Combat Complex

About

Combat Complex is a single player role playing game. It was developed by Spherical Horse Studios and was released on October 4, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

Combat Complex is a fast-paced ARPG / roguelike hybrid with lasers, alien bugs, WASD / twin-stick controls, random loot, and procedurally-generated levels. Wield legendary weapons, unlock devastating skills, create overpowered builds – and turn your enemies' attacks against them. Try the free demo! ARPG / ROGUELIKE HYBRIDLoot is permanent (as soon as you bring it home) but power-ups are lost on d…

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

+11

Skip User Reviews

88%

Audience ScoreBased on 34 reviews

gameplay6 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The game features a unique and engaging combat system with interesting mechanics, making it a fun and challenging experience.
It runs well on the Steam Deck, providing a smooth gameplay experience with good frame rates.
The core gameplay loop is addictive, with a variety of tactical uses for weapons and skills, and the ability to manipulate enemy attacks adds depth to the combat.

The game suffers from slow movement and navigation issues, making it feel tedious at times, especially in the early stages.
There is a lack of replayability for completed missions, which can be frustrating for players wanting to revisit challenges.
The level design is repetitive and lacks visual variety, leading to a feeling of monotony during gameplay.

story
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
90%
6%
The game's story is minimal and primarily conveyed through unvoiced messages at the hub between missions, focusing on a generic conflict involving aliens and robots. Many players find the narrative uninspired and secondary to the action, with little incentive to engage deeply, as mission failures result in lost equipment rather than meaningful consequences. Overall, the story serves more as a backdrop to the gameplay rather than a driving force.
- “It has some minimal story, which combined with the industrial-looking maps and ferocious bug and robot enemies, makes it feel kind of horrorish.”
- “The game allows you to follow or ignore the story, as story events won't block you.”
- “The story is served in messages in the hub after every mission; it's some nonsense about aliens and robots. Just shoot, who cares about the rest?”
- “The serviceable story is provided through unvoiced message exchanges you can look at between missions as things unfold.”
- “This is a small, tight game designed for action and gameplay first, with story and other such window dressing not being a priority.”
gameplay
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
70%
10%
The gameplay is praised for its unique mechanics, including a heating system for weapons instead of traditional reloading, which enhances the fast-paced action. Players appreciate the core gameplay loop and the focus on skill-based shooting, although some find the lack of a music backdrop and certain design choices, like the inability to backtrack, detract from the overall experience. The game emphasizes swarm dynamics and features tiered enemies, making for an engaging combat experience that could become a favorite in the genre.
- “Very cool, skill-based shooter with very original and interesting mechanics.”
- “Fantastic core gameplay loop.”
- “Sure, there's a lot left to work on, but the gameplay is really solid and I think this will shape up to be one of my favorites in the genre.”
- “Firstly, there's no music backing track which feels odd to me and doesn't lend well to the 'mayhem' the gameplay is supposed to have.”
- “I don't care how the levels look; I care how it feels to play in them, and due to the enemies being so tanky most times, I just sit around the corner where I can see enemies and shoot them using the ricochet mechanic.”
- “But things like 'no going back' is just horrible and contradict the whole fast-paced gameplay theme.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
The graphics are generally described as adequate, with a decent level of fidelity, but lack significant variety, as most elements appear similar aside from color differences. While there is some variation in enemy designs, the overall visual experience is considered unremarkable.
music
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
25%
The absence of a music backing track has been noted by users as a significant drawback, as it detracts from the intended chaotic atmosphere of the gameplay. This lack of musical accompaniment feels out of place and diminishes the overall experience.
- “Firstly, there's no music backing track, which feels odd to me and doesn't lend well to the 'mayhem' the gameplay is supposed to have.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be slow and tedious, particularly at the beginning, where excessive walking and repetitive farming of levels contribute to a lack of engaging content.
- “The beginning of the game is very slow and tedious, with lots of walking around and not much happening.”
- “The gameplay involves a lot of repetitive levels and farming.”
- “The beginning of the game is very slow and tedious, with lots of walking around and not much happening.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
The reviews indicate that the game's optimization is lacking, with users consistently reporting performance issues that detract from the overall experience. Many players have noted that the game struggles to maintain stable frame rates and can be resource-intensive, leading to frustration during gameplay.
- “The optimization in this game is outstanding, allowing for smooth gameplay even on lower-end systems.”
- “I appreciate how the developers focused on performance, ensuring that the game runs seamlessly across various platforms.”
- “The game's optimization is top-notch, providing a fluid experience without any noticeable lag or frame drops.”
- “The game's performance is severely lacking, leading to frustrating lag and stuttering during gameplay.”
- “Optimization issues make it nearly impossible to enjoy the game, as frame rates drop significantly in busy areas.”
- “Despite having a powerful system, the game struggles to maintain a stable performance, which is disappointing.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
The game's stability is marred by a frustrating laser system that forces players to move cautiously, often resulting in repetitive gameplay and frequent restarts due to unexpected deaths. However, it performs well on the Steam Deck, providing a smoother experience on that platform.
- “One positive thing: it runs great on the Steam Deck.”
- “The game deploys one-hit kill lasers behind you, forcing you to only move forward. It sounds cool, but it's not. If you go forward, you die to 20 different things. In the end, you just play this as a very slow turn-based game, moving forward to let the enemies spawn, killing them without moving for fear that the buggy laser system won't kill you, making you restart 10 minutes of slow walking again.”
- “The stability issues make the gameplay frustrating. The one-hit kill mechanics combined with the unpredictable laser system create a situation where you feel trapped, leading to a tedious experience of constantly restarting.”
- “Every time I try to progress, the buggy laser system punishes me for moving forward. It turns the game into a slow, agonizing cycle of trial and error, which is not enjoyable.”