Gatekeeper

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"Gatekeeper is a Shooter game with exceptional mechanics, splendid graphics, and spectacular music. Play solo or team up with a friend in multi-player co-op mode. Your mission: reclaim the stolen Heart of the Universe from an unknown galaxy, utilizing unique abilities of playable characters and collectibles to defeat ancient guardians and unlock new locations."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Reviews

87%

Audience ScoreBased on 790 reviews

gameplay40 positive mentions

grinding10 negative mentions

Outstanding soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience.
Breathtaking graphics and particle effects that create a visually stunning environment.
Diverse character selection with unique abilities, allowing for varied playstyles.

Limited story and lore, requiring players to seek out background information.
Lack of character skins or special unlocks, making progression feel less rewarding.
Only a few maps currently available, leading to potential repetitiveness in gameplay.

gameplay
121 mentions
33 % positive mentions
64 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Gatekeeper" is characterized by its engaging core loop, reminiscent of "Risk of Rain," where players battle through progressively challenging stages while collecting items to enhance their abilities. While the game offers a solid foundation with diverse mechanics and enjoyable multiplayer options, some players have noted issues with balance, repetitiveness, and a lack of impactful customization. Overall, the gameplay is praised for its fun and addictive nature, though it may require further refinement as it continues through early access.
- “The gameplay loop is similar to Risk of Rain, as other reviews have mentioned: you stack the same items to build their strength and then run through the same few areas in a loop, with each stage getting progressively more difficult as enemies deal more damage and have more health.”
- “The arsenal of artifacts with oddly specific ways to unlock them keeps gameplay interesting and adds more challenges to the game on top of the original goal.”
- “The gameplay loop is satisfying: you land in some unknown place, fight waves of enemies, do some objectives (activate this, activate that...), loot chests with items that give you certain bonuses, level up your characters with perks like + attack speed, + damage, + hp regen, - cooldowns... I did not experience all of the in-game mechanics, but so far it seems promising.”
- “My absolute biggest gripe is in the new gameplay balance; it's a mess.”
- “Overall, extremely unenjoyable progression system, bland empty levels, uninspired enemy visuals and lack of gameplay depth.”
- “The gameplay feels like chewing through concrete.”
music
72 mentions
46 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its outstanding and engaging soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience, particularly for EDM lovers. However, some players found the music to be repetitive or generic, suggesting it could detract from the overall enjoyment. Overall, while the soundtrack is often described as a highlight, opinions vary on its uniqueness and impact during gameplay.
- “This is literally my favorite soundtrack in any video game, beating out even ROR2.”
- “The soundtrack goes absolutely wild; I had to buy the supporter pack after one run through the game because it slaps.”
- “The game’s soundtrack is equally fun—a pulsing, bass-heavy electro jam that scales up or down based on on-screen intensity.”
- “Come early access, I played for around 2 hours, but there were no sensations from the gameplay, music, or progression; everything felt stale, dull, boring, and worthless.”
- “The music isn't as good here, the gameplay isn't as good.”
- “I'm not nitpicking here but it feels like someone was picking some free internet music with the 'action' tag on it, put it in and done.”
graphics
67 mentions
60 % positive mentions
36 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their breathtaking visuals, unique art style, and atmospheric environments, often compared favorably to titles like "Risk of Rain 2." While many players appreciate the clean and crisp design, some have noted performance issues, particularly during intense gameplay moments that can affect framerate. Overall, the visuals are described as beautiful and engaging, contributing significantly to the game's appeal despite occasional criticisms regarding object visibility and texture quality.
- “This game looks remarkably good and its art style matches the theme perfectly.”
- “The art style is very appealing, with the new large maps packing quite a bit of atmosphere.”
- “The art style and visual effects are beautiful.”
- “The game lags so bad even when it's on minimum graphics.”
- “The graphical component looks outdated, even for an indie project, and the poor quality of textures and lack of detail give the impression that you are playing a game from the 90s.”
- “Overall, extremely unenjoyable progression system, bland empty levels, uninspired enemy visuals and lack of gameplay depth.”
story
14 mentions
21 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
21 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimal, primarily consisting of a brief starting cutscene, with players needing to seek out lore on their own. Many reviewers express a desire for a more developed narrative or campaign mode, similar to other franchises, as the current gameplay feels more like a mindless shooter with little emphasis on storytelling. Overall, while the core gameplay mechanics are praised, the lack of a substantial plot detracts from the experience.
- “Although not super fleshed out in terms of overall plot and story, the game has solidified its awesome core gameplay loops and mechanics.”
- “I wish it had a campaign/story mode like in the 'Diablo' franchise or something.”
- “When it comes to gameplay, it is a mixed story.”
- “Not a lot of story aside from the starting cutscene; you have to look for the lore.”
