And All Would Cry Beware!
A neat little FPS Metroidvania romp through an alien and dangerous world of polygons and stark colors. Short but with intriguing lore, And All Would Cry Beware evokes the spirit of going beyond the veil that marks games like The Dig, Axiom Verge, and Remnant: From the Ashes.
The player takes the role of an unknown survivor of a ruined future Los Angeles, who ducks into a building in the hopes of evading a “kill gang” only to find that the building belonged to scientists who found a means to travel beyond Earth via portal. Finding a pistol and the means to activate the portal, there seems to be no way to go but through. On the other side is a world we know only as “Xanadu”, and the scattered log entries left behind by a previous expedition make more then a few references to the poem by that name.
– Real player with 2.4 hrs in game
Read More: Best Metroidvania 3D Games.
Cute for what it is, but 10 USD is a rip for around 2 hours of content, much of which I spent trying to glitch myself up walls and sequence break. This is about the quality you might expect from a good, free itch.io game or the like. Some neat ideas, but not long enough or polished enough to really be anything great. Particularly the game suffers from sections being hard to navigate due to the limited textures used. In the caves and forest areas, the floors and ceilings look almost identical, and it makes navigation a pain. Once I found better ways to navigate and just jump over all the entire map, it felt much better. Other major note is that the volume has a tendency of resetting to full when you load back in to a save file, and the controls option menu looks like it was just a base default of whatever engine this is on, really throws me out of the moment. On the positive side, the enemies and bosses were all very creative and had good, simple patterns that made fighting them feel fair and enjoyable. The music was catchy but nothing memorable.
– Real player with 2.1 hrs in game
Exophobia
Exophobia is a retro-inspired first person shooter with fast-paced combat. You wake up to find yourself alone in a human spaceship infested with hostile alien soldiers. Explore your surroundings while you uncover piece by piece the backstory and destiny of its human inhabitants. Shoot, dash, stun your enemies and more, in your path to escape!
KILL
FPS action where fast reflexes and clever positioning are vital. Learn enemy behavior and use all your movement options and your surroundings to eliminate diverse groups of alien armies as fast as possible or before they kill you.
EXPLORE
Discover a labyrinthine spaceship with multiple floors and uncover the past events that led to this high-stakes moment. Get lost in hostile environments and traps while doing your best to survive. Be curious enough and you might find some secrets that will make you stronger.
UPGRADE
If you find a specialized room, you can improve your weapon with a new ability. These drastically change your combat tactics and will be used to open up previously inaccessible areas in the spaceship required to progress.
DIE
Ruthless difficulty with diverse combat situations with different enemy types and attack patterns, including menacing bosses. When you die, you respawn in the last visited checkpoint in the spaceship, so beware what you might find in the next room.
Read More: Best Metroidvania Unforgiving Games.
Hedon Bloodrite
Hedon is a fantastically fun game that really seems to understand the things that made its inspirations great. The combat, map design, and general mechanics are excellent and come together in a way that’s rare even in some of the classics, and it avoids nearly all of the pitfalls that often plague FPS games.
In general, I’d say it reminded me most of Hexen or Hexen 2, but with better weapon variety and without having to travel through hub maps back and forth to shuffle items around or find out what a switch did. All the maps in Hedon are self-contained and there are enough signs, notes, and other environmental cues to help you navigate without needing any overt direction from the UI. The automap automatically marks locked doors with the symbol for the key you need to open them, and you can even place your own marks manually for other important locations you want to remember. There were a few points where the game’s pace slowed down a little too much or I was at a loss for where to go next, but never long enough to really bother me or spoil the fun. There’s a decent amount of platforming but it is mostly generous enough that I never felt like it was asking too much of me, and the game refrains from putting nasty ambushes in conjunction with limited mobility.
– Real player with 54.8 hrs in game
Read More: Best Metroidvania Retro Games.
Hedon is an old school FPS game that tries to emulate the good ol' days of shooters, way before regenerating health and multiplayer only games, with 2D sprites mixed with 3D objects. This game tries to go for a balance between combat, exploration (Sometimes it gets a bit linear), and narrative, and I find that it works out pretty well. There’s a lot of fast paced combat and a variety of weapons to keep the slaughtering fresh.
