The Rift, and extra – Gamezebo

We attempt to cowl each Swap sport we’re despatched a code for right here at Gamezebo. Generally we discover ourselves with a little bit of a backlog although – like proper now for example. 

So listed here are some shorter critiques of video games launched or up to date on the Swap over the previous couple of months – that we’d not have gotten spherical to protecting in any other case. This instalment is somewhat particular as we’re focusing largely on first individual shooters. With a zombie apocalypse thrown in.

Trend Police Squad

Trend Police Squad is that the majority uncommon of issues – a genuinely amusing parody of first individual shooters. And we don’t say that flippantly. 

It revolves round you exploring a world the place your job as an officer is to proper trend disasters. To do that you employ a variety of weaponry to attain this. Whether or not it’s firing needles to repair saggy pants to calming down eye-bleeding neon clothes.

The twist is that you simply do that whereas persons are nonetheless carrying the garments, and so they all have a variety of assorted methods of stopping you from correcting their get ups.

There’s a powerful variety of enemies to face, and it’s all wrapped up in massively endearing pixel artwork presentation. Even the writing is sharp.

The place we do have a minor challenge is that each kind of enemy requires a selected weapon to take down, which does take away a number of the immediacy to the motion.

Finally although Trend Police Squad is a properly priced and beautifully offered shooter that provides one thing very totally different to its friends.

Rating: 4/5

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun

Boltgun obtained loads of hype as soon as launched, largely as a result of Warhammer followers being starved of excellent videogame tie-ins for the beloved miniature wargame.

It will probably’t fairly stay as much as that hype, however is a massively satisfying shooter at instances. What it actually isn’t is a ‘boomer shooter’ – one thing the sport’s advertising crew have been all too eager to assert.

As a substitute it’s extra within the vein of Doom 2016, with largely linear ranges that funnel you into arenas the place you must defeat waves upon waves of assorted foes.

And though it’s no advanced masterpiece it affords some extremely satisfying fight. The titular Boltgun mows by way of enemies, and there’s a melee assault that tears by way of foes – fairly actually.

The visuals are deliberately pixelated, and do look fairly trendy. Sadly they make enjoying the sport handheld fairly troublesome, particularly if you’re leaping across the bigger areas.

There isn’t an enormous quantity to Boltgun, however what’s there largely satisfies – simply don’t go into anticipating it to be the throwback shooter many have recommended it’s.

Rating: 3.5/5

Chasm: The Rift

A largely forgotten shooter from 1997 developed by Ukranian studio Motion Kinds, Chasm: The Rift has so many spectacular components – that are solely matched by its many flaws.

Technically a 2D title however designed in a approach to seem 3D, it’s a marvel of design – for the mid-nineties anyway. 

Modern-day gamers usually tend to discover how shonky sure components are nonetheless, comparable to navigation being unnecessarily troublesome due to arduous to see switches or doorways. There’s a boss early on that requires various trial and error to determine too.

The fight may be massively entertaining although, particularly as foes can have sure components of their anatomy blown away whilst you shoot away at them.  

Ranges are a assorted bunch too, with a time touring component within the storyline which means you’re taken to historical Egypt and, er, varied army bases.

In the event you’re a fan of first individual shooter historical past Chasm: The Rift is value testing when it’s on sale – in any other case you could battle to miss lots of its creakier components.

Rating: 3/5

Nightmare Reaper

We’re personally somewhat uninterested in roguelite first individual shooters that declare to be replicating previous traditional shooters.

The attraction of video games like Quake and Doom was the mixture of fight and tight degree design. By eradicating the second issue – like Nightmare Reaper does with its randomly generated levels – you’re left with one thing that may’t even declare to be a pale imitation of the titles it claims to observe.

There are some gratifying components right here all the identical, comparable to a assorted enemy set and a few private touches – together with a hospital room which acts as a foremost hub. 

The variety of weapons and upgrades can also be dizzying, and the presentation is mostly wonderful. Together with a thumping Doom 2016 type rating.

Sadly the dearth of concrete degree designs and excessive price ticket means Nightmare Reaper ought to solely be seemed into by probably the most devoted FPS roguelite followers.

Rating: 2.5/5

Raging Bytes

Initially launched on cellular earlier this 12 months, Raging Bytes is a slight however moderately charming entry within the zombie survival style.

Boasting fundamental however charming pixelart visuals, it’s primarily based in 1978 the place you – Ben, a police officer – should survive a zombie apocalypse.

You crew up with varied characters, and there’s a variety of weapons. However what’s attention-grabbing right here is the slower paced flip primarily based fight that you simply’re compelled into if you tackle a horde of the undead. It provides an attention-grabbing layer of technique to a sport that would have simply ended up feeling quite simple and one be aware.

Raging Bytes can’t fairly justify its excessive asking value, however definitely affords one thing somewhat totally different within the survival horror style. 

Rating: 3.5/5