AK-xolotl is a difficult yet highly engaging roguelike that will make you fall in love with its charming woodland creatures while laughing at its absurd violence. Seeing my goofy little AK-xolotl with a giant gun made me grin from ear to ear. It’s the roguelike fever dream I’ve always wanted. Once it gets in the hands of players and additional content is added that can smooth out its presentation of information, I’m confident that folks will enjoy this game.
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About the GameAK-xolotl is the ultimate top-down roguelite shooter starring the most adorable amphibian! You're an axolotl armed with an AK, that embarks on an epic rampage, shooting down anything that stands in your way. Slaughter your way through a variety of biomes and conquer randomly generated rooms, all while collecting delicious food and capturing precious baby Axolotls.
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The game features adorable axolotls and a charming art style that appeals to players.
Gameplay is engaging with a mix of humor and action, reminiscent of other popular roguelikes like Enter the Gungeon.
The developers are actively updating the game and responding to community feedback, showing a commitment to improvement.
The game suffers from a lack of variety in weapons, items, and enemies, leading to repetitive gameplay.
Progression feels slow and grindy, with many players feeling that unlocking new content takes too long.
Several bugs and design issues, such as unclear mechanics and frustrating enemy behaviors, detract from the overall experience.
gameplay
134 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
67%
8%
The gameplay of "ak-xolotl" has received mixed reviews, with some praising its fun and addictive bullet-hell mechanics, charming visuals, and unique axolotl nurturing system. However, many players criticize the repetitive nature of runs, lack of meaningful variety in weapons and enemies, and unpolished mechanics that detract from the overall experience. While recent updates have improved some aspects, the game still struggles with balance issues and bugs, leaving some players feeling that it falls short compared to its inspirations like "Enter the Gungeon."
“This title has a lot to love about it; the bullet-hell gameplay is really fun and addictive, the visual style is adorable, and there are tons of different weapons and items to find.”
“The gameplay is easy to understand, cute, and overall just a lot of fun.”
“More concerning is the willingness to shamefully imitate the aesthetic and gameplay of successful predecessors, while being egregiously worse in every way.”
“The run-to-run gameplay is incredibly same-y, the memes are a weird and forced addition, and the whole 'cute and cuddly seeming thing is actually violent/evil/super badass' shtick is tired.”
“The gameplay feels snappy and both graphics and music are great.”
graphics
49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
59%
6%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their cutesy art style and charming aesthetic, reminiscent of successful indie titles like "Enter the Gungeon." However, while the visuals are appealing and well-executed, many reviewers note that the overall gameplay experience is marred by poor mechanics and a lack of content, leading to a mixed reception regarding the game's graphical quality in relation to its playability. Overall, the art style is a standout feature, but it does not fully compensate for the game's shortcomings in other areas.
“The art style is so cutesy, and personally, I am a huge fan of bullet hell games.”
“The visuals, gameplay, and cuteness of the axolotls come together in an exceptional gaming experience.”
“The game's artistry and aesthetics create a captivating world filled with personality and a lot of little secrets to discover aside from the gameplay itself.”
“More concerning is the willingness to shamefully imitate the aesthetic and gameplay of successful predecessors, while being egregiously worse in every way.”
“The graphical options are also limited, having only resolution and fullscreen/borderless options.”
“The visuals have clearly been made with love, however, the gameplay and game design feels very unpolished and unfinished.”
grinding
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
98%
The grinding aspect of the game has received significant criticism, with many players finding it excessively tedious and unenjoyable. Unlocking weapons, abilities, and upgrades requires a substantial amount of time spent farming resources, often leading to repetitive gameplay and a lack of motivation to continue. While some improvements have been noted, the overall sentiment is that the grind detracts from the fun and engagement of the game.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“I normally love bullet hells, but this game is grindy and unenjoyable.”
“The grinding is very heavy for a game with a miserable early game, which practically screams not to play.”
“My main gripe with the game is that it feels the developer took some wrong lessons from other games of this sort and decided to make unlocking new power-ups and weapons exceedingly difficult and grindy, where unless a player is good enough at the game to beat it consistently, they will soon find themselves struggling to gather the currency required to purchase new things.”
music
45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
44%
7%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its energetic and engaging soundtrack that complements the gameplay, particularly the metal tracks that enhance the game's aggressive tone. However, some players noted that the music can become repetitive and lacks variety, leading to a feeling of uninspiration at times. Overall, while the soundtrack is often described as enjoyable and fitting, it may not stand out as something players would listen to outside of the game.
“The music is absolutely kick-ass, though.”
“Overall has a fire soundtrack and should be played for some major fun.”
“The music has come out wonderfully, the variety of enemies is plentiful, the environments are different enough and not just reskinned versions of a different floor, and the guns feel nice and balanced to where there isn’t one type of gun that is better than the others.”
