapon having its own feel and shooting sounds. Controller vibration and the overall shooting experience received specific praise from multiple reviewers.

Excellent weapon variety and feel: Weapons are numerous, varied, and satisfying to use, with each gun having its own character and feel. Players appreciated the wide selection and the fact that weapons are highly differentiated from each other.

Satisfying progression and skill tree: Progression is satisfying and engaging, with the new progression tree and skill tree being highlighted as major improvements. Players find the progression loop and talent tree rewarding, adding to the overall enjoyment.

Performance issues cause stutters: Multiple clusters report lag, frame drops, and stuttering, especially in late-game scenarios with many enemies and effects. Optimization issues persist even on strong hardware, hurting combat experience.

Game feels shallow and incomplete: Players report that the game lacks depth, content, and variety, making it feel unfinished. Character skills and upgrades are repetitive, and the overall experience is too short.

Weapon variety is limited: Players note low weapon diversity, with only a few weapons available and many feeling generic. This reduces replayability and strategic depth.

Bugs are present: Several clusters report bugs, including issues with enemies, challenges, and general jankiness. These bugs detract from the polish and stability of the game.

Animations and controls are clunky: Weapon animations have delays, and movement/abilities feel stiff and slow. This makes gameplay feel less responsive and immersive.

Fast-paced roguelike FPS: The game is consistently described as a fast-paced first-person shooter with roguelike mechanics, set in hell and featuring comic art style. This is the most common and defining description across reviews.

Permanent progression and upgrade tree: The game features a progression system with an upgrade tree and permanent upgrades, allowing for meta-progression between runs. This is highlighted as a key roguelite element.

Four bosses to defeat: Reviews mention the presence of four bosses, with some altering this number to seven, but four is the most common count. Boss fights are a core part of the game's structure.

Two playable characters available: Players highlight that the game currently offers two playable characters, each likely with distinct abilities. This is a common point mentioned in multiple reviews.

Challenging boss fights with patterns: Boss battles are challenging, featuring unique attack patterns and arenas with damaging obstacles. This provides a test of player skill.

FPS drops and stuttering: Many players report FPS drops and stuttering, especially in combat or late-game scenarios. These issues persist even on high-end hardware.

Poor optimization complaints: Several reviews criticize the game's level of optimization, noting lag, low frame rates, and instability. This is framed as a common issue affecting gameplay experience.

Smooth performance on some systems: Despite many issues, certain players report stable and smooth performance, even on integrated graphics or lower-end setups. These positive reports contrast with the general trend.

Crashes and freezes: Some players encountered crashes at launch, after certain actions, or during gameplay, causing frustration. Specific instances include crashes with Intel AI Boost and after killing a boss.

Optimization issues cause lag spikes: Users on low settings still experience lag spikes, suggesting fundamental optimization flaws. This is a frequent minor mention.

Not recommended currently: Multiple reviewers advise against buying or playing the game in its current state, citing it as not fully fleshed out. The consensus is to wait for further development before committing.

Buy on discount only: Several reviewers suggest purchasing the game only when it is on sale or at a discount, not at full price. This indicates the game may not justify its current price point for many players.

Good for roguelite fans: Reviewers recommend the game to fans of roguelite FPS games, suggesting it fits well within that genre. It is seen as appealing to players who enjoy fast-paced shooter roguelites.

General positive recommendation: Several reviewers outright recommend the game without major caveats. This shows a solid base of positive reception from a variety of players.

Potential but unfinished: Reviewers see high potential in the game but believe it is too early to recommend it fully. They expect it to improve with future updates and polish.

Community fair range: $7.00 - $12.00.

Game completion: 3.0h.

Story completion: 2.5h.

The game is enjoyable from the start but becomes repetitive after a few hours or after a single victory, leading to a drop in engagement.

Friction: intrusive tutorial elements.

Frustrated Veterans: Compares to genre standards; expects polished mechanics, performance, and content parity with peers like Roboquest and Gunfire Reborn. Motivation: Seeking a refined, complete roguelite experience before investing time or money. Stance: no buy.

Patient Potential Believers: Patient; tolerates early access roughness and focuses on underlying design and meta-progression promise. Motivation: Believes the game will improve with updates and wants to support development while waiting for maturity. Stance: sale.

Casual Chillers: Laid-back, non-competitive; enjoys short sessions without high difficulty or grind pressure. Motivation: Relaxation and stress-free fun with forgiving meta-progression and approachable gameplay. Stance: sale.

Steam Deck: The game exhibits critical controller support issues (no aim assist, incomplete gamepad inputs) and persistent performance problems (crashes, stuttering, frame drops). These barriers make the game unsuitable for Steam Deck out of the box, requiring significant developer patches or workarounds to become playable.

Borderlands and Doom comparisons: Many reviews note the game's art style, humor, and weapon design are reminiscent of Borderlands, while combat feels like Doom. Specific comparisons include comic-style graphics and boomer shooter elements.

Early access state: Many reviews mention the game is in early access, with some noting developers read reviews. Others suggest it may need more development time before full release.

Compared to Roboquest and Gunfire Reborn: Reviewers frequently compare the game to other FPS roguelites like Roboquest and Gunfire Reborn, often stating it lacks differentiation and does not compete well with these established titles.

Rushed 1.0 release quality: Reviewers criticize the 1.0 release for felt like a 0.5 version quality, with bugs and controls not up to standard. Some note it feels like a rushed full release despite being early access.

Short campaign length: Several reviews report the main campaign can be completed in under three hours, with some finishing all achievements in about two to four hours. The limited content is a common concern.