REKKR: Sunken Land

About

In "REKKR: Sunken Land," explore a vast, procedurally generated underwater world filled with Norse mythology-inspired creatures and environments. Battle enemies, gather resources, and upgrade your equipment to delve deeper into the abyss. Fight to uncover the truth behind the sunken land and your role within it.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

89%

Audience ScoreBased on 170 reviews

gameplay10 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

REKKR is a well-crafted total conversion of Doom that offers a unique Viking-themed experience with creative level design and interesting enemy mechanics.
The game features a variety of weapons and enemies that encourage close combat, providing a nostalgic yet fresh gameplay experience reminiscent of classic FPS titles.
The new episode, Sunken Land, is particularly praised for its imaginative design and engaging gameplay, making it a worthwhile addition to the overall experience.

Many players find the weapon mechanics underwhelming, with slow projectile speeds and a lack of satisfying impact, leading to a frustrating combat experience.
The level design can be convoluted and overly complex, often resulting in players getting lost or facing unfair enemy placements that disrupt the flow of gameplay.
Some reviews mention performance issues and bugs in the Steam version, including lag spikes and crashes, which detract from the overall enjoyment of the game.

gameplay
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
70%
7%
The gameplay of Rekkr is a thoughtful remix of classic Doom, featuring slower, more tactical combat with an emphasis on close-range encounters and puzzle-solving across expansive maps. Players appreciate the blend of familiar mechanics with innovative elements, such as unique enemy abilities and a rewarding soul collection system, which enhances the overall experience. The game successfully balances nostalgia with fresh gameplay dynamics, making it engaging for both new players and Doom veterans.
- “A very solid total conversion of Doom, gameplay remains recognizably close but puts an interesting spin on things to create a new balance around a tension of encouraging closer ranged combat while also making enemies respectably dangerous at that range.”
- “Rekkr pushes the Doom engine to its limits, while remaining true to the gameplay that you know and love.”
- “The mechanic of collecting souls from killed enemies works really well, and entices you to go for melee (or at least close-range attacks) and swoop up that beautiful ammo.”
- “Finally, vr-3kkr, which is lore-wise my favorite, but gameplay-wise contained almost all my least favorite levels in the entire game.”
- “On a very basic level, this is a remix of Doom; the gameplay mechanics are pretty much the same, the narrative is similarly straightforward, and all the weapon/enemy features of Doom are present for the most part.”
- “Gameplay of Rekkr takes on that same mold from the classic Doom games: quick movement, enemies to kill, and keys to collect.”
graphics
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
53%
9%
The graphics of the game blend nostalgic pixelation with modern enhancements like dynamic lighting, allowing players to experience a visually appealing homage to the original Doom. While the aesthetic shifts towards a Celtic/Norse mythology theme are praised, some players note that the graphics may not meet contemporary standards, yet they appreciate the customizable settings that cater to various visual preferences. Overall, the visuals are considered gorgeous and well-executed, contributing positively to the gameplay experience.
- “First of all, the visuals are absolutely gorgeous.”
- “This comes packaged with a custom version of GZDoom with graphical default settings (vintage, vintage+, retro, modern, and modern+) that let you quickly and easily get the game looking as crunchy or smooth as you want with hot swap keys for each mode bound to the F8-F12 keys.”
- “In Doom Enhanced, the graphics are quite pixelated, even though we are playing in 1920x1080.”
- “The biggest criticism I have is that as good as it is, the weapon and enemy differences to Doom don't feel like they add anything more than novelty; if you love boomer shooters and all things Doom, it will come down to the aesthetics and these weapon/enemy tweaks. You'll probably either love this too or just wish you were playing Doom instead.”
- “For how much I play original Doom, I'm not a big fan of its art style, but Rekkr looks amazing and I liked it a lot.”
music
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
46%
11%
The music in the game is generally well-crafted and fits the celtic/norse-inspired visuals, enhancing the overall atmosphere. However, opinions are mixed; while some players appreciate the unique soundtrack, others find the default midi soundfont lacking and suggest alternatives for a better experience. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's aesthetic, though it may not deliver the high-energy intensity expected from a boomer shooter.
- “The atmosphere of this game is exciting, with beautiful music, nice level design, good variety of enemies and fun, simplistic, old-school friendly mechanics.”
- “The setting is fun and different from a lot of others in this category, and the music is great.”
- “I always liked the visual design of levels, and loved the unique soundtrack, but now the gameplay at last has the responsiveness and violent feedback to match.”
- “If there's anything I'd consider a big drawback, I think the music in the game is ill-served by the default MIDI soundfont.”
- “I'm less sold on the music though; it fits the visuals and is certainly interesting, but there aren't many songs that really get the blood pumping like you'd expect from a boomer shooter.”
- “Also, the music is very annoying.”
story
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
39%
17%
The game's story is generally seen as lacking depth, which is expected given its 90s inspirations, though it features some effective environmental storytelling and a satisfying conclusion. While certain episodes, like "sunken land" and the VR missions, are praised for their narrative elements, many levels feel disconnected or poorly developed, leading some players to create their own interpretations. Overall, the pacing and design are appreciated, but the narrative experience is inconsistent.
- “I like that they tried telling a story through the level designs.”
- “And the final boss to cap off the story was perfectly thrilling.”
- “The only 'negative' I have is that the story isn't in depth, but that is to be expected from games during the 90s, which this game takes inspiration from. However, it has a satisfying conclusion, so I'd give them that.”
- “I can see why this isn't an official inclusion; the skybox is a bit silly, although pleasant. The levels are not as well made, although highly enjoyable nonetheless, but there is no story at all unfortunately. I sort of filled it in myself.”
- “It is well designed, tightly paced, and even has a bit of a story.”
atmosphere
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
20%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its creative map design, beautiful music, and a captivating Celtic-Viking theme, reminiscent of classic Doom engine titles. Reviewers highlight the impressive sprite work, smooth level flow, and tasteful lighting effects that enhance the overall experience, making it a standout feature of the game. Overall, the atmosphere is described as exciting and immersive, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
- “The atmosphere of this game is exciting, with beautiful music, nice level design, good variety of enemies and fun, simplistic, old-school friendly mechanics.”
- “Hands down the atmosphere is one of the best aspects of this game.”
- “The new lighting effects only available with gzdoom are wonderfully atmospheric, tasteful, and complement enemy sprites excellently.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, primarily due to the lack of powerful weapons, which can make combat feel repetitive. However, the overall experience is noted to be polished, despite the grind.
- “But since most of the weapons aren't that powerful, it makes the combat a bit tedious.”
- “Tedious but polished total conversion.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The Steam version of the game suffers from significant optimization issues, including lag spikes, frame drops, and problems with a broken map and secret. These performance problems have been consistently noted by users.
- “The Steam version has some performance issues, such as lag spikes, frame drops, a broken map, and a broken secret.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a deep emotional connection to the game, highlighting moments of catharsis and relief, particularly when overcoming significant challenges. The experience of finally reaching a serene moment after a long struggle evokes strong feelings, with some players even moved to tears.
- “By the time I got out of hell and saw the snow, it had been several real-life months of playing on and off, and when I threw my helmet down in the snow, I cried.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as dark and unsettling, with a tendency to mock the player's struggles, creating a blend of discomfort and amusement. This juxtaposition may resonate with players who appreciate a more macabre sense of humor.