Battle Shapers

About

Battle Shapers is a single player action game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Metric Empire and was released on December 4, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

"Battle Shapers" is an action-paced shooter game where you play as Ada, tasked with reclaiming New Elysium's future from corrupt robots and cunning Overlords. With an array of futuristic weapons, abilities, and stolen Overlord powers, engage in close-range combat, deploy traps, and adapt tactics to conquer their trap-filled towers. Progression reveals tougher paths, hidden upgrades, and expansion of survivability via new weapons, abilities, and talents.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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84%

Audience ScoreBased on 698 reviews

gameplay94 positive mentions

optimization12 negative mentions

Fast-paced gameplay that feels good and is addictive.
Great weapon diversity and upgrade choices that feel viable.
Inspired art direction and vibrant graphics that enhance the overall experience.

Boss difficulty spikes can feel unfair and frustrating, especially for new players.
Some weapons lack power and feel underwhelming compared to others.
Long loading times and performance issues, especially during intense combat scenarios.

gameplay
232 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
56%
3%
The gameplay is fast-paced and engaging, drawing comparisons to titles like Mega Man and Doom, with a satisfying combat loop that emphasizes skill expression through mechanics like punching and power acquisition from defeated bosses. While the game offers a variety of weapons and abilities, some players note issues with balance, particularly regarding enemy health and boss difficulty, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite some criticisms about the progression system and occasional sluggishness, many find the gameplay enjoyable and well-designed, with a vibrant aesthetic that enhances the fun.
- “Brings the vibe of Mega Man X with the fast-paced gameplay of Doom: Eternal in a wonderful roguelike.”
- “The gameplay feels smooth, while somewhat chaotic when there's a lot of enemies shooting at you at once.”
- “It's super fun, with a ton of variety, several unique mechanics, it's really well polished with visuals that exceed the quality of a lot of AAA games, let alone other indies, and it even comes jam-packed with cool quality of life features such as the ability to save your run at certain checkpoints and finish it later.”
- “Within the first 20 minutes of gameplay, I found 2 major game-breaking bugs.”
- “Behind the flashy visuals are boring animations, guns lacking any impact, very samey feeling runs for a roguelite, very spongey enemies, a janky enemy execution system, annoying writing, incredibly slow progression, and generally just boring gameplay.”
- “To be honest, I actually kind of loved the idea here at first, but the lackluster boring gameplay loop just fundamentally ruined it for me.”
graphics
134 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
50%
2%
The game's graphics are widely praised for their vibrant, colorful art style reminiscent of a blend between Doom and Mega Man, creating a visually engaging experience. However, some players note that the cluttered visuals can make it difficult to discern important gameplay elements amidst the chaos, and performance issues such as frame drops and graphical bugs have been reported. Overall, while the aesthetic is celebrated, optimization and clarity during intense action sequences remain areas for improvement.
- “The graphics are absolutely vibrant and colorful with each area having scattered bits of lore you can discover as well as a good number of secrets for those keeping an eye out and checking the mini map!”
- “The visuals are nothing short of mind-blowing, immersing you in a beautiful colorful world, super well designed futuristic environments and robotic enemies.”
- “Bottom line, with stunning graphics, pulse-pounding tunes, lightning-paced action and endless customization options, it's a gaming experience that's as visually stunning as it is exhilarating!”
- “Between the graphics, level clutter, extra clutter from traps, and everything being flashy and over the top, the combat in general is a sensory overload, and not in a nice way.”
- “First, the game's visuals are very cluttered, which can make it hard to parse what's going on. This is probably why the game depends so heavily on using icons and other UI elements to provide information to the player, since the visual field does a bad job on its own.”
- “There are myriad graphical bugs when you open doors, such as rooms loading in right before your eyes, or being pitch black for a few moments as well.”
music
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
35%
5%
