Rogue Stormers
- July 17, 2015
- Black Forest Games
- 4h median play time
Rogue Stormers takes place in a fantasy action setting with a run and gun tint. If you think "Contra meets Metroid" you'll get the gist.
Rogue Stormers is a run'n'gun game with roguelike elements for up to four players in local and online multiplayer mode. Dying in a mission will allow you to keep earned perks which allow your character to grow stronger with each new raid. You'll delve further and further with each session until you finally defeat the final boss.
Reviews
- Fun and challenging gameplay that combines elements of roguelikes and platformers, reminiscent of classic games like Contra.
- Great graphics and character designs, with a variety of characters and upgrades that enhance replayability.
- Offers a satisfying co-op experience, making it enjoyable to play with friends.
- Frequent bugs and crashes, particularly in multiplayer mode, which can disrupt gameplay and lead to frustration.
- Lack of a proper save system; dying means starting over from the beginning, which can be tedious and discouraging.
- Controls can be unresponsive or awkward, and the camera movement can cause motion sickness for some players.
- gameplay26 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the game is generally praised for its solid roguelite mechanics, smooth controls, and engaging platformer/twinstick shooter elements, offering a fun and frantic experience reminiscent of classic titles like Contra and Metal Slug. However, some players express concerns about mandatory farming mechanics, a lack of save options, and occasional bugs that can disrupt the experience. Overall, while the gameplay is enjoyable and well-received, it is noted that improvements are needed in certain areas to enhance the overall experience.
“Solid roguelite gameplay in a platformer/twinstick shooter package.”
“The gameplay itself feels reasonably smooth; the jitters and frame jumps are very rare, if not non-existent.”
“Currently feeling like this game hits a lot of right notes and is priced very fairly for the frantic, fun gameplay.”
“Where Rogue Stormers falls short is in its save mechanic—or lack thereof.”
“Due to the groundhog day nature of the game's mechanics and the lack of a healthy online population, I cannot recommend this title at full price.”
“Boring gameplay with little of interest to focus on.”
- graphics25 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the beautiful artwork, character designs, and overall aesthetic appeal, particularly for an indie title. However, some players noted issues such as graphical anomalies, tiny visuals that make it hard to distinguish elements on screen, and a desire for further polish. Overall, while the graphics are generally considered impressive for low-end hardware, there are calls for improvements to enhance clarity and reduce glitches.
“I love the graphics, I love the character concepts, and story snippets...”
“For a game that works on low-end hardware, the artwork is beautiful.”
“The graphics are amazing, the enemies are varied and fun to kill, and the boss fights are suitably intense.”
“Graphical anomalies.”
“Tiny graphics; I love the design choice but at the same time it's hard to tell what is what on the screen.”
“Graphical glitches where the screen will just go insane for a few seconds.”
- story17 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is generally viewed as forgettable, with some players noting that while it has potential and an extensive lore, it often takes a backseat to gameplay mechanics and character design. Many reviewers appreciate the thematic elements and character concepts but feel that the narrative lacks depth and engagement, suggesting that the game prioritizes replayability and surprises over a compelling storyline. Overall, while there are interesting snippets and unlockable lore, the story does not significantly enhance the gaming experience for most players.
“Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
“Arcade rogue-like platformer with an excellent backstory and refreshing, almost nostalgic, graphics.”
“There is a little bit of story flavor included as unlockable scrolls phrased as newspaper articles which explain what's going on between the good guys and Baron Von Whatsisface.”
“Truth be told, the story doesn't matter.”
“Characters and story are forgettable, but the gameplay is smooth.”
“Although it might upset players who prefer a storyline campaign, if you like story, you could watch a movie. What a game really needs are surprise and replayability.”
- stability8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with multiple users reporting significant bugs and optimization issues, particularly in cooperative gameplay. While some players have noted that it runs well on high-end systems, the overall consensus is that the game is currently unpolished and prone to glitches, especially in its early access state.
“It also runs great on my Lenovo ThinkPad T440p that runs on Ubuntu.”
“And, of course, it also runs great on my desktop PC that runs on an i7 processor, with 16GB of RAM, and a GTX 1050 Ti.”
“I wouldn't recommend it at present due to it being incredibly buggy.”
“Terrible unoptimized and buggy co-op roguelite shooter.”
“Was a buggy mess when I played it.”
