- December 11, 2023
- Fami
Schism
Platforms
About
"Schism" is a top-down, action roguelike game where you navigate through a trash-filled world to find the missing Schismatic Engine and gain your freedom. The game features challenging RNG, pausing new rooms to avoid unfair placements, powerful bosses, and the ability to dodge colored bullets by matching their frequency. With 8 stats to invest in and 14 gods to appease, Schism offers endless replayability and depth.



- Schism offers a unique blend of roguelite and bullet hell mechanics, with a creative art style and engaging gameplay that encourages experimentation and diverse builds.
- The game features a satisfying level-up system and interesting weapon interactions, allowing players to create powerful synergies and enjoy a high degree of customization.
- Despite being in early access, the game is already polished and provides a fun, chaotic experience that keeps players coming back for more.
- The gameplay can be overwhelming and chaotic, making it difficult for new players to grasp the mechanics and differentiate between allies and enemies during intense moments.
- Some mechanics, like the color-switching system, may feel less impactful as players progress and become stronger, leading to a potential lack of focus on certain gameplay elements.
- There are reports of performance issues, particularly with frame rate drops when using certain builds, indicating a need for optimization as the game continues to develop.
gameplay
54 mentions Positive Neutral NegativeThe gameplay is characterized by a fast-paced, chaotic experience that encourages experimentation with various mechanics, particularly the innovative color-switching system reminiscent of Ikaruga. While the depth and variety of builds are praised, some players find the overwhelming UI and certain mechanics, like frequency changes, detract from the overall experience. Despite these drawbacks, the game successfully blends elements from other roguelikes, creating a unique and engaging combat system that keeps players eager for more runs.
“The highlight of the gameplay has to be how certain design choices push the player towards experimenting with trying new things, while never shoehorning the player into a specific path.”
“That might not sound so innovative on the surface, but then you realize that Schism has carefully and surgically taken the best parts of those beloved roguelikes such as Isaac and Nuclear Throne, and made sure that each and every mechanic present in this game works together, to create a beautiful mosaic of resource management and combat that leaves you itching for just one more run to see what happens.”
“The Ikaruga-esque color switching mechanic is brilliant, and I'm surprised I haven't seen something like it implemented in more of these top-down shooter roguelikes.”
“If there's any complaint from me, it's that the gameplay is a little too chaotic.”
“(Especially for someone with a processing disorder.) Changing frequencies is next to pointless, and I'd actually prefer if it wasn't a mechanic.”
“The main drawbacks to Schism's gameplay would have to be its current balance and how certain mechanics impact the pace of progression later in the game.”