SENTRY

86%
Game Brain Score Based on 411 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • story
SENTRY Game Cover
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"Sentry" is a Science Fiction Shooter game that offers various play options, including single-player, co-op for 2 players, and multi-player. As a member of the SENTRY Defense Program, your mission is to protect your vessel while it flees across space, using an arsenal of weapons, traps, and environmental destruction to fend off alien boarders. If your SENTRY falls in battle, another crew member will be thawed to continue the fight, ensuring that defeat only changes the strategic landscape aboard the ship. The game boasts beautiful gameplay and outstanding visuals.

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Reviews

86%
Audience ScoreBased on 411 reviews
gameplay30 positive mentions
grinding2 negative mentions
  • Great execution of a FPS/Tower Defense hybrid, with smooth gameplay and satisfying gun mechanics.
  • The game shows great promise for future updates, with a solid foundation and engaging core gameplay loop.
  • The art style and sound design are appealing, creating an immersive experience.
  • The game is currently short and can feel repetitive, as it takes place in similar environments.
  • There is a steep learning curve with no real tutorial, which may frustrate new players.
  • The difficulty can spike unexpectedly, making it challenging to progress without feeling overwhelmed.
  • gameplay87 mentions

    The gameplay is a blend of tower defense and first-person shooting, featuring smooth mechanics and enjoyable gunplay, though it suffers from balance issues and a lack of variety in maps and enemy types. Players appreciate the engaging core loop and the challenge it presents, but many express frustration with the grind for upgrades and the repetitive nature of early access content. Overall, while the game shows promise and has a solid foundation, it requires further refinement and additional features to enhance the experience.

    • “The gameplay is smooth and clean; I like the simplistic art style, the enemies (and their variety) are fine, and the gunplay is one of my favorite aspects.”
    • “The gameplay loop is solid and fun.”
    • “It's a wave defense sort of game which blends FPS battling together with light tower defense mechanics.”
    • “This game needs a lot more time; just another issue similar to Sanctum 2: enemies are bullet sponges, you die easily, and it's just an overall slog killing most things. It could be fun and engaging, but then you deal with obnoxious enemy types that just don't work. Come back in a year or so; maybe the devs will figure things out properly. Oh, also forgot to mention the poor grind mechanic; you can't get the good stuff until 20 hours into the game, which is frustrating.”
    • “The game does a horrific job of explaining any of the mechanics, such as the fact that unlocking a weapon slot only unlocks it for that run. This lack of clarity makes the gameplay feel disjointed and frustrating.”
    • “The gameplay loop is repetitive, but it's also very fun, so there's nothing wrong there. However, I played four campaigns on normal difficulty and felt like I was only seeing a fraction of the gameplay options.”
  • graphics29 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received generally positive feedback, with many players appreciating the clean, simplistic art style and low-poly design that effectively complements the gameplay. Users noted the smooth performance, vibrant colors, and attention to detail in environments, although some expressed a desire for more graphical options and improvements in UI navigation. Overall, the visuals are considered appealing and well-suited to the game's aesthetic, contributing to an enjoyable gaming experience.

    • “Very few frame drops, good and coherent art style.”
    • “The visuals are good, most textures as far as I can tell are really polished pixel art, and the mixture of quite bold colors with simple shapes makes the visibility good and areas appealing.”
    • “Visually, it's good looking for the aesthetic chosen for the game and there are a lot of nice little visual touches like brightly-colored lights on traps which show you their re-arm timing very effectively while also looking cool.”
    • “You would have mistaken Sentry for a mobile game if it were not for its demanding, low-poly graphics and special effects.”
    • “Boring and overpriced indie copy of OMD done worse in first person with bad graphics and unsatisfying shooting, also lacking co-op mode!”
    • “Graphics options are pretty limited at the moment, with only basic adjustments like resolution and shadows available.”
  • story19 mentions

    The game's story is described as engaging but somewhat predictable, with a focus on strategic tower defense mechanics intertwined with shooter elements. Players appreciate the immersive environments and the challenge of adapting strategies to varying mission difficulties, though some express frustration with the game's pacing and difficulty spikes. Overall, while the narrative aspect may not be the game's strongest point, it provides a foundation for the gameplay experience, leaving room for future development and expansion.