The music in the game has received largely positive feedback, with many reviewers praising its energetic and nostalgic qualities reminiscent of the Mega Man X series. While some noted that the mixing could be improved and described the music as "safe," it is generally considered a standout feature that enhances the overall experience, complementing the game's vibrant art and engaging gameplay. Overall, the soundtrack is described as fantastic, adding depth and excitement to the gameplay.
- “Fairly polished for an early access title, great art design and direction, and completely unexpectedly: a fantastic soundtrack that uses a lot of leitmotifs similar to the Mega Man X series, it's amazing.”
- “The music will have you tapping your feet throughout your runs, it’s very Mega Man X-like and the world needs more Mega Man X music.”
- “The awesome visuals are complemented by some stellar sound design and a banging soundtrack to create one of the most addicting experiences ever!”
- “Sound design choices are thematic, but the layers of music and all sorts of sound effects tend to overlap too much, drowning important sound cues.”
- “The music is a bit 'safe' in my opinion, but that is not really a negative.”
- “The music is very fitting with the title and the feel of the game.”
optimization
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
61%
21%
Overall, the game's optimization is a significant concern among players, with many reporting frequent frame drops, stuttering, and inconsistent performance, especially in crowded scenarios. While some users have experienced decent performance on high-end systems, the general consensus is that the game requires further optimization to enhance the gameplay experience. Developers are acknowledged for their responsiveness, but many players feel that the current state of optimization is inadequate, particularly for an early-access title.
- “So much improvement with the difficulty and optimization; it shows how the developers care for their game.”
- “Despite being early access, this feels very polished and laid out, with just some performance problems later on in the game when enemies and visual effects become too many.”
- “The game barely stays above 60 fps when maps get very crowded, and its art style doesn't look to be very graphically demanding, so it's likely a matter of improving optimization.”
- “While I haven't gotten through the whole game at the time of this review, the constant stuttering makes the game very hard to play, and I will not be playing this game more as the constant stuttering really ruins the gameplay experience for me.”
- “The game needs more optimization; it performs progressively worse the further you go due to more enemies on screen aside from boss encounters.”
- “Right now, the game is in a poor state in terms of performance optimization and boss difficulty. However, the devs are saying they are working on it and provided a small patch quickly to address some of these pain points, but it isn't enough yet.”
story
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
80%
10%
The story in the game is largely criticized as being minimal and uninspired, often described as a typical hero's journey with a lack of depth and originality. While some players appreciate the dialogue with bosses reminiscent of Hades, many feel that the narrative fails to engage, resulting in a simplistic and forgettable experience. Overall, the story is seen as a weak point, lacking the polish and creativity found in similar titles.
- “The continual dialogue with tower bosses a la Hades is a nice touch, even if it's not really revealing much in the way of story.”
- “The story is interesting enough, solid 7/10.”
- “If the Doom Guy and Samus Aran made love in a Mega Man stage... their child would be called Ada and this is her story.”
- “Story is essentially non-existent: typical hero wakes up from slumber, guardian has gone missing, kill the new overlords.”
- “As far as story goes - there's basically none.”
- “Story and characters are pretty lame.”
grinding
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being excessively tedious, particularly at the start where players feel underpowered and forced to grind for basic upgrades before accessing more engaging content. While some players find enjoyment in the grind once they progress past initial hurdles, many express frustration with the slow pace and repetitive nature of the early game, suggesting that the meta-progression system needs improvement. Overall, the experience can feel monotonous, with some recommending a time limit for new players to avoid potential boredom.
- “Progression: very grindy!”
- “That said, I think that the meta-progression needs a rework - the player starts off remarkably frail (even by roguelike/-lite standards) and in dire need of a couple basic upgrades to HP and shields/shield generation, which means a lot of grinding before you can reasonably get into the more interesting unlocks - new weapons and powers and the like.”
- “More accurately, I would call it 'tedious' to the point of boredom.”
replayability
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
35%
15%
