Paranautical Activity

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"Paranautical Activity" is a challenging FPS game with roguelike elements, blending the classic action of games like Doom and Quake with the randomness and difficulty of modern roguelikes such as Binding of Isaac and Spelunky. Players face an onslaught of enemies in procedurally generated levels, with each playthrough offering a unique experience. The game is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

68%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,100 reviews

music96 positive mentions

story9 negative mentions

Fast-paced gameplay that combines elements of classic FPS games like Doom and Quake with roguelike mechanics.
Unique voxel graphics and a catchy soundtrack that enhance the overall experience.
High replayability due to randomly generated levels, various character classes, and a wide range of items.

Unbalanced difficulty, with some enemies and bosses being frustratingly hard to defeat, especially for new players.
Lack of clear item descriptions and mechanics, leading to confusion about their effects.
The game feels repetitive quickly due to limited enemy and room variety, and some players experience performance issues.

music
199 mentions
48 % positive mentions
41 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players praising its energetic and catchy nature, particularly highlighting the soundtrack's ability to enhance the fast-paced gameplay. However, some find it repetitive and overwhelming, with criticisms aimed at its reliance on dubstep and electronic genres, leading to a desire for more variety. Overall, while the soundtrack is often considered a standout feature, it may not appeal to everyone, and some players recommend muting it in favor of personal playlists.
- “The music is fantastic, the lighting on dark levels is cool, and is fun enough that any run you do can potentially turn into a game-winning one.”
- “The music is very awesome; it makes you pumped up and ready to kick some butt.”
- “The soundtrack is amazing.”
- “The music is about ten times louder than the sound effects unless you fix it in the options, which I didn't even bother looking to see if I could because I alt+f4'ed right the hell out after 9 minutes of torture.”
- “The music is blatantly made from a 'DIY dubstep pack of loops and samples' (my old job used to be designing cover art for these, so I know 'em when I hear them).”
- “The music is awful, but kind of gets you into the game I suppose.”
gameplay
186 mentions
35 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, with many reviewers noting its fast-paced, arena-style shooting mechanics reminiscent of classic FPS titles like Quake and Doom, combined with roguelike elements similar to The Binding of Isaac. However, criticisms abound regarding repetitive gameplay, lack of meaningful itemization, poor enemy AI, and numerous bugs that detract from the overall experience. While some players appreciate the chaotic fun and potential for skill-based play, others find the mechanics unpolished and the gameplay ultimately lacking depth and variety.
- “Great little rogue-like that makes up for what it lacks in graphical capability with intense gameplay and cool item combos.”
- “Being able to control your character is key, evading danger is the best way to stay alive and it makes for really exciting gameplay, especially with the variety of enemy types and attacks.”
- “The gameplay is fast-paced and addictive, and the music gets you hyped.”
- “The gameplay is boring and repetitive, the wiki unfinished, thus leaving you puzzled when picking up items and the balance is non-existent.”
- “Gameplay isn't addicting like other roguelikes.”
- “The game would be fun if it wasn't for the mind-bogglingly repetitive gameplay and the extremely small diversity of enemies trying to kill the protagonist.”
graphics
149 mentions
36 % positive mentions
57 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are primarily characterized by a voxel art style, which some players find charming and fitting for the fast-paced gameplay, while others criticize it as overused and poorly executed. Many reviews highlight the simplistic and sometimes bland visuals, with issues like dim lighting making it difficult to distinguish enemies. Overall, opinions are mixed, with some appreciating the unique aesthetic and lighting effects, while others find the graphics unappealing and lacking depth.
- “The voxel graphics and lighting are my favorite aspects of this game.”
- “The graphics are very adorable, giving even what are supposed to be hideous monsters a very huggable and blocky appearance.”
- “The pixel graphics and fantastic lighting give Paranautical Activity a fantastic original look, but what really makes this game shine is the endless twitch shooting fun.”
- “All of the different areas of the game make minor aesthetic changes every now and then, but they are still mostly gray boxes with the same few room layouts scrambled together.”
- “It's a shame, it has such a neat aesthetic and the designs and models are all fantastic, and wasted on this terrible game.”
- “The dim lighting and voxel-based graphics sometimes make it hard to pick out enemies from the background, and getting movement power-ups makes it very easy to run into something dangerous in the often cramped rooms.”
story
27 mentions
11 % positive mentions
56 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
The game lacks a coherent story or narrative, with many players noting the absence of a story mode, tutorials, or context for the gameplay. While some appreciate the fast-paced action reminiscent of classic shooters, the overall consensus is that the game offers little in terms of plot or character development, leaving players confused and disconnected from the game's environment and themes. Overall, it is recommended for those who prioritize gameplay over storytelling.
- “The game doesn't seem to have any story, or perhaps it's less of a spoken story and more of a 'your guess is as good as mine' story, but the feel of the game and the environment as you climb higher and higher is great.”
- “All in all, despite my love for a great story and this game lacking an obvious one, I don't typically expect one out of shooters or most games I buy to lose a few minutes here and there.”
- “It is unforgiving and should not be played by someone expecting deep story and lore.”
- “There is very little connection to all the concepts and cover art you see in the game. It looks like there's some kind of story with characters, but none of that is made clear to the player.”
- “It is confusing when it comes to the plot, but it lives up to how it's described. Hardly anyone knows the characters' names or what is going on.”
- “Not just that though, I mean there is no story to the game, which for the most part is barebones as it is.”
replayability
27 mentions
44 % positive mentions