    • “I hope that this game continues to grow, game modes, story, etc. The price is fair as long as development continues.”
    • “The concept of the ship maintaining damage and having limited lives as you go through the missions makes the game both strategic and an action-based FPS shooter.”
    • “I'm a veteran in these types of games, having put thousands of hours into similar games, and yet I failed just after the first jump because you only get 5 lives. Every time the enemies win a mission, they move further inside your ship, making each decision feel impactful.”
    • “If they had gone more with the tower defense side of things and had you backing those defenses up, it might have been another story, but as it stands there is nothing here to excite.”
    • “Right now it's way too short and doesn't really have any incentive to start a new mission.”
    • “The semi-random nature of where waves come can lead to impossible holds, where early missions you don't have the resources to spread, coupled with the sporadic nature of the waves themselves.”
  • music17 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its fantastic soundtrack that evokes a nostalgic 90s-00s vibe, setting it apart from the more common 80s styles. Players particularly enjoy the energetic and engaging tracks that enhance gameplay, especially during intense moments, although some express a desire for a larger variety of tracks. Overall, the music is described as a standout feature that complements the game's visuals and mechanics effectively.

    • “The soundtrack is absolutely fantastic too!”
    • “The music slaps (especially the mid-round prep music) and the pacing is perfect.”
    • “Music is absolutely fabulous, just amazing stuff, really great OST.”
    • “I wish I had a soundtrack.”
    • “Soundtrack is fine, too few tracks.”
    • “The music and graphics are giving off a vibe I really, really dig.”
  • replayability12 mentions

    Overall, the game offers a strong replayability factor through its roguelike elements, diverse weapon unlocks, and unique map designs that encourage experimentation and varied strategies. While many players appreciate the satisfying gameplay loop and the potential for varied experiences, some express concerns about the limited number of levels and linear progression, suggesting that additional features like a map randomizer could enhance replay value further.

    • “Finally, the roguelike elements (like random enemies, loadouts, etc.) add so much replay value.”
    • “The unlocking and earning of new persistent gear, traps, and weapons through gameplay adds a wonderful amount of replay value.”
    • “Unique breaching points during each conflict make even the same small group of maps extremely replayable, and their design encourages the player to always find new corridors to booby trap and angles to hold.”
    • “A bold price to pay for a product lacking promising content and replayability.”
    • “- very few levels and linear progress which to me would give little replay value.”
    • “Pls add a map and objective randomizer to the game; it would increase replay value a ton, thanks.”
  • optimization8 mentions

    The game's optimization is a significant concern, with players reporting severe frame rate drops, particularly in crowded scenes with multiple enemies, leading to performance issues even on high-end hardware. The limited graphical options exacerbate these problems, and while the developers have plans for improvements and additional content, the current state detracts from the overall experience.

    • “Fun game, but it has some rough progression, balance, and performance when the screen gets crowded.”
    • “2-player co-op, optimization, more content of all kinds (game modes, items, weapons, traps, enemies, maps—you name it), Steam Deck compatibility, and more are already in the roadmap, with 2-player co-op being the #1 priority according to the devs. Co-op was available in the demo and worked very well, so it's only a matter of time before co-op is released to the early access game and really should open this game up quite a bit.”
    • “Performance massively drops when you start seeing 10+ active enemies at once, with a 2080 Ti and i9-10900X dropping from a 120 fps cap down to 30 fps in some of the mid to late fights.”
    • “The main issue I have is the optimization in some parts of the game, with my FPS dropping to around 20 on the final few levels, but that's the only issue I came across.”
    • “Performance was all over the place, and unfortunately, the graphical options are really poor, only allowing you to disable VSync and real-time reflections.”
    • “Performance massively drops when you start seeing 10+ active enemies at once, with a 2080 Ti and i9-10900X dropping from a 120 FPS cap down to 30 FPS in some of the mid to late fights.”
  • stability4 mentions

    Overall, the game demonstrates strong stability with minimal bugs reported, offering a polished experience that runs smoothly even on older hardware and Linux systems. Players find it easy to pick up and enjoy, contributing to its re-playability.

    • “It's only 2 hours now, but the game is not buggy at all and everything is polished.”
    • “Lots of fun and runs great on older hardware.”
    • “Gameplay is solid, runs great on Linux.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and slow, particularly during early progression and solo map defenses, which can feel unfair and monotonous.

    • “Early progression feels slow and tedious.”
    • “Having to defend some of the maps alone is tedious and unfair at times.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization model of the game is praised for avoiding microtransactions, focusing instead on delivering a pure gameplay experience filled with engaging enemies and challenges.

    • “I love that this game doesn't bombard you with microtransactions; instead, it focuses on delivering an engaging sci-fi experience with challenging enemies.”
    • “It's refreshing to play a first-person shooter that prioritizes gameplay over monetization, allowing me to enjoy the story without constant interruptions.”
    • “The absence of aggressive monetization strategies makes the game feel more immersive and enjoyable, letting me focus on the action rather than spending money.”
    • “The game is riddled with microtransactions that ruin the overall experience.”
    • “It's frustrating to see that progress is locked behind a paywall, making it feel like a cash grab.”
    • “I can't enjoy the game when every other screen is trying to sell me something.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

5hMedian play time
5hAverage play time
2-9hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs

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