Review: [REDACTED]

Initial release date: October 31, 2024

Developer: Striking Distance Studios

Genres: Shooter game, Fighting game

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X and Series S

Publisher: KRAFTON

[REDACTED] provides slick and highly fast-paced gameplay in a roguelite mode that strikes an excellent mix between challenge and improvements. The emphasis on speed and urgency drives much of the stress, making each run feel crucial because you not only have to complete it but also do so quickly. The story is shallow and without depth, with just edgy humor that falls flat. The emphasis on speed and a diverse range of obstacles make for a satisfying encounter.

[REDACTED] is a fast-paced and demanding isometric action roguelite set in the same world as Striking Distance Studios’ previous title, The Callisto Protocol. While it may not be the most original roguelite, it excels in gameplay and meta advancement, resulting in an experience in which you nearly always feel more powerful on the next run. Its premise is quite light, but its reference-heavy humor frequently crosses into edgier territory, resulting in more eyerolls than laughs.

The idea of [REDACTED] is that, as one of the last guards at Black Iron Prison, you must attempt to reach the last escape pod while infected monsters and malfunctioning technology take over. You are not the only one vying for the escape pod; eight other survivors are attempting to beat you to it.

The final section of the idea showcases [REDACTED]’s unique take on the action roguelite genre. While speed is usually always key in these games, it is especially important here. You must beat your opponents to the escape pod, since they are constantly pushing ahead while the timer ticks away. The countdown only stops when you enter a menu, whether you’re pausing it or choosing your next improvement. This emphasis on speed adds tension to an already difficult motion, forcing you to focus to avoid being sloppy.

Each run has four sections, each of which culminates in a boss fight. After emptying out a room, you can decide which path to go based on the gifts offered to you. In addition to the currencies you must collect to purchase upgrades between runs, you can also locate elemental upgrades, such as making your melee weapon deal critical damage or your ranged weapon deal burning damage. These upgrades are important and can significantly improve your run, but they don’t seem to go much further than improving your damage or other attributes. At no point did I feel as if an improvement had changed how I played the game.

You can select your chosen melee or ranged weapon. There is a reasonable assortment of both, but after you’ve found your favorites, there are no rewards or incentives to try a new loadout. The same can be said for the many guard uniforms available, which generally provide passive benefits. The skills you can equip are where the upgrades become truly dynamic. These can be as simple as increasing your health, while more complicated ones provide increased damage at full health or a damage boost if you quickly switch between ranged and melee attacks. [REDACTED] also allows you to be quite creative with your combos, thanks to the large amount of talents you can equip. In my final run, I had 12 talents equipped and could have unlocked at least one more slot, possibly more.

The adversaries are diverse, yet you will become familiar with each region’s typical nasties. The regions themselves do not offer as much variety, with the majority taking place in a familiar jail environment, despite the fact that certain minor aspects have changed. Bosses follow the same pattern recognition patterns, however they all appear to have reasonable difficulty curves, quickly transitioning from quite impossible to beat to a small nuisance. The third boss relies too much on a bullet-hell attack pattern, resulting in much more time evading than fighting.

The combat itself flows nicely, thanks to the multiple instruments at your disposal. In addition to your two weapons, you have the GRE, which can propel enemies away, as well as a dash and kick. Many of these can be combined into a dash attack or sliding kick. All of these powers work well together, allowing you to move quickly while maintaining complete control over your actions. You’re also not overwhelmed by all of these moves because you may overlook them without feeling like you’re not battling at your best, focusing instead on whatever has the best upgrades. Every move can be used to apply a power, resulting in a wide range of powers and attack types that can be used simultaneously.

After completing a run, you can use difficulty modifiers to increase the difficulty and the number of currencies available. These adjustments all seem more stat-based than game-changing, and it took a few danger levels for them to feel truly impactful. This also gives you more opportunities to learn more about your competitors, which will feed into the [REDACTED] narrative over time.

As you confront and battle your opponents, you may come across information rooms where you can learn more about them. This grants stat bonuses against them in fight, but it also allows you to finally obtain their key. Mr. Green, the narrator, wishes to gain entrance to the warden’s vault, but doing so requires codes from all eight adversaries. To obtain a code, you must fully uncover their dossier. Opening the vault unlocks a challenge mode that, while intriguing on concept, does not entice players to continue running.

To match the comic book images and cheerful music, the text is heavily joke-driven. It depends heavily on references, with one of your competitors’ entire demeanor being the online Karen stereotype. The most of it falls flat, but the narration is quite light, and you get much of it while playing, so you don’t have to sit through it. On rare cases, it deviates into sillier territory, such as with the therapist rival or the half-zombie competitor, both of whom have sillier jokes with less references.

[REDACTED] thrives when you move as quickly as possible, slicing through infected adversaries in a hurry to complete a run. This frenzied fighting flows together really well, so you never feel stifled by the game as you build momentum. There is a good array of weapons and upgrades to choose from, allowing you to build up a decent power curve across repeated rounds. Its narrative isn’t especially deep, and much of the humor is based on edgy internet memes and references, but it does occasionally land a joke, usually one of the stupid variety. Fortunately, much of your attention will be focused on the excellent action, which moves at breakneck speed.

Review Overview

Gameplay: 85%

Controls: 88%

Aesthetics: 90%

Content: 82%

Accessibility: 83%

Value: 87%

Overall: 86%

IMMERSIVE AND IMPACTFUL!

Summary:

[REDACTED] provides a fascinating experience with excellent gaming mechanics, stunning visuals, and a well-thought-out universe that immerses players completely. Although certain parts may seem familiar, the game’s polish and attention to detail set it apart. Fans of the genre will like this experience, which combines substance and style.