Last Encounter
- May 8, 2018
- Exordium Games
In short, Last Encounter has a neat concept, but fails to follow through with it. A good challenge is the lifeblood of a videogame, especially when it comes to roguelikes. If the level of difficulty is incapable of matching and growing with the player's skill and arsenal, then there's no purpose in continuing to play. Before long, what should be a thrilling run deep into enemy territory becomes nothing more than a thirty-minute spectacle of light and sound. Anyone who picks this title up will inevitably face a tough choice. Do they make full use of the overpowered weapon system, knowing that they will rarely have any fun, or do they ignore everything, thereby stripping the game of its identity?
Get on Steam"Last Encounter" is a twin-stick action roguelite set in deep space, where players must prevent an impending apocalypse. With a unique component-based weapon system, players can design their own weapons and clone their avatars to continue the fight. Explore procedurally generated levels, discover advanced technology, and engage in challenging battles against alien ships and bosses. Death is not the end, enabling you to teleport into new sectors of space and improve your arsenal.
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Playstation 5
Windows
Xbox One
Xbox Series X|S
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- Last Encounter features a diverse arsenal of weapons and ship modules, allowing for significant customization and experimentation, which enhances replayability.
- The game's vibrant pixel art style and energetic sound design create an engaging atmosphere that complements the fast-paced action.
- Local co-operative mode adds a layer of social engagement, making it a fun experience to tackle challenges with friends.
- The game's high difficulty and permadeath system can lead to frustration, especially for players who struggle with the challenging enemy encounters.
- Many players find the UI confusing and the lack of clear explanations for mechanics and upgrades detracts from the overall experience.
- Procedurally generated levels can feel repetitive and lack meaningful content, leading to a grindy experience that may not appeal to all players.
- gameplay15 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Last Encounter" features intense twin-stick shooting that requires precise aiming and quick reflexes, reminiscent of classic titles like "Smash TV" and "Enter the Gungeon." While the core mechanics and enemy variety are engaging, players note that the game feels underexplained and somewhat unfinished, leading to chaotic moments that can result in friendly fire. Overall, the gameplay is fun and rewarding for fans of the genre, but it could benefit from clearer mechanics and refinement.
“The core gameplay loop revolves around intense twin-stick shooting, demanding precise aiming and quick reflexes.”
“The core gameplay is fun and rewarding.”
“The framework for this game is fantastic - your ship is fun to pilot and weapons are somewhat morphic based on the upgrades you collect, there is good enemy variety and the overall actual gameplay is solid.”
“While the added firepower can be helpful in clearing enemy waves, the chaotic nature of the gameplay can lead to unintended friendly fire and increased difficulty.”
“Last Encounter has some neat ideas and mechanics, but it just doesn't quite work, is severely underexplained, and feels at least a little unfinished.”
“At the first 50 minutes, I went slowly trying to understand the mechanics as this game throws you into fast-paced action if you're not careful and nearly kills you if you don't react.”
- graphics12 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The game's graphics are praised for their vibrant and detailed pixel art style, effectively blending retro aesthetics with modern design elements. Players appreciate the visual appeal, noting that the graphics enhance the overall experience without requiring high-end hardware. The combination of charming visuals and atmospheric music contributes to an engaging and immersive gameplay environment.
“A thrilling rogue-like game, coupled with excellent graphics and interesting narrative background.”
“The art combined with great atmospheric music and orthographic camera at some parts just made me stop and enjoy it all.”
“The game's visuals, while presented in a classic pixel art style, are surprisingly vibrant and full of detail.”
“With its retro style graphics and sounds, it adds to the feel of these weapons in use.”
“It is top down in nature, but a lot of work has gone into the graphics and the feel of old and new mixed together.”
- music8 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its dynamic and adaptive qualities, enhancing the overall experience by intensifying during combat and providing a serene backdrop during quieter moments. Reviewers appreciate the energetic soundtrack and sound design, which effectively complement the game's visuals and level design, creating an immersive atmosphere. Overall, the combination of booming sound effects and engaging music contributes significantly to the game's appeal.
