Beacon

About

Beacon is a single player shooter game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by monothetic and was released on December 14, 2021. It received positive reviews from players.

"Beacon" is a single-player Science Fiction Shooter game with stunning visuals and sensational music. As interstellar mercenary Freja Akiyama, players must search for their distress beacon after crash landing on an unknown planet. With a clone bay that prints new clones after each death, players can alter their genome using DNA collected from defeated enemies, adding a unique twist to survival. Explore the rich multi-faction world and fight to escape the never-ending cycle of survival.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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86%

Audience ScoreBased on 252 reviews

gameplay26 positive mentions

grinding6 negative mentions

Beacon features a unique mutation system that adds significant variety to gameplay, allowing players to experiment with different builds and abilities.
The game has a vibrant art style and engaging sound design, creating an immersive sci-fi atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
Players appreciate the depth of content, including a wide array of weapons and secrets to discover, making each run feel fresh and exciting.

Many players find the game unpolished, with issues such as clunky controls, unclear navigation, and a lack of impactful feedback during combat.
The game can feel repetitive due to its long runs and sometimes easy difficulty, leading to a lack of challenge and engagement over time.
Some users have reported bugs and technical issues, particularly with controller support and game stability, which detracts from the overall enjoyment.

gameplay
88 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
67%
3%
The gameplay is highlighted by its unique mutation mechanics, allowing players to experiment with various DNA modifications that significantly alter their abilities and playstyle, contributing to a satisfying roguelite experience. While the core mechanics are solid and engaging, some players feel that the level design and certain weapon feedback could use improvement to enhance overall enjoyment. Overall, the game offers a fun and varied gameplay loop, with a strong emphasis on exploration and character customization.
- “The gene system is the star of the show; tinkering with your DNA across playthroughs gives a great sense of progression as well as variety through the radical changes mutations make to gameplay.”
- “A fantastic roguelite with gameplay that almost always feels fair.”
- “Gameplay feels tight and responsive; the world is amazing and the weapons/gadgets are fun to use.”
- “And worse, it means the system is balanced around the entire run and leaves mutations that should radically change gameplay feeling very anemic.”
- “It's in desperate need of having its core mechanics tweaked in order to make its combat and its central roguelike gimmick more entertaining and impactful.”
- “The biggest detriment to the gameplay is the level design.”
graphics
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
52%
6%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning art style, vibrant colors, and consistent visual themes, effectively combining low-poly aesthetics with detailed environments. However, some players noted that the visuals can occasionally hinder gameplay clarity, making it difficult to discern important elements during intense action. Overall, the game's visual direction and design contribute significantly to its appeal, enhancing the overall experience.
- “The game's art style and visual direction are both astonishingly good looking, the weapons feel very satisfying to fire and the enemy variety and factions are all interesting to fight against.”
- “Everything else is also so meticulously done from the low poly visuals that are incredibly detailed, where lush jungles to the molten factories pop with vibrant colors and sound effects to the music that will get your head pumping when the synth wave blast hits while you're desperately trying to eliminate a horde of robot enemies or acid spewing critters.”
- “The visuals have style to spare and it always looks great.”
- “The aesthetics of this game makes it difficult to identify what's what.”
- “Unfortunately, the graphics make it hard to tell what is going on.”
- “And I'm playing on a 65-inch screen with maxed graphics.”
music
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
36%
8%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its fittingness to the gameplay and the emotional tone it sets, particularly during exploration. However, some critiques mention that the soundtrack can feel repetitive and that transitions between different music tracks are not always smooth. Overall, while the music may not be the most memorable, it effectively enhances the gaming experience.
- “The music is also surprisingly good, including a simple main theme that nails the lonely feeling of exploring a dangerous planet.”
- “Awesome game, get it if you like roguelikes like TBOI or Gungeon, music is surprisingly good.”
- “Everything else is also so meticulously done from the low poly visuals that are incredibly detailed, where lush jungles to the molten factories pop with vibrant colors and sound effects to the music that will get your head pumping when the synth wave blast hits while you're desperately trying to eliminate a horde of robot enemies or acid spewing critters.”
- “The transition between level music and combat music isn't very smooth.”
- “Speaking of music, the sound mixing is weird.”
- “The base soundtrack is very samey.”
story
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
45%
15%
The story in the game features intriguing ideas and a well-written lore, providing a mysterious world to explore. However, the storytelling lacks depth, leading to a sense that player actions have little impact on the narrative. While the story is optional, it contributes to the overall experience, especially in the context of its engaging gameplay and innovative design.
- “Great ideas for the story - there is mystery and intrigue in the setup.”