The game offers a moderate level of replayability, primarily due to its enjoyable roguelite mechanics and satisfying gunplay, though some players feel it could benefit from additional bosses, classes, and cooperative multiplayer to enhance longevity. While the movement and weapon variety contribute positively, concerns about balance and a lack of unique playthroughs limit its overall replay value. Overall, it serves as a decent option for casual play but may not sustain long-term engagement without further updates.
- “A highly enjoyable and replayable FPS roguelike, meshing the feel of Doom gun and movement play with roguelike elements that feel fun.”
- “I'll go back to Gunfire Reborn for its crazy replayability and Roboquest for its super satisfying crit hits and extensively unique playthroughs every time.”
- “Bringing the level and character progression structure from the classic Mega Man games is also a perfect fit for the genre, and really adds to the replayability.”
- “This game has its charm, but it feels very similar to Robo Quest, and there are no new or separate classes that could enhance replayability.”
- “The only thing I'm missing out on is co-op multiplayer, which I think would significantly enhance replayability and the game's lifespan.”
- “Do some actual balancing of the weapons and enemies, and this could be a really good fast-paced shmup. As it stands, the replayability comes from how unfair it is, without the ability to learn to overcome that imbalance.”
character development
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
37%
13%
Character development in the game is highlighted by vibrant and colorful character designs reminiscent of Overwatch, infused with elements from the Mega Man series. Reviewers appreciate the high-quality animations and extensive world-building, although some feel the plot struggles to match the engaging combat mechanics seen in other titles. Overall, the character design is celebrated for its creativity and visual appeal.
- “The character design is also very fun; it reminds me a bit of Overwatch but with way more colors.”
- “There’s a lot of love for the Mega Man series in there, from the character design (sprinkled with some Overwatch) to the music, which really pleases me.”
- “Lots of world building, high quality animations, and amazing model and character design!”
- “Mighty No. 9's plot and Overwatch's character design meet in a sluggish attempt at replicating Doom's combat.”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
Overall, the game demonstrates strong stability, running smoothly on various platforms like Ubuntu and Steam Deck. However, some users have reported occasional freezes and crashes specifically on the Steam Deck, suggesting a need for minor improvements in that area.
- “The game runs smoothly on my Ubuntu desktop (which means it probably runs great on Steam Deck).”
- “Nice graphics and runs great.”
- “Tight, challenging, bug-free so far.”
- “Minor note to the devs: sometimes on Steam Deck the game freezes and crashes, but otherwise plays perfectly.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
Reviewers emphasize the need for improved lighting and shadow effects to enhance the game's atmosphere, noting that current visuals appear flat. They suggest implementing dynamic and colored atmospheric lighting across all levels to create more depth and contrast, particularly highlighting the positive impact seen in specific areas like the lockdown levels in Gravity Gardens.
- “To bring environmental design details together, the use of colored atmospheric lighting would help a lot. I noticed this in the lockdown levels in Gravity Gardens, and it makes a world of difference compared to the neutral lighting!”
- “I suggest using this on all levels instead (e.g., add a bit of green atmosphere in Gravity Gardens), and perhaps events like lockdown could be quite dark with stark vibrant red lights instead.”
- “I'm also imagining how more intensive global lighting could enhance the overall atmospheric contrast by implementing hard shadow casts from structures and dynamic shadows from characters/enemies.”
- “I suggest using this on all levels instead (e.g., add a bit of green atmosphere in gravity gardens), and perhaps events like lockdown could be quite dark with stark vibrant red lights instead.”
- “Lighting and atmosphere: I suggest implementing clearer lighting and shadows within objects, as right now they tend to look flat.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the emotional impact of the game heightened by the retaliation mechanic, which can make deaths feel both cheap and heartbreaking, despite having the tools for success. This mechanic adds an additional layer of challenge and emotional weight to encounters, intensifying the overall experience.
- “Even though the game gives you all the tools for success, death can still feel cheap and heartbreaking with the retaliation mechanic. The boss of the area will add a wrinkle to whatever area you are fighting in.”