[REDACTED] – in prison like in Tartarus. Review

October 28, 2024

Played on PC

[REDACTED] was first shown in April of this year, under the code name Project Birdseye, was officially announced in August, and was already sent to digital shelves at the end of October. To say that the project was neglected is an understatement. It seems that the game was simply forgotten. Despite the publishing house represented by KRAFTON, even packs of crackers were spared for promotion (there is not a single video about the project on the official Youtube channel of the publisher). In addition, [REDACTED] fell under the early access skating rink of Hades II, which received a major update exactly in mid-October. But the game turned out to be really good.

You will meet both friends from The Callisto Protocol and new mutants with robots

⇡#The Great Escape

Formally, the new game from Striking Distance takes place in the same universe as The Callisto Protocol. We will once again find ourselves in the Black Iron prison and beyond, among the harsh snows of the moon Callisto. Only now we will take on the role of one of the security guards of the establishment. The goal is simple – to get to the last escape capsule.

Despite the same location, the atmosphere in [REDACTED] is completely different. Hints of horror remained only in the design of the monsters. In terms of mood, it suddenly resembles Hi-Fi Rush or Sunset Overdrive. And it’s not so much about the comic style, but about the rebellious, punk attitude. The soundtrack consists of fiery garage rock, the dialogues (or rather, the monologues of the mysterious Observer and rivals for a place in the capsule) are full of black humor. No attempt to appear serious. And this suits the game.

The main source of inspiration is unmistakably guessed from the very first room. If Glen Schofield wanted to make another Dead Space, then after his departure from Striking Distance the team decided to repeat the Hades formula. At first it seems that the result is too blatant tracing paper. The guard (each run with a new name) is controlled almost the same as Atreus. After clearing the room, you immediately select the type of reward you will go further for, and if you die, you return to the central location. True, there are no charismatic characters with whom you can chat between runs, but there is enough equipment to better prepare for the tests.

Barrels can be exploded remotely. Not as effective as we would like

Progress is well felt both within the race and at the global level. You find upgrades (called experiments here) that strengthen weapons and give them new properties. Moreover, modifiers apply to different techniques. For example, a standard melee combo dropped a fiery upgrade, and in another room, an electric explosion for the final blow in a series.

A jerk, a tackle, a running lunge and a kick – at first, such a variety of actions seems unnecessary, because in their standard form they are of little use. But when the same kick suddenly begins to freeze the enemy, things take a different turn. Improvements are divided into different categories, which makes it possible to focus on one element, maximizing its influence, or, conversely, strive to assign five different negative statuses to the enemy at once.

[REDACTED] starts to show its face after a few runs. The first interesting discovery of the developers is that you can run into the lifeless body of the previous alter ego and fight with him, and against you will be exactly the same assembly that you built literally ten minutes ago. It’s a risky business, but as a reward you will receive a guaranteed epic boost (they are divided into several levels, and the rarer the bonuses are, the better the bonuses) and restore a decent dose of health. Unless you die, of course.

Science-type upgrades allow you to acquire a companion drone

Death, of course, is upsetting. But it also makes it possible to start the next escape attempt a little stronger. [REDACTED] shows clear global progress. The game provides as many as five different currencies. They are used to purchase permanent bonuses, new weapons and costumes, as well as their upgrades. Ultimately, your arsenal will accumulate seven small arms and five for close combat (at the beginning of the race, you select one from each category). The closet will be filled with several dozen overalls, each with its own specific bonuses. The list of passive improvements approaches fifty, although the number of simultaneously enabled ones is limited to a few slots.

All this diversity is revealed gradually. It’s interesting to delve into new options, look for synergies and select them to suit your taste. Shooting and swinging a hefty club are equally effective, but you can choose your preferred style and focus on it, turning the game into either a slasher or a twin-stick shooter.

⇡#Death Race

But we’ve already seen all this, and what makes [REDACTED] stand out from the crowd of colleagues in the genre is its system of rivals. In addition to the protagonist, eight more heroes are trying to get to the rescue capsule (some were sitting, others were guarding). Two things unite them. First of all, everyone is crazy in their own way. Secondly, they know the codes for the vault where some special value is hidden. As in Hades, reaching the finish line of a race is only the first step towards the real ending.

Area attacks are often highlighted in advance, but this does not always help avoid damage

To see the true ending, you will have to dig up the personal files of your opponents and defeat them in head-to-head combat. But they are not just another boss. The progress bar constantly reminds you who is ahead in the race for life and who is lagging behind. Opponents can throw a spanner in the guard’s way, complicating the already difficult fight against monsters: they will turn off the lights, plant a bomb with a timer, or release poisonous gas. However, you don’t have to stay in debt either – you also have a few tricks at your disposal to slow down your competitors.

As a result, you must not only avoid damage from enemies in the arenas, but also clear these same arenas as quickly as possible. Otherwise you will miss the last flight from Callisto. The gameplay is intense, but the race won’t take more than half an hour. This is not a marathon, but a sprint. But transience is not a problem, unlike the scarcity of the surroundings. There are only four biomes in the game, within which the layout of the rooms and enemies practically do not change from race to race. The rooms are not generated, but are prepared in their entirety in advance; they simply appear in random order.

Upgrading weapons is hidden behind the full completion of the race – a strange decision. The gun can only be upgraded if you beat the final boss with its standard version at the ready. Although this enemy is just an order of magnitude more difficult than all other opponents in the game: with increased damage, a bunch of different area attacks that just feel unfair. At some point, it’s no longer difficult to rush to the finish line, but you will continue to break your teeth on this last test. And here the main problem of the whole game appears. Running through the same levels, spending twenty minutes of real time to fall victim to the boss, and repeating the loop over and over again is boring.

The meeting with each new opponent is furnished with a unique scene

* * *

[REDACTED] is by no means a revolution in the genre, but it cleverly plays with its trends and freshens up the proceedings with a couple of unique ideas. It was worth at least a little investment in promoting the game! Yes, The Callisto Protocol failed, but not so loudly that it did not even try to indicate a clear connection between the projects. And the release date is frankly unfortunate – less than two weeks after the large-scale update of Hades II. It seems that this time the failure is not due to quality as such, but to strange decisions either by the authors themselves or by the publisher.

Advantages:

• A variety of equipment and improvements, both within the race and between them;
• Interesting system of opponents;
• The battles feel great both in control and pacing.

Disadvantages:

• There is little diversity in the architecture of locations;
• To upgrade a weapon, you need to defeat the final boss with its basic version – a strange decision that spoils the impression of an otherwise good progression system.

Graphic arts

A nice stylized picture with bright special effects, but without frills.

Sound

Groovy punk rock sets a great pace for a speedrun.

Single player game

A competent tracing of Hades with several interesting finds.

Estimated time of completion

In about ten to fifteen hours (depending on skill and luck) you first reach the rescue capsule. You can spend the same amount of time searching for all the keys for the real ending.

Collective game

Not foreseen.

General impression

[REDACTED] is not destined to be a hit, but it can quench your thirst for a new portion of Melinoe’s adventures in Hades II.

Rating: 7.0 / 10

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