Revulsion - Early Access Watcher -
5Disclosure: This game copy was bought by the reviewer.
This has been a very disappointing year for me in terms of early access, but once in awhile I manage to enjoy a flawed gem that comes at me from nowhere. Revulsion is one of those special cases were the game-play is able to push me past the flashing texture cracks and regular frame rate drops to experience a difficult shooter. The RPG elements are a balance of monster level and upgrade-able gear progression with a pinch of crafting and material gathering. While I wish the game included more blueprints, the gear you find is more than enough to give you the needed edge. The risk of losing everything in your bags upon multiple deaths also adds a needed risk factor without being too cruel.
On first glance, the visual style can be off putting for something akin to a low budget asset flip, but once you get further into the game, the aesthetic really shines with monster designs and rocking music reminding me of Doom if it were made with a more advanced Minecraft engine. Each level is hand crafter and contain hidden rooms or passage ways to unlock new sections of the facility by powering up pylons or activating switches, replacing the need for keys usually found in the FPS of past generations. It means the replay value is decreased, but the set enemy positions make it easier to overcome difficult challenges when hit with a level or skill wall.
The core attraction is with the spectacularly solid gun play aided by good weapon feedback and visual queues. It is quick to pick up and satisfying when you overcome large groups of demons firing projectiles at you from every turn. The risk of frame rate drops do hurt the overall experience, but the use of shortcuts carried over from hitting switches helps alleviate the trouble.
Sitting at 6-8 hours (took me 9 hours) for a complete run of the current episode (6 episodes planned in total) with one end boss and a new game +, there is plenty of fast paced action to appease any DOOM or Quake fans. I would recommend holding off it you are interested in seeing how the next episode will be implemented.