Prodeus

76%
Game Brain Score Based on 7,572 reviews
  • music
  • graphics
  • gameplay
Prodeus Game Cover
Prodeus is an unashamedly loud and brash FPS that manages to put a true modern twist on the retro shooter.
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"Prodeus" is a horror-themed shooter game with great gameplay and graphics, a sensational soundtrack, and plenty of humor. It features a hand-crafted campaign, co-op and multiplayer modes, a level editor, and a community map browser. The game combines modern rendering techniques with retro aesthetics for a unique visual experience, and offers fast-paced, non-stop action against the Prodeans and forces of Chaos. Overall, it's a highly emotional and fantastic game with great replayability.

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

76%
Audience ScoreBased on 7,572 reviews
music640 positive mentions
story44 negative mentions
  • Prodeus is a fantastic homage to classic first-person shooters like DOOM and Quake, blending retro aesthetics with modern gameplay mechanics.
  • The game features phenomenal weaponry, satisfying gunplay, and impressive level design that keeps players engaged throughout the campaign.
  • The inclusion of a level editor and community-driven content adds significant replay value, allowing players to explore custom maps and campaigns.
  • The checkpoint system is poorly designed, allowing players to respawn without any consequences, which diminishes the challenge and tension of the gameplay.
  • Enemy variety is limited, with many enemies feeling like reskins of classic DOOM foes, leading to repetitive encounters as the game progresses.
  • The campaign feels short and ends abruptly, leaving players wanting more content and a more satisfying conclusion.
  • music1,292 mentions

    The music in "Prodeus" has received widespread acclaim, particularly for its heavy metal soundtrack composed by Andrew Hulshult, which complements the game's fast-paced, action-packed gameplay. Players appreciate the dynamic nature of the music, which intensifies during combat, enhancing the overall experience. However, some critiques mention that certain tracks can feel repetitive or generic, and the ambient music during exploration may not always engage players effectively. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's nostalgic and immersive atmosphere.

    • “The music and sound design are another high point, with a thumping, metal-infused soundtrack that perfectly complements the intense gameplay.”
    • “The soundtrack kicks ass, tracks are dynamic and will swell during intense moments in gameplay for a truly pulse-pounding experience.”
    • “The music is phenomenal with the timing of it having been improved.”
    • “The music was a bit of a disappointment; it feels a bit like when mom says that we still have the Doom 2016 OST at home...”
    • “The music is well made if a bit trite at this point, aping Mick Gordon's sound to almost plagiaristic degrees, and I really would like someone to look to Aubrey Hodges' awesome work that he did on the PSone version of Doom and Doom 64 as I personally felt that the dark ambient scores fit the mood of a descent into madness and hell via a demon-infested space station on a Martian moon far better than the cheesy metal riffs and whammy bar dive-bombs.”
    • “The only problem I have with the game is the music.”
  • graphics1,274 mentions

    The graphics of Prodeus have been widely praised for their stunning blend of retro and modern aesthetics, effectively combining pixelated visuals with contemporary rendering techniques. Players appreciate the ability to switch between classic and modern styles, enhancing the nostalgic experience while maintaining high visual fidelity. Overall, the game's art style, level design, and vibrant color palette contribute to a visually captivating experience that resonates with both old-school fans and newcomers alike.

    • “It masterfully blends the old-school charm of pixelated graphics and fast-paced, brutal combat with modern visuals and fluid gameplay mechanics, creating a unique experience for both nostalgic gamers and new players alike.”
    • “The visuals are amazingly stunning while reigniting what feels like playing the original Doom games with a touch of Quake in some beautiful amalgamation of action and entertainment.”
    • “The maps are meticulously designed, blending old-school aesthetics with contemporary graphical fidelity, creating a visually stunning yet nostalgically familiar environment.”
    • “The graphics are neat but the aggressively stylized low-fi gets a bit dreary quickly.”
    • “In fact, it is a very dark (in a bad way: can't see a thing) game with repetitive music, very badly pixelated graphics (I'm not against doom-style games, but it isn't one, it is artificially pixelated to the point that everything looks not old-school, but just bad), repetitive ambient music, no crouching and worst of all - no quick saves!”
    • “I have a bunch of smallish issues with the game, but the worst thing for me is the graphics, particularly the astounding amount of visual clutter for a retro shooter.”
  • gameplay1,086 mentions

    The gameplay of Prodeus is a fast-paced and engaging blend of classic boomer shooter mechanics and modern design elements, reminiscent of iconic titles like Doom and Quake. Players appreciate the smooth controls, satisfying gunplay, and a variety of weapons, though some criticize the respawn mechanics and the shop system for detracting from the overall experience. While the game excels in delivering intense action and nostalgic visuals, it can become repetitive and lacks some depth in enemy AI and level variety.

