Striking Distance Studios, the team behind 2022’s sci-fi survival horror The Callisto Protocol re-approaches the same universe from that game, but in an isometric roguelike in [REDACTED]. It throws players into a desolate, procedurally generated prison teeming with monstrous horrors for a surprisingly great time. While it lacks the narrative depth of its predecessor, [REDACTED] compensates with its tight gameplay loop, challenging enemies, and a lightened atmosphere set against the dark horrors that will ensure you come back for “just one more run.”
The story in [REDACTED] is purposefully minimalistic. You are a prison guard working in Black Iron Prison when the zombie outbreak happens, and there’s only one escape pod left. This is the very same penitentiary from The Callisto Protocol, as it is the exact same universe and prison that resides on Jupiter’s moon, Callisto. As everything is falling apart, it is up to you to make your way to that escape pod, through zombies, other guards and odd characters to ensure that spot is for you. Along the way though, will assured be deaths and many restarts, but it’s a great time working towards that freedom and safety.
Death happens often, and comes swiftly, and when you do die you get “REDACTED”, and are sent back to the start of the prison in a new life. One of my absolute favorite gameplay elements of [REDACTED], is that along the way you will have to fight your reanimated corpse on a subsequent run. So that means if you died while powerful, it will be a tough fight as they will have the loadout you were carrying at that time. It’s an absolutely brilliant and fantastic concept that’s executed wonderfully. I wouldn’t be surprised if other roguelikes don’t take this for themselves going forward.
[REDACTED] plays like a top-down twin-stick shooter with a heavy emphasis on resource management and tactical combat. The game has a comic book aesthetic and is a tonal shift when compared to The Callisto Protocol. However, it all works, and manages to strike a balance between its themes and monstrous designs. Each run begins by selecting a starting weapon from a limited pool and available funds, forcing players to adapt their playstyle based on their initial loadout. As you explore, you’ll encounter a variety of firearms, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. From the reliable shotgun perfect for close encounters to the versatile assault rifle ideal for mid-range combat, [REDACTED] offers a diverse arsenal that caters to different playstyles, helping to support melee builds as well.
Combat encounters are intense and rewarding, where movement is fluid and responsive, and the controls feel perfectly suited to the isometric perspective. Enemies come in a variety of shapes and sizes, all with unique attack patterns and weaknesses. Learning enemy tells and exploiting their vulnerabilities is key to survival. The game encourages strategic movement and positioning, as enemies often attack in groups and can easily overwhelm you if you’re caught out in the open. Resource management plays a crucial role – ammo and health items are scarce, forcing you to carefully choose your battles and prioritize crafting necessary upgrades.
One of the most satisfying aspects of [REDACTED] is its character progression system. Between runs, you can use acquired resources to unlock permanent upgrades that enhance your abilities. These upgrades range from increasing your health pool and movement speed to unlocking new weapon classes and passive buffs. Witnessing your character grow stronger run after run adds a layer of satisfaction, keeping players invested in pushing towards the escape pod in Black Iron Prison.
You can help this by equipping different guard suits which offer different gameplay modifiers and can suit the different playstyles that a loadout can bring. For instance the Smuggler gives the player more credits to start a run with, Captain offers more GRP (grip), Medical suit adds more starting health, and the Pilot suit increases the initial movement of the player. On its own, this is pretty great. However, there are up to three skills that can be equipped. Throughout the course of the runs you’ll find new skills and through collected currency, unlock all of these for use. With a limit of three skills, you’ll have to be very strategic in how you want to play to try to ensure success.
[REDACTED] has fantastic bosses, each with their own patterns to learn and style. While you likely won’t survive your first encounter with them, you’ll likely learn something as a result. The game also has some eccentric characters that will either want your help or you dead, and you’ll have to make decisions around them.
The procedurally generated levels are one of [REDACTED]‘s strongest elements. Each run presents a fresh challenge, with randomized level layouts and enemy placements. This variability ensures that no two runs are ever the same, keeping the gameplay loop engaging. However, the randomness can occasionally lead to unfair situations. Some layouts may be more difficult than others, with enemy spawns placing you at a disadvantage.
The game runs on Unreal Engine 4, but looks and plays great. It doesn’t have very many graphical options to select. You’ll find your standard resolution, shadow quality, bloom, and the like. It does have an Upscaler option, but there isn’t DLSS, only TAAU and XeSS to choose from. It does ensure that the game will run on nearly everything, but it runs and plays so well without an upscaler, it isn’t a big loss that something like DLSS or FSR isn’t present here.
My PC Specs:
– Microsoft Windows 11 Pro
– Intel Core i9 13900K @ 5.8GHz
– ASUS ROG RYUJIN II 360 ARGB AIO Liquid CPU Cooler
– G.SKILL TRIDENT Z5 6000MHZ 64GB (32×2) DDR5 RAM
– ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4080 16GB GDDR6X
– WD_BLACK SN850X M.2 (4 TB)
– LG UltraGear 34GP950B-G (21:9 Ultrawide @ 3440×1440)
While being in a penitentiary is no easy task, being in one overrun by zombies and others trying to escape makes it even harder. Striking Distance Studios really knocked it out of the park with this one. [REDACTED] is a challenging and rewarding roguelike experience, where the tight gameplay loop, engaging combat, and oppressive atmosphere will keep you hooked for hours on end. [REDACTED] was a total surprise, but comes packing with deep systems, and a delightful arsenal to help fight your way to freedom that I have to expose.
A Steam code was provided in advance by KRAFTON for review purposes