- grinding7 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessive and repetitive, often leading to frustration due to the lack of variation and the necessity of farming for upgrades. While some accept grinding as a part of the experience, many feel it detracts from overall enjoyment, making completion feel tedious and overly reliant on repetitive tasks.
“The 100% completion route is very repetitive and grindy.”
“Took me around 18 hours to complete a full run and kill both end bosses... after days and days of grinding.”
“The sheer amount of grinding for XP involved is just stupid.”
- music6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews; while some players find it atmospheric and fitting, enhancing the overall experience, others describe it as repetitive or unremarkable, leading them to mute it in favor of their own playlists. Overall, the soundtrack is considered decent but may not stand out for everyone.
“I love the art, the music fits, the 5 characters fulfill their role pretty well and I am completely caught in the atmosphere.”
“- Decent soundtrack”
“I actually don't remember if there was music in it; it was a dry cut.”
“My only real complaint so far is that the music is somewhat repetitive.”
“I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is well-received, with players appreciating its quirky elements, such as the steampunk art style and amusing character details, like goblins from a parody organization named "goop." While the game may lack extensive features, its humor adds significant charm, making it a worthwhile experience for players. Overall, the comedic aspects contribute positively to the game's appeal.
“The steampunk-like art and the humor are great, so who says Germans have no humor?”
“One funny detail is that the goblins come from an organization called Goop -- which, funny enough, is the 'alternative medicine' company that Gwyneth Paltrow runs.”
“The whole setting is quite funny.”
- replayability5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 40 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers strong replayability through its co-op play and roguelite elements, appealing to fans of procedural generation and surprise. However, some players feel that the lack of a compelling storyline and interesting characters detracts from the overall replay value.
“A much better Turrican with co-op play + roguelite = a lot of fun replayability.”
“I love procedurally generated games that give you surprises and replayability.”
“Although it might upset players who prefer a storyline campaign, what a game really needs are surprises and replayability.”
“The replay value of the game is somewhat lackluster, and the characters are not that interesting.”
“Although it might upset players who prefer a storyline campaign, if you like story, you could just watch a movie. What a game really needs are surprises and replayability.”
- optimization3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The game is criticized for being poorly optimized and buggy, particularly in its cooperative mode, leading to significant performance issues even on high-end systems. While players find it enjoyable, they believe it has the potential to be much better if optimization improvements are made.
“Lots of fun right now; it could be incredibly good once optimized.”
“The optimization features really enhance the gameplay experience.”
“I can see a lot of potential in this game, especially with further optimization.”
“Terrible, unoptimized, and buggy co-op roguelite shooter.”
“Sadly, it's not optimized and is therefore heavily taxing very good systems based on community reports.”
- character development2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is praised for its fun and unique character designs, with each character offering distinct gameplay styles. However, while the extensive lore adds depth, some players feel that the method of unlocking lore could lead to a more profound backstory.
“Thematically, it's fun - I love the character designs. All characters play rather differently, and the game has a bit of attitude in its extensive lore. However, I hope there is a deeper-rooted backstory as I unlock pieces of lore.”
“Character designs are interesting.”
“The character development is engaging, with each character offering a unique playstyle that keeps the gameplay fresh and exciting.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is highly praised for its captivating art and fitting music, which together create an immersive experience that effectively brings the five characters to life.
“I love the art, the music fits perfectly, the five characters fulfill their roles well, and I am completely immersed in the atmosphere.”
Critic Reviews
Rogue Stormers (PC) Review
Rogue Stormers takes place in a fantasy action setting with a run and gun tint. If you think "Contra meets Metroid" you'll get the gist.
55%Rogue Stormers Review
Rogue Stormers does an interesting genre mixing of platforming, run-and-gun, and RPG elements. On paper this seems like it could be pretty cool, however, it's all very slow given the genre, and there is not much really going on beyond crawling forward a little at a time and killing trash mobs running forward. There are perks, equipment, and other RPG trappings, but they are just filler that do not get around the main problem that this simply isn't that fun. Its style and ideas are interesting, but each level feels the same, and the very root of the entire system is not interesting enough to really encourage any desire to play for any length of time.
50%Rogue Stormers Review
Rogue Stormers just isn't a package that can be easily recommended. The difficulty is largely unfair, including enemies who don't die when they should, and come at you in groups of 30 strong. While there's nothing wrong with the controls or artwork, there's nothing really noteworthy either. Rogue Stormers is a bland experience when it works, and a hair pulling experience when it doesn't.
50%