No Turning Back: The Pixel Art Action-Adventure Roguelike

About

No Turning Back is an indie pixel art randomly generated action rogue-like developed by a new indie developer with tons of player classes, spells, weapons, armour and unlocks!

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

No Turning Back: The Pixel Art Action-Adventure Roguelike screenshot

41%

Audience ScoreBased on 103 reviews

graphics6 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The game has a lot of potential and interesting concepts that could be developed further.
Some players found the pixel art style and retro sound effects appealing, evoking nostalgia.
The developer has been responsive and active in updating the game, showing commitment to improvement.

The game is plagued with bugs, including unresponsive controls, broken achievements, and crashes.
Gameplay is slow and repetitive, with poor hitboxes and limited attack directions, making it frustrating to play.
Many players feel the game is unfinished and abandoned, lacking content and polish after years in early access.

gameplay
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
60%
20%
The gameplay has been widely criticized for its slow pace, simplistic mechanics, and lack of engaging content, often being compared unfavorably to "The Binding of Isaac." Players note the limited attack options and poor animations, leading to a frustrating experience that feels outdated and uninspired. Overall, the gameplay fails to deliver the excitement and depth expected from a modern title, leaving many feeling disappointed.
- “Let me start by saying that if you're going to have a title this seemingly ironic, you had better make sure your game delivers with good gameplay above all else.”
- “Anyway, the gameplay is just what I wanted, quick and easy to learn.”
- “No, what matters is the gameplay.”
- “While being dumped on Steam in 2016, the game features 1990's pixel graphics, no widescreen or HD support, terrible gameplay, no artwork at all to speak of, maps and gameplay ripped directly from Binding of Isaac but worse.”
- “Stupid mechanic: can only attack left or right, slow animation or even no animation at all when attacking.”
- “However, I am sad to say that even the gameplay, which should be the crutch of the game, is simple, bland, and boring like everything else in the game thus far.”
graphics
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
31%
23%
The game's graphics are primarily characterized by 1990s pixel art, which some players appreciate for its nostalgic value, while others criticize it for lacking modern features like widescreen or HD support. Overall, the visuals are described as simple and basic, with mixed opinions on their impact and quality; some find them charming, while others feel they detract from the gameplay experience. Despite the graphics being a point of contention, the game shows potential for improvement as it continues to be updated.
- “Like the pixel art style.”
- “The graphics are simple but nice.”
- “Graphics reminds me of the good old days with epic games on the Atari and the Amiga, it gives you a sense of nostalgia as you play it. If you loved games from those times, then this could be one for you as it is one for me!”
- “While being dumped on Steam in 2016, the game features 1990's pixel graphics, no widescreen or HD support, terrible gameplay, no artwork at all to speak of, maps and gameplay ripped directly from Binding of Isaac but worse.”
- “Graphics, sounds, and music are basic; there's no minimap, and overall it's just a monotonous experience with no end goal.”
- “There are plenty of other early access games that have much better core gameplay, graphics, sound, etc.”
music
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
25%
38%
The music in the game is described as repetitive and basic, with some users finding it relaxing while others criticize it as generic and monotonous. Although players can adjust the volume, the overall soundtrack lacks variety, featuring only a limited number of tracks that evoke a retro techno style.
- “You are able to toggle the music volume.”
- “The soundtrack (I only heard 1 song) is nice.”
- “Repetitive music.”
- “Graphics, sounds, and music are basic; there's no minimap, and overall it's just a monotonous experience with no end goal.”
- “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
story
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The game's story is largely absent, with some players noting a lack of narrative depth and direction. While the moral of perseverance is highlighted, the overall experience is more focused on gameplay mechanics and achievements rather than a compelling storyline. Players should not expect a rich narrative, as the game prioritizes action and responsiveness over storytelling.
- “The moral of the story is that you never know what life has in store for you. If I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
- “The graphics and the story are good, and your achievements matter. Whether your goal is to just spend your free time or to engage deeply with the game, the experience is rewarding.”
- “No storyline.”
- “The game also has no story as to be expected, so don't get your hopes up.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting numerous game-stopping glitches, slow performance, and buggy mechanics that hinder enjoyment. Many feel the game is incomplete and requires significant polish to become playable, leading to a frustrating experience overall.
- “The concept of the game drew me towards it; unfortunately, the game is plagued with game-stopping glitches and seems incomplete. It requires a lot of polish just to be playable.”
- “It was fun at first, but it's too buggy to even enjoy the game.”
- “Very bad game, slow, buggy, unfair, with bad hitboxes and pay-to-win achievements.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as hilarious, with players enjoying the witty dialogue and funny lines delivered by skeleton warriors upon their appearance. The randomness in their insults adds an element of surprise and enhances the comedic experience.
- “Hilarious.”
- “Make the skeleton warriors say something, and use your randomness generation to have them select from a number of funny lines or insults when they spawn in and see your character!”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game is criticized as a poorly executed cash grab, with users feeling it relies heavily on free giveaways and sales rather than offering genuine value.
- “There is absolutely no redeeming factor to this attempt, and I am left thinking this is either a terribly orchestrated attempt at breaking into the gaming world after the developers' doting parent told them it was just great, or yet another irritating cash grab attempt through free game giveaways and Steam card sale profits.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Reviews indicate a desire for improvement in character development, particularly regarding the color scheme and designs of the main characters, suggesting that current aesthetics may detract from the overall experience.
- “The character development feels shallow and uninspired, leaving me disconnected from the story.”
- “I was expecting more depth in the characters, but they all seem one-dimensional and forgettable.”
- “The lack of meaningful choices in character progression makes the experience feel linear and unengaging.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization is currently a work in progress, as it is in early access, and players recognize this as a necessary phase for the developers to enhance performance in future updates.
- “Finally, it is early access after all, so it's just a stepping stone to improving its performance, which I understand will help the developer in the future.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is negatively impacted by frustrating mechanics, such as poor hit detection, which can lead to feelings of unfairness and annoyance among players.