Cthulhu's Reach: Devil Reef
- April 14, 2024
- The Fine Arc
Get on Steam"Cthulhu's Reach: Devil Reef" is a 1920s-set roguelike game where you, driven by debt and drawn by rumors of hidden treasure, venture to the cursed town of Innsmouth and the treacherous maze of Devil Reef. With up to four player online co-op, explore the labyrinth, battle eldritch horrors, and unlock powerful weapons and upgrades to survive the perilous journey. Isometric action and challenging gameplay await in this Lovecraftian adventure.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game offers a fun and engaging roguelike experience with satisfying upgrades and a variety of combat mechanics, including the ability to combo guns and melee attacks.
- It has a charming Lovecraftian theme and retro pixel graphics that evoke nostalgia, making it enjoyable for fans of classic dungeon crawlers.
- The developers are responsive and actively working on improvements, showing promise for future updates and enhancements to the game.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs, including crashes and issues with controller support, which can hinder the overall experience.
- There is a lack of enemy variety and challenge, leading to repetitive gameplay that may not keep players engaged for long periods.
- Some mechanics, such as stamina depletion and the absence of a pause function in solo play, can be frustrating and detract from the enjoyment of the game.
- gameplay7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally engaging and fun, with a solid weapon unlock and upgrade system that balances progression without making players overpowered. However, the dungeon exploration can feel repetitive due to enemy spawn mechanics, and the experience is marred by various bugs affecting gameplay elements like hit detection and milestone tracking. Overall, while the ambiance and developer dedication are commendable, improvements are needed to enhance the gameplay loop.
“I'd recommend this one if you're looking for something fun and engaging as far as gameplay goes.”
“Totally worthy, the game feels awesome, gameplay as well and of course the dev dedication to the game.”
“The gameplay loop really suffers when it comes to the actual dungeon exploration - every so often a horde of enemies will spawn, providing a subtle sense of urgency as you explore the stage.”
“The game suffers from many bugs (milestones that don't update, poor pickup mechanics, poor hit detection) that will hopefully be ironed out because the game's ambiance is fantastic.”
“You may see the rare Deep One psychic, which is an enemy that remains relatively motionless and shoots an orb at you, but I never saw them spawn via the horde mechanic.”
- graphics4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are praised for their appealing pixel art style, reminiscent of classic titles from the Diablo and Wolfenstein era. Reviewers appreciate the overall aesthetic, noting that it enhances the game's captivating atmosphere, while also highlighting the effective use of sprites and level design.
“Promising action roguelike game with really cool music, really dangerous barrels, and awesome pixel graphics.”
“If you are an old school gamer like I am, born in the era of Diablo and Wolfenstein, then you will love this graphic style.”
“Nice graphics and the right difficulty for each level.”
“The graphics feel outdated and lack the polish expected from modern games.”
“The character models are poorly designed and look like they belong in a much older game.”
“The environments are bland and repetitive, making it hard to stay immersed in the game.”
- story3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The story is characterized as a familiar narrative presented in a fresh and engaging manner, complementing the gameplay of the roguelike shooter/fighter. While not heavily plot-driven, the opening cutscene features appealing voice acting, suggesting potential for more narrative elements in future content.
“An old story with a new and interesting coat of paint on it, presented as a very satisfying roguelike shooter/fighter.”
“The voice acting in the opening cutscene was nice; it would be interesting to see more story delivered this way.”
“This isn't, as far as I've seen, plot-heavy by any means.”
“The story feels disjointed and lacks a coherent narrative.”
“Character development is shallow, making it hard to connect with anyone.”
- stability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while it runs well on the Steam Deck and offers enjoyable gameplay, players report glitches and rudimentary controls that can detract from the experience.
“Runs great on Steam Deck.”
“Once we were able to actually play, it is fun, but the glitches and rudimentary controls take you back to playing a game with your friends on SNES.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it nearly impossible to enjoy the experience.”
“I encountered numerous bugs that disrupted gameplay, leading to frustrating moments.”
- music2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised, contributing to the overall atmosphere with its cool and engaging soundtracks. It complements the action-packed gameplay and enhances the experience alongside the impressive pixel graphics.
“The music is present.”
“Promising action roguelike game with really cool music, really dangerous barrels, and awesome pixel graphics.”
“The music is repetitive and lacks variety.”
“The soundtrack feels generic and uninspired.”
“The audio quality is poor, making it hard to enjoy the music.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game is perceived to have low replayability due to its permadeath mechanic and grindy gameplay, which necessitates breaks between matches. However, players find it captivating and appreciate its graphics, despite the limitations in replay value.
“The game offers a unique experience with each playthrough, making it highly replayable and enjoyable.”
“With multiple character classes and branching storylines, every run feels fresh and exciting.”
“The variety of challenges and unlockable content keeps me coming back for more, ensuring that no two sessions are ever the same.”
“The game has low replayability; after each match, there's permadeath, and the grind against the mobs can be exhausting, making it necessary to take breaks between matches.”
“Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to return, as the gameplay feels repetitive and lacks variety.”
“While the game is captivating, the limited replayability due to permadeath and grindy mechanics makes it hard to stay engaged for long periods.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the game to be grindy, requiring significant effort to progress due to permadeath and challenging mobs, which can lead to low replayability. Despite this, many appreciate the captivating gameplay and graphics.
“The game feels like a grind fest, with repetitive tasks that make it hard to stay engaged for long periods.”
“Grinding in this game is tedious and feels like a chore rather than an enjoyable part of the experience.”
“The permadeath mechanic combined with the grindy nature of the gameplay makes it frustrating to progress.”