Gameplay:
The gameplay is what you’d expect from a game like this. Lots of action, a wide array of weapons that all feel satisfying to use and some have different fire modes, and on the higher difficulties, waves and waves of enemies eager to tear you a new one. I admit I started playing this game expecting something way more linear and combat focused, like Painkiller or maybe Doom 2016, but I was surprised when I found out that there’s a lot of exploration and reading in this game. Some parts were a bit frustrating since some key items are quite easy to miss, sometimes I would miss an absolutely vital item because I’m blind, and sometimes I would pick it up without realizing, and I would spend a while running around in circles trying to find out what I missed. Some areas are particularily frustrating because of this, like that one point where you are stuck in a pitch black cave and you gotta move around trying to find your way out. The level that made me feel like this the most was the second one, I felt like it was way too big and open, and I still can’t remember the exact way after a few playthroughs, so I often end up skipping it. The later levels in the game start to pick up the pace in my opinion, and they start to get more into linear combat. The weapons all feel amazing to use, and there’s a second game mode called Bearzerk, where all of your guns are gone, but you get a few new melee weapons to make up for this. The game will also spawn dozens and dozens of enemies, and you are stuck trying to run at mach speed dodging projectiles and closing the gap so you can destroy them. It’s pretty fun. The game can be finished in about 4 hours, but I spent way more because I kept getting lost, at least the game gives you a map.
– Real player with 43.4 hrs in game
Anopek
Nice concise Metroidvania.
As expected from an FPS in the Wolfenstein 3D vein there’s no jumping which is rather unusual for a Metroidvania.
The enemies have the distinct approaches with scorpions marching along a predetermined path, mummies slowly homing in on you and giant mystic slug slowly meandering around before turning around to drop the megaton bomb on you.
The bosses provide their unique challenges with only the bone worm being able to be summed as Just Circle Strafe Dummy. The highlights include a golem persistently ripping shields off of the walls and a moth with about 6 different phases.
– Real player with 12.3 hrs in game
A short but wonderfully worthwhile experience! Anopek is a fun game with enough variety in weapons, enemies, and areas to keep you engaged throughout. Probably around an 8/10 if I had to give a number.
The game’s overall feel is the highlight; the look and sound of each area mixed with weapons that hold a good sense of power to them. Like any good fps: the shotgun felt like the most fun to use, and was acquired at a point where I was feeling like I could maybe do with some stronger firepower. Some of the boss battles felt a little more tedious than necessary, but others are strong tests of the player’s knowledge of their weapons as well as their ability to use them on the fly. The library section was by far my favorite, and it’s corresponding weapon’s special power brought a big, dumb grin to my face once I realized what to do.
– Real player with 5.8 hrs in game
Supraland Six Inches Under
Gameplay
In Supraland Six Inches Under is a First-Person-Metroidvania. That means, you’re in a gated world and the more abilities you gather, the more parts of the world you can access.
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The gameplay consists of roughly 55% exploration, 35% solving puzzles and 10% combat.
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The adventure will take between 8-20 hours.
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Hundreds of gags
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2 funny gags
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Has absolutely zero skilltrees
Compared to the first Supraland game:
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The puzzles are simpler in the main path; hard puzzles are mostly optional
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Exploration is the biggest part of the game
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There is less combat
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Much more optional content, a lot of it only accessible after the credits
The story behind the game
“Six Inches Under” was a little sideproject that was established to introduce new dev team members to our tools and workflow. Essentially it’s our preparation for the sequel to Supraland.
While David made the first game pretty much alone, he had a much smaller role in this one - mostly supervising and building two small areas.
It was supposed to be a little DLC for Supraland , but for some reason it got a bit out of hand and got more and more ambitous. Instead of 3 months it took us 2 years to make this.
It can be considered “Supraland 1.5” because there are still a lot things from the first game, but at the same time it’s an entire new world with a bunch of new mechanics.
Combat
If you’re a fan of the first Supraland you might be interested in the approach to combat in this new game. After having learned a lot of lessons the core concept was changed a lot and can still be considered experimental. The enemies are now much more separated from puzzles and won’t get in your way there. The all new enemy types behave much more different from each other and there is no more one-fits-all solution to them. Hope you like it!
Orion: The Eternal Punishment
Not a bad game has a nice retro feel to it,Controls are spot on,aiming and movement are very responsive. There are somethings i felt could use some improvement like when coming off of the hook shots it feels like you’re going to fall off the cliff side and in some cases i did indeed fall off,the enemy AI could use some major tweaking witch in turn would make the gun play more fun and last but certainly not least when you shoot your crossbow sometimes it shoots and sometimes not. In closing it’s fun,it’s free and if you like Fps games Retro or otherwise then it’s worth checking out.
– Real player with 0.7 hrs in game
this game isn’t bad, but it is a bit of a hassle to play. there is only one level as of my play time and that one level is designed in a way that makes sure you don’t know where to go. it’s easy to feel stuck or like you’ve done something wrong when playing. the end is very abrupt and just replays the same level without any satisfying conclusion to your half hour effort to find the exit
– Real player with 0.5 hrs in game
Paradox Vector
The most exciting and admirable aspect of Paradox Vector is unquestionably the art design, which is not only unique, but a true joy to look at. All the colors and shapes build up a very stylized, but beautiful environment which is exciting to explore to the last detail.