- “Story/lore is entirely optional, but it's fairly well written and there is some kind of plot.”
- “I think the combination of engaging story, innovative design, and intense combat make Beacon a stellar example of why this game is one of the best roguelites out currently.”
- “The storytelling isn't fleshed out.”
- “This makes it feel like nothing you do in the game has any effect on the story.”
- “There is some kind of plot, but the story/lore is entirely optional.”
replayability
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
50%
21%
The game boasts high replayability due to its extensive variety of items, weapons, and mutations, allowing for diverse gameplay experiences and multiple endings. While some players noted minor issues with power progression and navigation, the overall depth and quality of features contribute to a fun and engaging experience that encourages repeated playthroughs.
- “Awesome game with so many quality of life features and so much replayability!”
- “And really I only have minor complaints such as no borderless window mode which is more of a personal gripe anyway, sometimes it's a little confusing to navigate the levels due to the map not really representing z-levels properly but, honestly it plays buttery smooth and it's a really good time with plenty of replayability with multiple endings and tons of mutations and builds you can try.”
- “The variety between each run could be a bit better in terms of power progression, but what is here is sufficient to give the game substantial replay value.”
- “There's so much replayability with the DNA sequencing and potential mutations, not even to mention the diverse weaponization that alters your gameplay.”
- “Really good roguelike/roguelite, a lot of items, weapons, and mutations - it means a lot of replayability.”
optimization
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
33%
17%
Overall, the game's optimization has improved significantly, with many players reporting smooth performance and high frame rates even on mid-range systems. However, some users still experience occasional crashes and performance dips during intense moments, indicating that further optimization may be needed as it is still in early access.
- “I saw some earlier complaints about performance but they are certainly cleared up, the game runs great and is smooth.”
- “Graphics are nice and the game seems to be optimized; on my not-so-fast rig (Vega 56 and Ryzen 3800X), the beacon flies at 120 fps most of the time at 1440p.”
- “The game runs well enough on my moderately higher-end PC, and I only noticed performance issues when trying to record high-definition footage at maximum settings (specifically when there was a lot going on).”
- “There are also plenty of crashes, and it's possible to get stuck in places, but those are early access woes - the game isn't optimized yet.”
grinding
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, often requiring significant time investment and effort to compare items in the inventory due to limited UI options. Despite this, some users appreciate the nostalgic and enjoyable nature of the grinding experience, suggesting that the fun can outweigh the monotony.
- “In a word, tedious.”
- “It can be pretty tedious at times but the almost nostalgic and fun action is worth it.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by its witty and often disturbing writing, with each item featuring amusing descriptions. Players also find humor in the developers' interactions, such as a lighthearted response about fixing controllers, adding to the overall comedic tone of the experience.
- “Each one of these also comes with its own description, which is usually funny.”
- “Then, one of the devs replies to me to let me know 'they fixed controllers,' which is funny.”
- “Running and gunning feels nice, the wide variety of equipment and mutations are excellent, and the writing is hilarious and disturbing.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Overall, the game's stability has improved significantly, with many users noting that performance issues have been resolved and the gameplay is now smooth. However, some players still report minor bugs and incomplete elements, indicating that further fixes may be needed.
- “I saw some earlier complaints about performance, but they are certainly cleared up. The game runs great and is smooth.”
- “A little buggy and incomplete, but I'm hoping that's fixed quickly.”
- “But the rest of the game is still pretty fun, a great shooter with gorgeous scenery (though a bit buggy).”
- “A little buggy and incomplete, but I'm hoping that's fixed quickly.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
33%
17%
The game's atmosphere is visually striking, characterized by vivid colors that enhance its sci-fi setting, creating a range of feelings from oppressive to wondrous. However, the abundance of neon light effects can overwhelm players, making it difficult to discern important gameplay elements amidst the atmospheric visuals.
- “Visually, the game looks great; the vivid colors accentuate the sci-fi atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere can range from intentionally oppressive to eerie, to outright wondrous.”
- “While the art and models are visually clean, the screen is bombarded by neon light rings and effects that make it very hard to see what does damage and what is just a bunch of atmospheric particles.”
- “The atmosphere can range from intentionally oppressive, to eerie, to outright wondrous.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy is criticized for creating frustrating gameplay experiences, with small areas and overwhelming enemy spawns that hinder player progress. This design choice appears to encourage players to spend more to overcome challenges, leading to a negative perception of the game's monetization practices.
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, particularly appreciating how the mutations on the protagonist's body evoke feelings of joy reminiscent of their experiences in "Risk of Rain 2." This emotional engagement enhances their overall enjoyment of the game.