Game:

Into the Pit (2021)

Category:

Review

Duration: 6:01

73 views

2

Subscribe so you don’t miss any Logical Leveling Videos.
Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/c/LogicalLeveling
_____________________________________________
A dedicated gamer's YouTube channel celebrating gaming. The good, the bad, and the two polygon. Logical Leveling talks about everything gaming: news, upcoming games, and reviews. As well as some of the more obscure topics, like the impact of a certain game and why a game failed. If you're a lifelong fan of video games and everything about them, this is a home for you.

So join the community! Subscribe, comment, and get involved. The goal of Logical Leveling isn't just for me to talk about games (though that is fun) but to find like-minded people and have a discussion. So let me know if you disagree or why you do agree on a video. I'd love for Logical Leveling to become a home base for people who like to get into the nitty-gritty of the gaming industry. If that sounds like something you want or would enjoy, then it's up to you to make it happen!
_____________________________________________
#intothepit

Into The Pit Review

I really wanted to like this game. I really wish I could upload a video about a hidden gem that old-school shooter fans must play. Sadly this is not the case. On paper, this game is right up my alley; as someone who grew up on PC games in the ’90s, my childhood is littered with hours in Doom, Duke Nukem 3d, Quake, Heretic, and even some more obscure shooters, anyone else remembers Decent? Seriously, if you played Decent, comment below; I’ve yet to find anyone else who's played it, and sometimes I think I dreamt it up. The small 90’s shooter renaissance we’ve been experiencing has had hidden gems like Devil Daggers and BPM. And while hardcore rogue-like games have not been something I gravitated to, there have been some rogue-lites that pulled me in. Games like Rogue Legacy, Dead Cells, and Hades which I think was this best game of 2020. So again, on paper mixing these elements should be perfect, but it just didn’t hit right.

If you are a fan of fast-paced circle-strafing shooters and have Xbox game pass, then I’d recommend this game. It’s an old-schooler shooter with a run-based rogue-like system that will provide a few hours of fun. The full price is currently $15 on steam which is on the lower end of prices, but I still think you’d have more fun putting that $15 elsewhere. I don’t want to make a video crapping on the game. Not only because I’m under no illusions that making a game is easy, and I know that developers at Null Pointer worked hard on this game. But also, because the game isn’t bad. This isn’t an example of some asset flipper or rushed junky project by a greedy corporation. It’s just kind of dull. And if it wasn’t for the interest of making this video, I would’ve stopped playing hours ago. So instead, I’d like to talk about some of the issues I had with the game and perhaps some things I’d like to see in a possible sequel or Null Pointer’s next project.

I don’t want to dwell on these next points, but it’s important enough to mention. First is the art style of the game. They went for this Quake-esque low polygon esthetic with modern lighting and particle effects. And I get why they did it. I get that separating yourself with a unique art style can be a benefit, but it never looked good to me. To be fair, I had a similar sentiment with the color filters on BPM, but I grew to at least get used to it, even if I never ended up liking it. But that never really happened here. Not only was it tricky to tell the difference between the background and an enemy, an issue I think the developers realized with the addition of health bars, But it just looks blurry in a way that had me constantly checking to see if my anti-aliasing was working. But art is subjective, so hopefully, you like what you see.

The next was the music. Like much of this game, this music wasn’t bad. It’s just kind of dull and never complimented the action on screen. They have this dynamic track that picks up when you’re in combat and slowly muffles away when you’re not. I also feel like if they did focus on the music, the price would have immediately jumped up. So again, I get why perhaps they didn’t make it a priority, but to me, a 90s-esque shooter is just so synonymous with its music it just feels like there’s an element missing. And if you’ve played Doom, Duke Nukem, or Quake, I think you’ll agree. While I don’t expect them to get Nine Inch Nails in a la Quake, I would love to see the music more of a priority. 

Sadly whether you like the art style and music or not, I don’t think it saves the game from itself.

Other Statistics