    • “It masterfully blends the old-school charm of pixelated graphics and fast-paced, brutal combat with modern visuals and fluid gameplay mechanics, creating a unique experience for both nostalgic gamers and new players alike.”
    • “The gameplay is exhilarating, the cooperative and multiplayer modes are engaging, and the level editor opens up limitless possibilities for creativity.”
    • “The gameplay is fantastic, firefights are fast and furious, and the plethora of weapons and alternate fire modes creates a carnage loop similar to Doom 2016.”
    • “The enemies feel too spongy, and playing the game just feels like a slog after the first 30 minutes to 1 hour of gameplay where all the magic wears off.”
    • “One mechanic is just inexcusable - there's no checkpoints, but 'nexus points'. It honestly seems like some fallback after problems with save game files, because it's such a half-baked mechanic, nothing like games where your deaths are canon and you respawn without reloading back in time.”
    • “But it got boring quickly, there's no difficulty in the game, no mechanics to learn, the enemy AI is so basic, the landscape is alright at best.”
  • story366 mentions

    The game's story is widely regarded as minimal and often non-existent, with many players noting a lack of engaging narrative or character development. While some appreciate the focus on gameplay over story, others express disappointment in the sparse lore and fragmented plot, which often feels like an afterthought. Overall, the consensus is that while the game excels in action and mechanics, it falls short in delivering a compelling story experience.

    • “This game offers a rich coop-story mode, exhilarating multiplayer options, and an incredibly versatile level editor, making it a must-play for both nostalgic gamers and new enthusiasts alike.”
    • “The coop-story mode is a standout feature, allowing you to team up with friends and tackle the campaign together.”
    • “The story and lore are a bit vague, but I think that adds to the atmosphere.”
    • “There's absolutely no lore/plot/storyline.”
    • “The only real downside is the lack of a story.”
    • “The story is non-existent, which is a pity, because even though it looks like a Doom/Quake derivative, it tries (gameplay-wise anyway) to do its own thing.”
  • atmosphere124 mentions

    The atmosphere in Prodeus is widely praised for its unique blend of retro and modern elements, creating a dark, gritty, and immersive experience reminiscent of classic shooters like Doom and Quake. Players appreciate the game's striking visuals, dynamic soundtrack, and engaging sound design, which together enhance the overall mood and intensity of gameplay. The combination of atmospheric level design, satisfying gunplay, and a compelling sense of cosmic horror contributes to a one-of-a-kind gaming experience that resonates with fans of the genre.

    • “Prodeus has scratched the itch I've been feeling for the older style of Doom while also having a style and atmosphere all its own.”
    • “The blend of pixelated textures, modern lighting, and particle effects give the game a unique and compelling atmosphere.”
    • “The soundtrack is amazing, dark, intense, and atmospheric; it's dynamic during gameplay and changes based on the amount of action going on.”
    • “It takes away from the dark and brooding atmosphere every time it loads.”
    • “It seemingly makes no effort at narrative or atmosphere; feels a bit like a simple shooting gallery.”
    • “The music sets the atmosphere very well but doesn't punctuate the action quite like that in something like Doom Eternal and there's a distinct lack of audio cues from the player character, which can make it easy to lose track of when you're getting wrecked.”
  • replayability90 mentions

    Prodeus boasts exceptional replayability, driven by a robust community and extensive user-generated content, including a level editor that allows for infinite custom map creation. Players can engage in various challenges, explore secrets, and compete on leaderboards, ensuring that the game remains fresh and engaging long after the initial campaign is completed. With its diverse gameplay options and accessible difficulties, Prodeus is designed to keep players returning for more.

    • “The active community and the constant influx of user-generated content ensure that Prodeus remains fresh and replayable.”
    • “Endless replayability with community-made content available to download right inside the game.”
    • “Finally, there's also a level editor and the ability to browse full custom-made maps or even full-blown campaigns, further increasing the replayability of this game.”
    • “Overall, I do believe it is a great experience and well worth the price. It took me roughly 8 to 9 hours to beat the main campaign, and it has plenty of custom maps you can download and play, as well as having replayability in the form of collectibles.”
    • “Early access campaign took me about 2-3 hours to get through, but there's a lot of replayability here to master the levels, and there are community maps that are a decent challenge.”
    • “Replayability is pretty much infinite since it is essentially Super Mario Maker in FPS form, and there is already a ton of user-created levels and even some user-made campaigns that I have yet to dive into since I haven't finished the main one yet.”
  • optimization62 mentions

    Overall, "Prodeus" is praised for its strong optimization, delivering smooth performance even on older hardware, with many players reporting no significant issues or crashes. While some users noted minor performance glitches and a lack of optimization for Apple Silicon, the game generally runs well and maintains a solid frame rate, making it accessible for a wide range of systems. The developers are commended for their efforts in utilizing the Unity engine effectively, though there are calls for further enhancements, particularly in visual clarity during intense gameplay.