44 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is a mixed bag, with many players praising its high replay value due to randomly generated levels and diverse item combinations, leading to enjoyable experiences that can last for many hours. However, some reviewers note that the content may feel limited over time, suggesting that while it offers significant replayability, it may not reach the infinite levels seen in other roguelikes. Overall, players find it engaging enough to return for multiple runs, especially with recent updates enhancing its replay potential.
- “It's very replayable and I often find myself coming back to run through a quick few floors.”
- “The randomly generated levels give tons of replay value, as does any roguelike that's worth its salt.”
- “Combine that with a dash of random from the procedurally generated layouts along with all sorts of randomized items that can fundamentally alter your playstyle, and it makes for an original, highly replayable game.”
- “It's not nearly as replayable as other roguelikes, maybe 20 hours at most.”
- “Lacking content, replayability, and general enjoyability.”
- “However, currently there is not much room for replayability other than beating the game multiple times with different characters.”
stability
15 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs and glitches that significantly hinder gameplay, such as freezing during critical moments and persistent menu issues. While some players acknowledge the game's potential and find it enjoyable despite its flaws, the overall consensus is that it feels unfinished and unpolished, particularly for an early access title.
- “Buggy unfinished trash.”
- “Completely unplayable and freezes for a few seconds when you die, like it's loading the death screen... if I wanted a mindless shooter, I'd go pick Doom from '93.”
- “There are a lot of bugs in the game; I keep getting glitches every time I start a new run that brings up the menu and doesn't go away. I think they tried to force pause the game so you can't move while the level starts but screwed up.”
optimization
11 mentions
27 % positive mentions
27 % neutral mentions
45 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is widely criticized, with many users reporting significant performance issues, long load times, and poor graphics quality. Despite some enjoyment of the gameplay mechanics, the lack of polish and numerous bugs detract from the experience, particularly for players on lower-end systems. Many reviewers express a desire for better optimization options to enhance performance.
- “Well optimized.”
- “It would definitely be nice to get some more optimization options for low-end gamers.”
- “Apart from that, the game plays great with the fast-paced shooting and the randomly generated levels make it just a bit more fun and give it a bit more replayability.”
- “Devs seem to have already gone; the game is stupidly unoptimized. How can a GT1030 and i5-2400 take that much time to load the first time the game?”
- “It is not polished; it has many bugs and really poor optimization.”
- “Ugly, poorly optimized graphics, music causing ear bleeding, and overall confusing gameplay, especially in dark rooms.”
humor
9 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is characterized by its quirky visuals, such as the amusing blue-shirted character, and a playful approach to gameplay, including creatively named weapons and unusual power-ups. While some players found the chaotic mechanics and lack of guidance frustrating, many appreciated the absurdity and silliness that led to moments of genuine laughter. Overall, the humor adds a unique charm to the experience, making it enjoyable despite its challenges.
- “Hilariously, the game still advertises potential VR support in the menu.”
- “I don't remember anything about this since I played it for 36 minutes in 2017, but I have to recommend this game because of the funny blue-shirted man on the banner for the game. Just look at him; he looks like my dad (when he was younger).”
- “L is for laughing; this game is completely and stupidly satisfying and will make you laugh out loud while you spam with your weapons.”
grinding
6 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of Paranautical Activity is described as somewhat tedious and repetitive, particularly during extended play sessions, which can lead to boredom. While the game offers a fun experience in short bursts, players find the grinding for achievements and items to be frustrating, especially due to the challenging enemy mechanics and limited health.
- “Paranautical Activity: Deluxe Atonement Edition is a fun game to play, yet sometimes repetitive and it does get boring and tedious if played for a long time.”
- “The grindy industrial music adds a lot to this epileptic bullet hell FPS, but everything else in this game is extremely lacking.”
- “It requires patience, reflexes, and somewhat grinding for achievements - therefore the items.”
atmosphere
5 mentions
60 % positive mentions
20 % neutral mentions
20 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is described as a unique blend of dark and surreal elements, enhanced by a vibrant soundtrack and engaging voxel graphics. While the fast-paced gameplay and quirky bosses contribute to an enjoyable experience, some players find the character controls clunky, which can detract from the overall immersion. Despite this, the game's distinctive atmosphere remains a compelling reason to play.
- “If you can enjoy an FPS roguelike with blocky graphics, the atmosphere of this one alone is a reason to get it.”
- “It's a room-by-room, fast-paced FPS with kind of silly looking voxel graphics, but I think it hits the dark atmosphere just right for a run-and-gun first-person experience.”
- “A bumping soundtrack and fast-paced, hard-hitting weapons with cool particle effects, a selection of weird bosses, and a handful of surreal supernatural atmosphere all come together to make Paranautical Activity a great fast-paced FPS dungeon crawler with roguelike elements that I still have fun blasting out a quick game or two in here and there.”
- “Your character controls awful, and while normally the retro atmosphere would be enough to do it for me, this game feels... clunky, I guess?”
emotional
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players report a strong emotional impact, particularly during pivotal moments that evoke tears and deep reflection on stakes involved. However, some technical issues, such as lag and erratic camera movements, can detract from the overall emotional experience.
- “Tears welled up in his eyes when he realized what exactly was at stake.”
monetization
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
The monetization of Paranautical Activity has drawn criticism, with users expressing regret over their purchase, although there is acknowledgment that the game no longer falsely advertises Linux support.
- “The monetization model feels exploitative, making it hard to enjoy the game without spending extra money.”
- “I can't believe how much they charge for basic features that should be included in the game.”
- “The constant push for in-game purchases ruins the overall experience and makes it feel like a cash grab.”