Paranautical Activity

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"Paranautical Activity" is a first-person shooter game with roguelike elements, blending the classic action of Doom and Quake with the randomness and difficulty of modern games like Binding of Isaac and Spelunky. It features procedurally generated levels and challenging enemy encounters, with a focus on fast-paced combat and survival. The game is available on Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

72%

Audience ScoreBased on 474 reviews

music49 positive mentions

story5 negative mentions

Fast-paced gameplay that combines elements of classic FPS games with roguelike mechanics.
Unique voxel graphics and a catchy soundtrack that enhance the overall experience.
High replayability due to randomly generated levels and a variety of character classes and power-ups.

The game can be extremely difficult, leading to frustration for some players.
Lack of polish and unfinished features, such as promised multiplayer that has not been implemented.
Limited variety in enemies and items, which can make gameplay feel repetitive over time.

music
82 mentions
60 % positive mentions
29 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its energetic and fitting soundtrack that enhances the fast-paced gameplay, while others find it repetitive and irritating over time. Some players recommend listening to their own music instead, citing the game's soundtrack as either a highlight or a detriment to the overall experience. Overall, the soundtrack is described as catchy and well-produced, but opinions vary widely on its suitability for extended play.
- “The music is masterful!”
- “The gameplay is fast-paced and addictive, and the music gets you hyped.”
- “A fun game with an amazing soundtrack.”
- “Would recommend finding your own soundtrack to listen to as this one will make your head hurt from how bad it is.”
- “It wouldn't be so bad for the price if the music wasn't absolutely irritating.”
- “The music is annoying and needs different tracks with ambience.”
gameplay
76 mentions
42 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Paranautical Activity is characterized by fast-paced, roguelike mechanics that emphasize movement, evasion, and combat against a variety of enemies and bosses. While many players appreciate the intense action and item combinations, some criticize the repetitive nature and balance issues of the gameplay, suggesting that it can feel frustrating or lacking in depth. Overall, the game offers a unique blend of first-person shooter elements and roguelike features, making it enjoyable for fans of the genre despite some technical shortcomings.
- “Great little rogue-like that makes up for what it lacks in graphical capability with intense gameplay and cool item combos.”
- “The gameplay is fast and almost frantic but so rewarding when you kill the last enemy for a room!”
- “The gameplay and controls are simple; it's not like other games where the game forces a tutorial at you so you can learn the game.”
- “There are a lot of mechanics that are downright frustrating and a lot of weapons that are complete dog shit.”
- “The gameplay is boring and repetitive, the wiki unfinished, thus leaving you puzzled when picking up items and the balance is non-existent.”
- “I feel as if I am not exploring or getting through an adventure, as I am doing nothing but repeating the same mundane gameplay of the last challenge.”
graphics
61 mentions
41 % positive mentions
54 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Paranautical Activity" are primarily voxel-based, which some players find charming while others consider them bland and uninspired. Many reviews highlight the game's aesthetic as a mix of retro and modern styles, with some appreciating the unique lighting effects, though the overall design can lead to confusion in gameplay due to poor visibility and repetitive room layouts. While the graphics may not be the game's strong suit, they are often overshadowed by the engaging gameplay and roguelike elements.
- “The voxel graphics and lighting are my favorite aspects of this game.”
- “The graphics are really cool; they have voxel-like graphics which is really creative.”
- “The retro voxel graphics seem a bit overused these days, but it works fairly well.”
- “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.”
- “Not well lit and graphics are pixelated, gets frustrating trying to play... for a FPS not that enjoyable!”
- “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
19 mentions
16 % positive mentions
58 % neutral mentions
26 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely criticized for being unclear or nonexistent, with many players noting a lack of connection between the gameplay and any narrative elements. Reviewers describe it as having minimal to no storyline, often leaving players confused about character motivations and plot. Overall, the game is seen as focused more on fast-paced action than on delivering a coherent story.
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “If you want something that is like Quake, with minimal story and maximum speed/carnage, this is the game for you.”
- “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.”
- “As for the storyline... well... what storyline?”
- “Not just that though, I mean there is no story to the game, which for the most part is barebones as it is.”
replayability
15 mentions
27 % positive mentions
53 % neutral mentions
20 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while some players find it highly enjoyable with potential for over a hundred hours of play due to randomization and different character classes, others feel it lacks depth compared to other roguelikes, limiting it to around 20 hours of play. Recent updates have improved replayability with new modes and progression systems, but many still note that it doesn't offer infinite replay value. Overall, the game is seen as worth the investment, especially for fans of fast-paced arena shooters, though its replayability may depend on future content updates.
- “It's a very challenging game, with loads of replayability.”
- “High replayability due to level and loot randomization.”
- “The game is totally worth the few dollars; it is 100% replayable due to the random nature of the game—you never see the same stuff twice.”
- “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
9 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is notably problematic, with frequent glitches and freezing issues, particularly on Macs when unlocking achievements or during specific in-game actions. While some players acknowledge the game's early access status and express a willingness to overlook these flaws, the overall experience is marred by significant technical issues that detract from gameplay.
- “I open it up again and it goes to the loading screen and freezes. I've tried many things to fix this.”
- “So I don't know other people's experiences with this game, but in my opinion, if it freezes and can't open from me getting an achievement, this game sucks.”
- “It still, for some reason on Macs, seems to freeze whenever you get an unlock in-game or a Steam achievement.”
humor
5 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is characterized by its absurdity and charm, with players finding joy in quirky elements like the amusing blue-shirted character and the ironic promise of VR support. The gameplay elicits laughter through its creative power-ups and chaotic action, making it a delightfully silly experience that keeps players entertained. Overall, the humor is a standout feature that enhances the enjoyment of the game.
- “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 ROFL while you spam with your weapons.”
grinding
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find "Paranautical Activity: Deluxe Atonement Edition" enjoyable in short sessions, but the grinding can become tedious and repetitive over extended play. The gameplay often involves monotonous tasks that detract from the overall experience, despite the engaging industrial soundtrack.
- “Paranautical Activity: Deluxe Atonement Edition (or simply Paranautical Activity) overall is a fun game to play, yet sometimes it becomes repetitive and can get boring and tedious if played for a long time. However, it is a great roguelike action game to enjoy in short bursts!”
- “The grindy industrial music adds a lot to this epileptic bullet hell FPS, but everything else in this game is extremely lacking.”
- “Mostly tedious to deal with, as some tasks range from simple 'fire a bolt, wait for a while, rinse and repeat' to 'is this Touhou?'.”
optimization
3 mentions
67 % positive mentions
-67 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, with reports of lag and poor performance, particularly for low-end systems. Players express a desire for additional optimization options to enhance gameplay experience.
- “It would definitely be nice to get some more optimization options for low-end gamers.”
- “The game is not optimized, resulting in lagging in certain parts.”
- “Performance issues are prevalent due to poor optimization.”
- “I experienced significant frame drops, indicating a lack of proper optimization.”
atmosphere
2 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a unique blend of challenging gameplay and a dark, engaging environment, enhanced by its quirky voxel graphics. This combination creates an enjoyable and immersive experience that complements the fast-paced, room-by-room action of the first-person shooter.
- “Makes a hard game even harder but creates a strange and enjoyable atmosphere.”
- “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.”