“The music suffers a lot of the same uninspired feel as the rest of the game.”
“In my opinion, the visual style and soundtrack aren't that good, too.”
“However, that's more or less all I have to say other than memes and music are alright.”
humor
41 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a mix of meme-inspired jokes and quirky puns, which some players find charming and funny, while others consider it bland and dated. While the cute axolotl concept and humorous references add a lighthearted touch, opinions vary on whether the humor enhances the gameplay experience or feels forced. Overall, the humor is subjective, appealing to fans of internet culture and absurdity, but may not resonate with everyone.
“It is a classic concept with a funny touch using an axolotl as the main figure.”
“The added touch of humor in the form of amusing enemy names adds an extra layer of fun to the overall experience.”
“Ak-xolotl’s humor never fails to crack me up and keeps things light and refreshing.”
story
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
60%
20%
The game's story is described as minimal and simplistic, often overshadowed by gameplay elements, with a few users noting a charming and humorous tone. While some appreciate the cute animations and light narrative, many feel that the story lacks depth and could have been more developed. Overall, the focus seems to lean more towards gameplay rather than a compelling narrative.
“Anyway, very deep and moving story, right?”
“The game opens with a rather cute story-board style animation complete with a faux 'nature documentary' narration.”
“As for the story here, think John Wick’s revenge tale but instead of a tiny dog, food and babies, but more importantly food, were taken.”
“Narrative: no big story, just rescue your children and steal back your stolen food.”
“The background story is simply explained.”
“This game is very cute and is very similar to a game like Hades, but doesn't really have a story after the silly beginning cutscene (which I love).”
replayability
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
58%
21%
The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while it offers some charm and variety through numerous guns, upgrades, and character builds, many players feel it lacks depth and content to sustain long-term engagement. The roguelike elements provide opportunities for unlocking achievements, but some reviewers express disappointment in the limited replay value and suggest that additional content, such as unique perks or easter eggs, could enhance the experience. Overall, while there are enjoyable aspects that encourage replaying, significant improvements are needed to fully realize its potential.
“The game might not have 200+ hour Enter the Gungeon levels of replay value, but the charm is definitely there.”
“Movement is great, huge varieties of guns and upgrades, and it's very replayable.”
“Roguelike and achievements, so there is some good replay value here in unlocking all the upgrades, guns, and experimenting with different builds.”
“To start, there is absolutely no replayability.”
“For a roguelike/rougelite, I would expect a game that has a lot of replay value, or a grand challenge that takes a lot of effort, but I didn't find much of either.”
“The game itself is fun, but there is absolutely no replayability as of now.”
stability
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, users report significant stability issues with the game, highlighting persistent bugs that have remained since launch and affecting gameplay, particularly in the experimental online multiplayer mode. While some players note that the glitches are not game-breaking, the frequency and severity of the bugs have led to a generally negative perception of the game's stability.
“Additionally, their Discord server offers access to an experimental online multiplayer mode, but it’s buggy, and gaining access takes a few days due to the server's extreme inactivity.”
“Pretty buggy too, but hopefully the more glaring issues will be patched out soon.”
“- It's buggy (there are problematic bugs that have been around since launch that have not yet been fixed).”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The optimization of the game appears to be inconsistent, with some users experiencing severe stuttering and performance issues, particularly during intense moments, while others report smooth performance on platforms like the Steam Deck and desktop PCs. Overall, the feedback suggests that optimization may need improvement to ensure a stable experience for all players.
“Performance: No issues on both Steam Deck and desktop PC.”
“The game runs smoothly with excellent optimization across various platforms.”
“I experienced no lag or frame drops, showcasing impressive optimization.”
“Lasers will just keep flooding the screen until the whole thing starts stuttering before your computer explodes (only a mild exaggeration).”
“I got this to play couch co-op, but partway through every single run my character does a stuttering animation and sound and can't move or shoot at random intervals.”
“Graphics (quality/ui/performance) – 5/10”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is mixed; while some players feel a lack of significant progression and frustration with the simplistic enemy design, others experience a profound sense of guilt when faced with morally challenging decisions, such as sacrificing a character's happiness for power. This duality highlights the game's ability to evoke strong feelings, both negative and thought-provoking.
“It’s amazing how guilty this game made me feel for thinking about sacrificing my baby's happiness to power my character up!”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised, with users highlighting its flawless art style and overall charm. The combination of a lovely ambiance and humor contributes to an engaging experience.
“I wanted to say I really like this game... the art style, the atmosphere... everything's flawless.”
“Lovely atmosphere, funny game, great style.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game appears to be well-balanced, as players find that powerful weapons like shotguns and rayguns effectively handle both bosses and ads, suggesting that gameplay remains engaging without excessive reliance on in-game purchases.