Genome Guardian
- May 7, 2024
- Alpherior
- 17h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io Store"Genome Guardian" is a free-to-play prologue of a complex shooter game set in a bioluminescent alien world. Players must research upgrades, navigate 8 game modes, and pair DNA nucleotides to create hybrid bioweapons. The game features 49 unique turrets, 96 perks, 72 turret & weapon mods, and 32 mutations to alter gameplay, providing a high level of customization and replayability.
PC
Windows
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- The game offers a vast amount of build diversity with numerous weapon combinations, turrets, and perks, making each run feel unique and engaging.
- The developer is highly active in the community, frequently updating the game with new content and responding to player feedback, which enhances the overall experience.
- The gameplay is addictive and fun, with a well-paced progression system that keeps players coming back for more, even after many hours of play.
- The early game progression can feel slow and grindy, which may deter some players from fully engaging with the content.
- Certain runs can be heavily reliant on RNG, leading to frustrating experiences if the right upgrades or weapons do not appear.
- Some players have reported issues with the heat management mechanic, finding it can detract from the overall enjoyment of the gameplay.
- gameplay46 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by its engaging mechanics and extensive customization options, offering a fun and dynamic experience that encourages experimentation with various builds and strategies. While many players appreciate the depth and variety, some criticize the initial gameplay loop as slow and repetitive, with certain mechanics feeling unintuitive. Overall, the game successfully combines arcade shooter elements with a satisfying progression system, making it appealing for both casual play and achievement hunters.
“The onboarding process is well-done (it unlocks new mechanics at a good pace without being overwhelming) and the meta-progression is satisfying.”
“The gameplay feels great, with so many ways to tailor your own build; the game feels endless in things to do and try.”
“The giant customization variety of weapons and enemies, the big amount of perks and turrets that can change gameplay completely, and the amazing soundtrack is what a perfect game like this has.”
“There are apparently five different gameplay modes in this thing and I just unlocked the second after around two and a half hours of play.”
“Even if the advertised content is there - it is an unreal expectation for a player to sit in a brainrot boring gameplay loop for over 7-10 hours to get to what is advertised.”
“The gameplay loop is too short and repetitive to stay interesting.”
- music46 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many players praising its energetic and fitting soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. While some tracks are noted as inconsistent or unfitting, the majority contribute positively to the game's vibe, making it a standout feature. Overall, the soundtrack is described as a "banger" that players enjoy and even want to listen to outside of the game.
“Great survivor with a ton of content and a pretty banging soundtrack.”
“The music is fun and fits the vibe of the game too!”
“Amazing game, a lot of in-depth mechanics, progression is pretty good and the soundtrack is amazing.”
“I think the sound effects could be a little chunkier; the music is inconsistent, with some tracks just being mixed horribly, while other tracks fit the mood well enough.”
“The game, for some reason, opens with a disclaimer on the main menu for creators to mute the music so they're not copyright stricken, and then the game hits you with the most mediocre EDM ever made.”
“I probably wouldn't ever listen to this music by choice, but it works so well in this game!”
- replayability28 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 39 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The game boasts exceptional replayability, with a wide variety of play modes, turrets, weapons, and perks that encourage experimentation and keep the experience fresh. Players appreciate the numerous unlocks and mods that enhance replay value, making it feel custom-built to address common genre pitfalls. Overall, the game offers a nearly infinite replay experience, appealing to both casual and dedicated players alike.
“The variety of play modes and turrets gives the game a lot of replay value.”
“This game has the most replayability I've ever seen with many unlocks that will have you playing over and over again.”
“There's a genuinely hilarious amount of unlocks that add a lot of replay value; I've only gotten a little over 60% myself at the time of writing this!”
“The most unique thing about this game is that it seems custom-built to combat the all-too-common problems of the genre: no replay value, no long-term goals, and finding and sticking with one single build.”
“I do feel like even with this mechanic, the replay value could drop off a bit once you've sunk enough hours in to see all/most combinations of weapons though.”
“Replayability is very darn near infinite, difficulty ranges all the way from easy peasy to swear at rng.”
- graphics9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The graphics of Genome Guardian are characterized by a charming and simple art style that evokes nostalgia for classic arcade games. While not overly ambitious, the visuals are clean, vibrant, and complemented by a killer soundtrack, creating a fun and creative atmosphere. The focus on gameplay and a unique weapon system takes precedence over cutting-edge graphics, appealing to players who appreciate depth over visual spectacle.
“A killer soundtrack, and charming visuals, Genome Guardian is a game that first and foremost, lets you do what you want.”
“The DNA theme is so cool to me too, and the art style, although simple, is really fun and creative.”
“The visuals are clean, vibrant, and nice to look at.”
“If you're looking for over-the-top visuals, don't.”
“It's a game that eschews graphics for a deep and complex weapon system that I can honestly say is super unique.”
“It takes you back to the good old days of arcade machines with its graphic style and gameplay.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be extensive, requiring significant time investment to unlock everything, which can be daunting for some. However, completionists may find the process satisfying, especially as upgrades eventually make grinding more manageable and rewarding.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Just lots of farming unlockables.”
“The game is very grindy to unlock everything, but it is quite satisfying to do so if you are a completionist.”
- story4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimal, with only subtle hints to engage players as they progress to higher difficulties. However, the focus on diverse game modes and various turret, weapon, and perk combinations provides enough entertainment to compensate for the lack of a strong narrative.
“The story was pretty cool, but I guess I don't have anything to say except don't trust what the haters say.”
“There's just enough hints at a story to tease you along into the higher difficulties, but even without that, the fact there are three very distinct game modes -- five current total game modes -- and so many different turret/weapon/perk combinations is impressive.”
“There's just enough hints at a story to tease you along into the higher difficulties, but even without that, the fact there's three very distinct game modes -- five current total game modes -- and so many different turret/weapon/perk combinations makes the story feel secondary.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by the amusing interactions of certain weapons, especially with specific mods, and the abundance of unlocks that contribute to replay value. Players recommend experiencing the game with friends to fully enjoy the comedic moments it offers. Overall, the humor is described as fantastic and a significant aspect of the gameplay experience.
“Fantastic humor, as well.”
“I'd recommend bringing a friend along for some funny moments.”
“There's a genuinely hilarious amount of unlocks that add a lot of replay value; I've only gotten a little over 60% myself at the time of writing this!”
- optimization1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -300 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that while there are optimized builds available for various challenges and modes, they often depend excessively on specific upgrades, weapon choices, favorable enemy generation, or the appearance of certain mutations, which can limit overall flexibility and strategy.
“While there are certainly optimized builds for the challenges and modes, some of them rely too heavily on a particular set of upgrades and weapons, depending on luck with enemy generation or banking on a certain mutation to appear.”
“While there are certainly optimized builds for the challenges and modes, some of them rely too heavily on a particular set of upgrades and weapons, lucking out with enemy generation, or banking on a certain mutation to appear.”
“The optimization in this game feels unbalanced, as certain strategies dominate while others are left completely ineffective.”
“It's frustrating that the game requires specific optimizations to progress, making it feel less about skill and more about luck and grinding.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a chill and relaxed vibe, enhanced by its soothing music.
“The music and atmosphere make the game feel very chill and relaxed.”