- “Any sort of lore and story has been thrown overboard and it's just a mindless horde shooter now.”
- “Gatekeeper is a story-less, stage-based roguelite that gives you control of one of seven unlockable gatekeepers, then asks you to murder everything in sight over and over again until you, yourself, are inevitably murdered.”
replayability
14 mentions
43 % positive mentions
36 % neutral mentions
21 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's replayability is a mixed bag; while many players appreciate the achievements and rogue-like elements that encourage varied play styles, others find the content lacking and the characters uninteresting, leading to diminished excitement on subsequent runs. The vibrant environments and online co-op add some appeal, but opinions vary widely, with some users citing excellent replay value and others expressing disappointment in the game's depth and uniqueness.
- “A lot of replayability thanks to achievements unlocking different items, keeping the gameplay new.”
- “Excellent replay value.”
- “High replayability due to the rogue-like nature of the game and the endless survival mechanic.”
- “The environments are colorful and interesting and beg to be explored, even if the characters aren't that interesting and you get tired of exploring those environments on subsequent runs. With no risk of rain-style deep secrets, this is a minor replayability issue.”
- “Absolutely no replayability....”
- “It's not unique, lack of content (would have more in a future though), heroes and boons are pretty boring and not much replayability as well.”
optimization
11 mentions
45 % positive mentions
27 % neutral mentions
27 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization receives mixed reviews; while some players praise its smooth performance and lack of bugs, others report significant issues, including crashes and poor optimization that detracts from the experience. A few users highlight impressive performance on high-end setups, but contrasting opinions suggest that optimization needs further improvement for a more consistent experience across different systems.
- “The music is great and the performance is impeccable; I have had zero lag or frame drops while playing.”
- “Seems to be well optimized and runs locked at 144 fps with no crashes.”
- “Great roguelike game, great design, insane optimization, tons of content and fun during all your runs.”
- “I want to like this game but it needs work... the content isn't bad but everything is so poorly optimized you can't tell if your game is crashing, freezing, or just stopped working.”
- “The performance is god awful now and it feels like the demo was miles ahead.”
- “Performance wise, I play on ultra wide 1440p 240hz.”
grinding
10 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and time-consuming, particularly due to the repetitive enemy waves and bullet-sponge bosses that lack challenge. While some appreciate the polished gameplay and fun single-player experience, many feel that the grind detracts from overall enjoyment, especially when compared to other games that offer more rewarding progression systems.
- “Once you first clear out the map of enemies, they then spawn in waves of approximately 8 enemies per wave, making money and unlock grinding a long and tedious process.”
- “An overtuned grindy mess that utterly invalidates one specific character unless you're either insanely lucky or frame-perfect skilled with them.”
- “The bosses act more like tedious bullet sponges than a challenge that's difficult to overcome; none of them can beat the player simply walking in circles around them.”
atmosphere
5 mentions
40 % positive mentions
20 % neutral mentions
40 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its appealing art style, immersive graphics, and engaging music, reminiscent of "Risk of Rain." Players appreciate how the expansive maps enhance the overall experience, contributing to a captivating environment that encourages extended playtime. The combination of these elements creates a compelling atmosphere that draws players in and keeps them engaged.
- “The art style is very appealing, with the new large maps packing quite a bit of atmosphere.”
- “I like the graphics, music, and atmosphere.”
- “The replayability, music, atmosphere, and ramping difficulty are one of the main reasons for someone to easily lose 3 to 4 hours playing, with a feeling that only 15 minutes have passed.”
- “A risk of rain remix, this game brings all the best parts of ROR while still managing to change the recipe and atmosphere enough to draw you in.”
stability
4 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game demonstrates strong stability, particularly on the Steam Deck, with users reporting smooth performance and appealing visuals. However, some early access players have noted bugs, especially with the game browser, which frequently fails to load. Despite these issues, many have not encountered significant glitches or bugs during gameplay.
- “Runs great on Steam Deck, too.”
- “Runs great, feels great, looks great.”
- “The early access is pretty buggy, specifically the game browser, which fails to load frequently.”
- “I haven't encountered bugs, glitches, etc.”
character development
4 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
Character development in the game has received mixed feedback, with some praising the character designs as good, while others note a lack of originality and suggest that improvements are needed. Additionally, there are concerns about the similarity in character designs and item functions, indicating a need for more distinctiveness.
- “Character designs are good.”
- “Even things like the basic character design have bizarre elements.”
- “Character design definitely needs some work.”
humor
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is appreciated by some players, particularly for its quirky elements like the "funny hammer man," but it can become frustrating when gameplay issues overshadow the comedic aspects. Overall, while the humor has its moments, it may not be enough to sustain enjoyment in the face of recurring problems.
- “Funny hammer man”