Fury Unleashed Review Summary

Despite its great weapon variety, enjoyable co-op, and unique comic art style, the punishing difficulty even on easy, frequent freezes, and repetitive gameplay hold it back.

Great weapon variety and upgrades: Players consistently praise the wide assortment of weapons, upgrades, and customization options. The variety adds depth and keeps gameplay interesting.

Co-op mode is highly enjoyable: Many reviews highlight that the game is especially fun in two-player co-op, with local co-op being a standout feature. Playing with a friend significantly enhances the experience.

Overall fun and addictive gameplay: The game is widely described as fun, addictive, and enjoyable, with engaging gameplay that keeps players coming back. This is a common theme across many reviews.

Unique comic book art style: The comic book aesthetic is a standout feature, with visuals that make players feel like they are inside a comic. This style is tied to gameplay mechanics, adding to its appeal.

Smooth and responsive controls: Players frequently mention that the controls are fluid, smooth, and precise, contributing to a satisfying gameplay experience. Responsive controls are a key positive aspect.

Difficulty too high even on easy: The game is challenging even on easy mode, with enemies being tanky and dealing high damage, and the default hard difficulty is considered unfair. This makes the game unsuitable for casual players and beginners.

Repetitive gameplay and limited variety: Players report that the game becomes repetitive after a few hours due to limited scenario and stage types, and the roguelike content lacks expected variety. This leads to boredom and reduced long-term engagement.

Co-op connection and bugs: Online co-op is frequently plagued by connection instability, freezes, and disconnects, making it painful to play. Many players cannot connect more than half the time, and the last level is especially buggy.

Punishing death and health recovery: Dying sends players back to the start with loss of power-ups, even on easy difficulty, and health recovery is difficult. This makes progression feel harsh and discouraging, especially with tough bosses.

Slow progression and skill gain: Skill point gain is low and progression in the skill tree is slow, especially after level 35. This makes character advancement feel tedious and unrewarding.

Fast-paced roguelite action platformer: The game is consistently described as a 2D run-and-gun action platformer with roguelite elements, emphasizing fast-paced combat and procedural generation. This core identity is mentioned across multiple clusters, making it the most prominent theme.

Co-op multiplayer modes available: Players highlight the availability of both local and online co-op, with some noting that the game is geared towards cooperative play. This feature is frequently mentioned, indicating it is a key selling point.

Procedurally generated levels: Levels, maps, and locations are randomly generated, providing replayability and roguelike unpredictability. This is a recurring feature mentioned in several clusters.

Diverse weapons and upgrades: The game offers a wide assortment of weapons, equipment, and upgrades, with a focus on variety and combinations. This is a common point of praise, suggesting deep customization options.

Adjustable difficulty settings: Players can customize difficulty through sliders or fixed settings, and the default difficulty is set to 'Hard'. This flexibility caters to different skill levels.

Frequent game freezes: Multiple users report the game freezing frequently during gameplay, sometimes leading to forced exits. This appears to be a widespread issue affecting various systems.

Mac freezing and save issues: The game freezes on Mac computers and also fails to save content on that platform. These are separate but related Mac-specific problems.

Post-update crashes: The game crashes by itself after an update, indicating a regression introduced in a recent patch. This is a critical issue for affected users.

Freeze tied to CPU: One user notes that the game freezes when the CPU's single-core usage is maxed out, suggesting a performance bottleneck. This could be related to poor optimization.

Controller freezing on Win10: A specific bug causes the game to freeze when using a controller on Windows 10. This is a platform-specific issue that may not affect other setups.

Buy on sale: Many reviewers emphasize that the game is worth purchasing only when discounted, often citing significant price drops and better value at promotional prices. Some mention specific price points like $5 or a few hundred yen as ideal.

General recommendation: A number of reviewers simply recommend the game without specific conditions, expressing overall satisfaction and enjoyment. These positive endorsements suggest the game has broad appeal and delivers a fun experience.

Best with friends: A substantial number of reviewers recommend playing the game in co-op with friends, noting that the experience is enhanced when shared. Some suggest it is only enjoyable with a companion, while others highlight local co-op or Steam Remote Play options.

Recommended for genre fans: Reviewers frequently recommend the game to fans of specific genres such as 2D action, roguelike, roguelite, twin-stick shooters, and platformers. They note that those who enjoy these styles will likely appreciate the gameplay, while others may not.

Difficulty and grind: Some reviewers mention the game's high difficulty and the need for grinding or repeated attempts, which may appeal to certain players but deter others. They recommend it for those who enjoy challenging gameplay and don't mind the grind.

Community fair range: $15.00 - $20.00.

Story completion: 11.0h.

Fury Unleashed is fun from the start, but a notable portion of players report that enjoyment fades after a few hours due to slow progression and problematic co-op.

Friction: online co-op connection issues; guest cannot participate in co-op; co-op is a mess; slow progression after early game; skill tree becomes too slow.

Co-op Companions: Multiplayer-focused, coordinating with a partner, sharing resources and dealing with co-op limitations. Motivation: Playing with friends and sharing the experience, despite technical flaws. Stance: sale.

Old-School Run 'n' Gun Veterans: Fast-paced, combo-focused, seeking high scores and minimal damage. Motivation: Nostalgia for classic 2D action and the thrill of mastering difficult gameplay. Stance: buy.

Roguelite Progression Seekers: Iterative runs, focusing on ink collection, combo maintenance, and skill resets to optimize builds. Motivation: Unlocking permanent upgrades and discovering synergistic builds through repeated runs. Stance: sale.

Steam Deck: The game is playable on Steam Deck but requires manual selection of Proton Experimental to display Chinese text correctly. Some users also encounter freezes and map-loading glitches. Overall performance is praised, but the mandatory compatibility layer toggle and occasional stability issues place the experience in the 'tinkering required' category.

Linux and Proton: The game demonstrates strong Linux compatibility, with one user reporting flawless performance on Debian Linux. A separate report indicates that on Steam Deck, default Proton settings cause Chinese text to be missing, but switching to Proton Experimental resolves the issue. This suggests a minor locale-specific rendering quirk rather than a fundamental compatibility problem.

Frequently compared to Metal Slug: Many reviewers compare the game to Metal Slug, noting similarities in art style, gameplay speed, and intensity. Some also mention Contra and Dead Cells as comparable titles.

Compared to Dead Cells and roguelites: The game is often compared to Dead Cells, Rogue Legacy, and other roguelites, highlighting its roguelite mechanics and progression systems. These comparisons are frequent and detailed.

Compared to Contra and classics: The game is often compared to Contra and other classic run-and-gun titles, with some noting it as a modern take on the genre. These comparisons are common and positive.

Good value on sale: Reviewers frequently mention that the game is cheap, especially on sale, with discounts up to 80%. Many say it is not worth the full price but is a good deal when discounted.

Compared to other roguelikes: The game is compared to various roguelikes like Slay the Spire, ScourgeBringer, and Dungreed, with some reviewers preferring it over others. These comparisons are less frequent but still notable.