If you enter the input menu, you can assign a key to the dash function but it doesn’t actually work. For example, it looks like there’s going to be some kind of upgrade system but most upgrades aren’t available yet. Some maps contain runes and collecting enough unlocks new maps and portals to an area full of trial maps where you must shoot targets with specific weapons.Īs you progress through the campaign, it will become obvious that there are features and mechanics that are missing. From here, you can play through any unlocked maps and view your loadout. You are scored in each map based on your performance and after completing one, you’re brought to a map screen. It took me a little over four hours to get through. There is an early access campaign available which is surprisingly longer than I thought it would be. What does that mean, you ask? It means, there’s a lot of running and gunning. Like many shooters out now, Prodeus appears to be aiming for that classic style of play. The Steam page describes it as a first-person shooter of old, re-imagined using modern rendering techniques. Developed by Bounding Box Software and published by Humble Games, Prodeus entered early access in November, 2020. The trailer shows off cool-looking weapons, explosions, tons of blood, and just pure action. When I discovered Prodeus, I was immediately impressed with what I saw and wanted to check it out as soon as possible. If I don’t buy them right away, I usually add them to my wishlist and check in on them every now and then to see if they’re receiving regular updates. While it struggles to find its own identity along the way, and comes off more as an elaborate mod or a fan game than a title of its own, Prodeus does still stand as an solid though unoriginal shooter.There’s quite a few early access Steam titles I have my eye on. Performance on Switch isn’t flawless but it is still very playable and looks great the whole time. Support for fan-made levels can potentially expand your experience somewhat but the option to create your own is missing from this version. If you want a very artistically and technically accomplished Doom clone, Prodeus absolutely delivers. I didn’t find it debilitating, but it was certainly noticeable. Resolution obviously isn’t an issue as the game renders at an intentionally low resolution by design, but frame rate can struggle at times. The Switch on the whole delivers a playable level of performance. Enemies use real time 3D models to generate lighting accurate 2D sprites in real time. Modern rendering techniques and materials are combined excellently with low fidelity models and texture work to create something that looks perfectly retro and perfectly modern at the same time. The technical side of things is where most of Prodeus’s originality comes in. Yes, it is an unapologetic Doom clone, but it is a very good unapologetic Doom clone. But here’s the thing: it also plays very well. Rarely will you see anything that doesn’t have a direct counterpart in the Doom franchise. The infected gun wielding marine, the fire ball hurling imp, the large charging demons, the floating Cacodemon: they’re all here, and they’re essentially all that is here. Everything from weapons to enemy types is almost identical. While I generally try to avoid making my reviews too much about comparing one game to another, Prodeus’s greatest weakness is how subservient it is to the Doom franchise. Levels can be replayed from an almost Super Mario World-esque overworld map, encouraging replays to find everything. Finding secrets also benefits your progression as additional weapons and upgrade points are scattered about. Each level contains plenty of secrets off the beaten path and a surprising amount of visual variety despite a limited selection of assets. Level design feels very accurate to its inspiration and plays very well. Levels are somewhat non-linear, requiring the player to explore to find keys and switches, then return to access previously locked off areas. The level design of Prodeus is inspired heavily by early first-person shooters of the ‘90s. This is both a strength and weakness, as Prodeus nails precisely what it sets out to do, and thus brings little new to the table. It isn’t shy about these influences either, as they are reflected in everything from enemy design to the color pallet of item pickups. Prodeus can be summed up very quickly as a game that seeks to find a perfect balance between influences of classic Doom games and modern Doom. Prodeus is a first-person shooter with a focus on fast-paced combat, a pseudo-retro aesthetic, and lots of gory explosions.
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