    • “Absolutely no performance issues or crashes on my 5 year old machine.”
    • “Also, I would like to give major props to the developers for taking the Unity engine and making not only one of the best games I've played on it, but it's incredibly well optimized, doesn't have any noticeable performance issues and it runs flawlessly.”
    • “The game's performance is rock solid throughout, never seeming to dip below 60 fps even on my dated 7 year old rig with an RTX 2070.”
    • “Only minor gripes include slight performance issues even on a higher-end PC, and less challenging difficulty before harder modes (can be adjusted).”
    • “Performance options like detail of models, textures, and particles aren't even there.”
    • “There are some minor rendering performance glitches.”
  • grinding42 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be overly tedious and repetitive, with enemy encounters and level designs lacking variety, leading to a frustrating experience, especially during backtracking and checkpoint resets. The reliance on a limited number of weapons and the cumbersome UI further contribute to the feeling of monotony, making the gameplay feel unrewarding. Overall, many reviewers express a desire for a more engaging and less tedious approach to the game's mechanics.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “The other main reason is that it's too repetitive; enemy encounters and arenas are unsurprising and tedious.”
    • “No quick level selection within the campaign, making backtracking to previous levels an absolutely tedious chore.”
    • “However, on higher difficulties, it turns what was a fun, run-and-gun game into a very tedious, incredibly annoying, progress reset on death, stop-and-wait gameplay loop that is just not fun.”
  • stability32 mentions

    Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while many players report a polished experience with minimal bugs, some users on Mac experience significant issues such as freezing and stuttering during mouse movement. Additionally, there are occasional minor rendering glitches and black screen freezes when loading levels, but these do not seem to detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.

    • “The game also looks and runs great.”
    • “Game also runs great on my older rig.”
    • “Very good level design, awesome soundtrack, great visuals, pretty much a bug-free game.”
    • “Any steady mouse movement either stutters the game or completely freezes the game until I stop moving the mouse.”
    • “No amount of troubleshooting fixes this.”
    • “There are some minor rendering performance glitches.”
  • humor24 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as a blend of mindless combat and over-the-top gore, creating a hilariously entertaining experience. Players appreciate the quirky art style and the absurdity of the gameplay, likening it to a mix of classic and modern influences. While some reviews note that the humor may not elevate the game beyond its genre, it remains a consistently funny and enjoyable aspect for many players.

    • “I like that this gory Doom clone uses a Super Mario-esque world map; it's just really funny to me.”
    • “This art style is an insane combo of hilarious, freaky, beautiful, and retro in a way that perfectly bridges the gap from the classics to the modern titles.”
    • “The weapons are all fun, punchy, diverse, and as entertaining to fire as the videos suggest (and the accompanying gore is hilariously over the top).”
    • “So many bad early access games on Steam, it's not funny.”
  • monetization22 mentions

    The game's monetization system relies on in-game currency earned through gameplay, allowing players to purchase weapons and abilities without the presence of microtransactions, which is generally well-received. However, some players express concerns about the shop mechanics and the integration of modern features like ads and reloading, which contrast with the retro aesthetic. Overall, while the monetization approach avoids exploitative practices, it still incorporates elements that some players find detract from the classic shooter experience.

    • “I have only two complaints here, the first being the shop, where you spend your collected in-game currency (at least it's not microtransactions, thank god), to purchase weapons and abilities; the second being the aforementioned 'nexus points'.”
    • “On the one side, it's a boomer shooter of yore, on the other it has stuff like a sprint button (but thankfully you can enable auto-sprint), ads and a shop you buy weapons and items from (with currency you pick up along the way, usually from finding secrets), all of which are modern shooter things mostly.”
    • “In a world where the average game is just a mindless cash grab, this game has energy and soul, and no one seems to even know it exists... a damn shame.”
  • emotional22 mentions

    Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, describing it as a heartfelt homage to classic titles like Doom and Quake, evoking nostalgia and a sense of youthful excitement. The fast-paced, gory gameplay and the thrill of combat resonate deeply, making many feel like they are reliving their childhood experiences with these iconic games. Overall, the emotional impact is characterized by a blend of nostalgia, enjoyment, and a genuine appreciation for the game's design and effort.

    • “Tldr: the easiest way to explain this is that it's a genuinely heartfelt love letter to Doom fans both old and new.”
    • “As some others have said, this made me feel like a kid again.”
    • “I'm 36 years old and this game made me feel like I was a kid again back in the 90s when I first played Doom and Quake.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Character development in the reviewed games varies significantly, with "Hedon" praised for its strong world-building, engaging story, and unique character design, while "Hands of Necromancy" and "Vomitorium" focus more on gameplay mechanics and visuals rather than deep character exploration. Overall, "Hedon" stands out as the title that effectively integrates character development into its narrative.

    • “Hedon was able to stand out with its world building, story, and very interesting character design.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

83% average critic score

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Play time

5hMedian play time
12hAverage play time
4-9hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 32 analyzed playthroughs

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