“The sound design further complements the experience, with booming sound effects and energetic music that perfectly capture the intensity of the combat.”
“I like the adaptive music.”
“The art combined with great atmospheric music and orthographic camera at some parts just made me stop and enjoy it all.”
- story6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's story is described as dynamic yet linear, with players taking on the role of the last human pilots who can rebuild themselves and enhance their abilities. While some reviewers found the narrative engaging and well-matched to the game's price, others criticized the overall plot and level design as lacking depth, relying instead on repetitive procedural generation. Overall, the story elements are present but may not be the main focus for all players.
“Rogue-like arcade with story elements and unlockables for a fair price.”
“This game has amazing assets and a decent storyline which matches the price nicely.”
“The developer was unable to come up with decent level design or game/story flow/plot, so they opted to try to use samey repetitive procedural generation as a substitute for adding content to the game.”
“It's a roguelite, it's a twin-stick shooter, it's dynamic, but it also has a story (I didn't pay much attention, to be honest), several ships and characters to choose from, and plenty of upgrades you can buy.”
“As the last human pilots (and humans in general), you have a strange advantage over your foes: the ability to rebuild yourself in your base and start your quest anew with more advanced weaponry and better wits about your path.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game boasts high replayability due to its extensive upgrades, diverse weapon types, and procedural generation, allowing players to customize their ships and mix weapons for unique combinations. Reviewers consistently rate its replay value highly, emphasizing the variety of perks and abilities that enhance the gameplay experience.
“Lots of upgrades, weapon types, and procedural generation keep it quite replayable.”
“This game has a huge replay value as you can customize your ship's weapons and choose perks/pilots that provide special abilities. Not to mention, you can mix weapons to create new ones.”
“Replayability: 10/10, already stated why above in my review.”
“The game lacks meaningful content to encourage replayability; once you've seen everything, there's little incentive to return.”
“While there are some upgrades, the overall experience feels repetitive and doesn't offer enough variety for multiple playthroughs.”
“After a few runs, the game becomes predictable and fails to provide new challenges or experiences, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game successfully establishes a captivating sci-fi atmosphere through its diverse alien landscapes and intense action, characterized by a visually chaotic environment filled with bullets and explosions. Players appreciate the sense of progression that enhances the overall experience.
“Within the scope of the game project, this game does a great job of creating a sci-fi atmosphere and a sense of moving forward.”
“The diverse alien landscapes, coupled with the constant barrage of bullets and explosions, create a visually chaotic yet strangely captivating atmosphere.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and time-consuming, particularly criticizing the lengthy boss fights that follow each zone. Many recommend avoiding this grind and suggest exploring other games instead.
“You sometimes, but not always, fight a boss after a zone, and these are lengthy, tedious affairs.”
“Don't bother wasting your time with this immense grindy time sink and play something else.”
Critic Reviews
Last Encounter Review
In short, Last Encounter has a neat concept, but fails to follow through with it. A good challenge is the lifeblood of a videogame, especially when it comes to roguelikes. If the level of difficulty is incapable of matching and growing with the player's skill and arsenal, then there's no purpose in continuing to play. Before long, what should be a thrilling run deep into enemy territory becomes nothing more than a thirty-minute spectacle of light and sound. Anyone who picks this title up will inevitably face a tough choice. Do they make full use of the overpowered weapon system, knowing that they will rarely have any fun, or do they ignore everything, thereby stripping the game of its identity?
40%Last Encounter Review
Almost every good piece of design in Last Encounter is knocked down multiple pegs thanks to an oppressive grind. It successfully manages to invest you in the world and its systems, before quickly erecting barriers that direct away from the interesting features. Had the game been a bit more generous with its upgrades, or toned down the monotony, this could have been a solid roguelike.
40%Last Encounter (Nintendo Switch)
40%
