[REDACTED]
- October 27, 2024
- Striking Distance Studios
Redacted may borrow heavily from Hades, but it has enough of its own personality to stand out in an increasingly crowded genre.
"Black Iron, a moonward penitentiary, is overrun with infected inmates. As a prison guard, escape via the last pod, but rivals including a custodian, gangster, and lunch lady are also vying for survival. Each death is a learning experience, allowing you to build up your loadout and purchase new weapons, suits, and skills. Only one can escape - make sure it's you."
Reviews
- The game features top-notch visuals, sound, and controls, with a unique art style that enhances the gameplay experience.
- The combat is fast-paced and satisfying, with a variety of weapons and upgrades that allow for interesting gameplay combinations.
- The rival system adds a novel layer of competition, making each run feel dynamic and engaging.
- Some weapons and upgrades feel unbalanced, leading to frustration during gameplay, particularly with melee options.
- The progression system is cluttered with too many currencies, making it tedious to focus on specific upgrades.
- Certain gameplay elements, like the rival system and boss variety, lack depth, leading to repetitive experiences across runs.
- gameplay19 mentions
- 37 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its polished mechanics, engaging combat, and a unique rivals system that adds a strategic layer to the experience. Players appreciate the variety of weapons, diverse biomes, and the satisfying core gameplay loop, although some feel it lacks a distinctive spark compared to other titles in the genre. Overall, the game combines fast-paced action with solid mechanics, making it a fun and challenging experience.
“There is a lot of content to grind (as there should be in this game genre) and what you unlock is actually useful and alters gameplay significantly.”
“The mechanics are fun and the core gameplay loop is extremely satisfying.”
“Good variety of weapons, 4 different biomes with unique enemies, a fun cast of characters, and a pretty unique rivals mechanic that I haven't really seen in any other roguelike, forcing the player to compete with 3 other people for the final escape pod.”
“Redacted makes a strong first impression thanks to great production values across the board, but it feels like the gameplay is missing something.”
“Really, I think the core problem is that all of the gameplay elements are bog-standard genre affectations without any real unique spark to them.”
“Gameplay loop is [spoiler]redacted[/spoiler] wtf”
- graphics18 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their stunning visuals and unique art style, often compared to comic book aesthetics with flashy effects and vibrant colors. Players appreciate the polished finish and the fun, professional design, although some express mixed feelings about the over-the-top nature of the visuals. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's personality and immersive experience.
“Second, despite this being a smaller, less triple-A endeavor, the graphics here are absolutely stunning. They move fast, the particle effects are really cool looking, and there are a lengthy list of stylistic touches that I've never seen in a game before. It's probably the closest to playing a comic book.”
“The art style is so fun with a professional and polished finish.”
“An action roguelite with a gorgeous cel-shaded art style... where you fight a bunch of stuff from the Callisto Protocol universe.”
“I also hate the art style for the same reasons I listed above.”
“Graphics look [spoiler]redacted[/spoiler] come on.”
“While devs do recommend gamepad, kb/m for the most part works fine, but one glaring issue is the inability to aim charged attacks or group strikes with the mouse.”
- music12 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received high praise for its energetic and fresh soundtrack, blending elements of punk rock and vibrant art styles reminiscent of titles like Hades and Hi-Fi Rush. While many reviewers celebrate the intense and engaging audio experience, some note that certain tracks can feel repetitive or synthetic. Overall, the music significantly enhances the gameplay, contributing to a unique and polished atmosphere.
“Love the music, love the art style, feels like a mix of Hades, Hi-Fi Rush, and zombie sci-fi.”
“The soundtrack is amazing and fresh, the dialogue is nice and not cringe.”
“Intense and colorful, with great music.”
“The soundtrack is okay, a bit repetitive and synthetic.”
“Music is [spoiler]redacted[/spoiler] serious.”
“It's as if Striking Distance looked at Hades and said 'forget it, let's do that' and took what they had, put some punk music in it that sounds right out of Sunset Overdrive and crafted a pretty unique action roguelike.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's humor is highlighted by its fun combat, hilarious dialogue, and a cast of interesting characters, contributing to many laugh-out-loud moments. Players appreciate the unique rivals mechanic and the engaging voice acting, which enhance the overall comedic experience. The combination of a vibrant art style and witty interactions adds significant personality to the game.
“Fun combat and hilarious dialogue, but has a difficult learning curve.”
“I love games with incredible art styles that give it more personality with fun humor sprinkled throughout.”
“There were many moments I laughed out loud.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game is highly praised, with users reporting fantastic performance, smooth gameplay, and no crashes or bugs. The developers are commended for their exceptional polish, making the overall experience seamless and enjoyable.
“Performance is fantastic.”
“Smooth optimization; the polish is S-tier. I never had a crash, bug, or frame dip. The devs alone should be praised for that in this day and age.”
“The performance is awesome!”
“Performance is absolutely terrible, are you kidding me?”
“The optimization is a complete mess, making the game nearly unplayable.”
“I can't believe how poorly optimized this game is; it constantly stutters and lags.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed bag; while some appreciate the fun combat and the challenge it brings, others consider it tedious and overly repetitive. The gameplay involves a cycle of farming resources to unlock upgrades, which can feel laborious for some.
“I don't think it's objectively bad, but some may find it to be far too tedious.”
“The loop of each run is farming specific resources to then unlock specific upgrades back at your base.”
“Fun combat, but there's a lot of grinding involved.”
- story2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The story is considered weaker compared to other titles like Hades, lacking its charm, but it features a solid tie-in to The Callisto Protocol, emphasizing challenging action gameplay and roguelike mechanics over traditional survival horror elements. Overall, it remains highly recommended for fans of the roguelite genre.
“Great tie-in story to Callisto Protocol with a focus on challenging action gameplay and roguelike mechanics as opposed to survival horror.”
“The story lags behind by some degree and lacks the charm of Hades. However, it's still highly recommendable if you're a fan of the roguelite genre.”
“The narrative feels disjointed and fails to engage the player, making it hard to care about the characters or their journeys.”
“While the gameplay is solid, the story is underdeveloped and leaves much to be desired, failing to create an emotional connection.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviewers suggest that incorporating various boss options could enhance the game's replayability, providing players with new challenges and experiences during subsequent playthroughs.
“The variety of different boss options really enhances the replayability of the game.”
“Each playthrough feels unique thanks to the diverse choices available, making me want to come back for more.”
“The multiple endings and character paths provide endless opportunities for replayability.”
“Different boss options would help improve replayability.”
“The game lacks variety in its missions, making it feel repetitive after the first playthrough.”
“Once you complete the story, there isn't much incentive to play again.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game is perceived as surprisingly fair, with players expecting a typical cash grab but instead finding a well-crafted and enjoyable roguelike experience.