Apart from that, many other aspects of the game may or may not cause… 𝘮𝘪𝘹𝘦𝘥 feelings in certain players - depending on their gaming taste or temperament - like the enemy AI, the layout of the levels, the sometimes unbalanced difficulty, the sharp contrast between the first and second half of the game, etc. But even with the hit and miss parts, I think Paradox Vector is still worth to play. Recalls many great and interesting aspects of old (FPS) games combining with a truly unique aesthetic.
– Real player with 11.6 hrs in game
I’m not too far into Paradox Vector but I’m very much enjoying the old school vibe of the game. Think 80s Tron combined with a prison-labyrinth setting. The game has proved quite challenging due to HP restores being limited, however the dev has noted this and adding some extra nodes to make the game a bit less daunting at the start. (Even though I died a lot, I actually enjoyed how punishing it felt, reminded me of the good old days)
There’s no real soundtrack to the game from what I’ve encountered, but the creepy ambience adds to the atmosphere. It actually surprised me with how many jump scares it’s given me. Prepare for plenty of brain-bending areas that will play tricks on your mind as you try to navigate your surroundings.
– Real player with 7.0 hrs in game
ENCHAIN
You are the Last Deprived, the final corpse to ever rise from the stone depths, dooming all creation to a ceaseless death. This underworld does not welcome you. Unlock the secrets of the crypt, take back life from your fleshless brethren, and fight your own way out of humanity’s tomb.
ENCHAIN links hack & slash juggling and frenetic platforming with fast-paced retro FPS gunplay. Inspired by platform fighters and Quake, smash the undead into pieces with your lantern hook and arsenal of guns. And, with progression and verticality influenced by Dark Souls, tackle a single interconnected world chunk by chunk, retreading old paths and secrets.
Get lost in the chasm. No one will be holding your cold, hollow hands along the way.
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Grapple, shoot, kick, and dive between platforming and combat
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Fracture and harvest the bones of the undead for resources
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Explore an intertwined, non-linear underworld
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Rest at cozy lantern posts to store the fruits of your travels
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Listen to atmospheric music by Oliver Trinidad
Abyss of Neptune
Abyss of Neptune is a well designed short game, with an interesting story and decent game play. The presentation and environment is the most notable, as they are overall beautiful.
I found the aiming to be a little tedious at first, but after many tries, I finally was able to get the degree of drop off that the bolts had, and hit my targets reliably.
The motion of the character was nearly perfect. The only problem I had, was the tail off felt more like a space motion then ocean, where the character drifted with little to no reducing of her speed. The controlled motions nail down the water feel, but there should be a little more resistance when you are not actively pushing a direction. Aside from that, the character interactions and movement were a dream.
– Real player with 6.2 hrs in game
I really like the atmosphere of this game. It’s supposed to be an eerie underwater horror game, and the ambiance really sells it. The art is aesthetically pleasing, and everything looks really polished with the detail of the lighting. The sound design is really well done, I feel like I’m underwater, and the sound of the character breathing creates additional stress which plays well into the horror genre.
The resource management in the game is really well done. You have to manage your oxygen, which slowly depletes as you explore. It isn’t something you have to micro-manage, but it does have to stay in the back of your mind. The ammunition found in the game is fairly hard to come by, and is something that you have to carefully manage. Running out of ammo can be stressful, and stumbling upon ammo is a huge relief.
– Real player with 5.0 hrs in game
Chains of Fury
Experience the sick pleasure of painting rooms with alien slimeballs. Feel the bliss of nostalgia coming through you. You’re in for a hell of a ride but: always respect the Duke.
Become the meanest hero motherF&@*#@ on the planet, whose testosterone can only be measured in the amounts of bullets you share with those standing in your way. Shooting, smashing, destroying = music for your ears. Make alien bastards pay for what they’ve done.
KEY FEATURES:
Destructible walls - you don’t need keys as almost everything is destructible.
Hidden Secrets - loads of eastereggs & secrets wait to be found.
Retro inspired - Duke, Quake, UT, Doom. We took inspirations from the best.
Dark Humor - you’ll recall times where FPS games could make you smile.
Split screen multiplayer - play with your friend or foe.
You are a hired gun. Your former clients put you in prison instead of paying you. That was their last mistake. You will find them and you will get your money back. No world-saving, no zero to hero bullshit, no mercy. It’s nothing personal - it’s just business.
There is no turning back. If something is slowing you down, just shoot it and destroy it. Nearly all walls are destroyable here.
This is gonna be bloody. Even punches and kicks get to be quite lethal here.
Use your environment to your advantage. Abysses, force fields, vortexes, spikes on the walls, and more. Make those kills MEMorable.
Shoot first, ask questions later. You are here “just” for pure mayhem. Choose from the guns that everyone knows and loves: minigun, shotgun, railgun and more. Rejoice in the real thrill of slaughtering scumbugs standing in your way.
There is no time for thinking here. Lots of enemy types including bosses are waiting to be slain.