Sublevel Zero Redux

About

"Sublevel Zero Redux" is a roguelite 6-degrees-of-freedom shooter set in a procedurally generated underground facility. The Redux expansion introduces a restructured campaign, new enemies, difficulty modes, starting classes, and VR support for Oculus Rift and HTC Vive. It is recommended to use a traditional game controller for the VR mode, as VR controllers are not compatible.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 751 reviews

graphics104 positive mentions

grinding12 negative mentions

Captures the nostalgic feel of the classic Descent series with modern updates.
Smooth controls and engaging gameplay with a variety of weapons and crafting options.
Procedurally generated levels provide fresh experiences with each playthrough.

Lacks significant enemy variety and can feel repetitive over time.
Permadeath mechanic can be frustrating, as dying means starting over from the beginning.
Some users report issues with controls and HUD visibility, making navigation challenging.

graphics
264 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
56%
5%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a unique blend of retro and modern aesthetics, featuring pixelated textures and low-poly models that create a visually appealing experience. While many players appreciate the vibrant colors and atmospheric lighting, some criticize the chunky art style and lack of texture variation, which can lead to a sense of repetitiveness in the environments. Overall, the visuals are generally well-received, with a strong emphasis on style and coherence that complements the gameplay and soundtrack.
- “Simply put, the visuals are really crisp with colors that pop, the audio complements with good chip-like tunes and old-style sound effects, and flying around the caves feels good overall.”
- “The atmospheric lighting and color grading is executed very well, and you might end up coming back to the game for the visuals alone.”
- “The graphics have a retro 'pixelated texture' quality to them, but they are simultaneously crisp with all the modern particles and lighting effects you could ask for.”
- “The only downside is that the incentives for replaying (new hulls, new crafting, seeing more baddies, possibly getting more logs) don't really make up for the sameness of the procedurally-generated levels and spare visuals, so for me there wasn't much replayability.”
- “While this one is a bit less expensive, it feels like a cut-rate experience with pixelated graphics, uninspired enemy designs, and limited levels.”
- “Cons: graphics are unnecessarily low res; I hope a mod allows some serious retexturing because it hurts the eye to have such bland big pixels.”
gameplay
238 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
59%
3%
The gameplay is a blend of classic 6DOF mechanics reminiscent of the Descent series, enhanced by roguelike elements that offer significant replayability. Players appreciate the smooth controls, satisfying weapon mechanics, and engaging combat, although some criticize the cramped environments and linearity of the gameplay. Overall, while the game delivers a fun and polished experience, it faces some balance issues and repetitiveness over time.
- “The weapons are satisfying and the controls are good, so overall the gameplay provides a good experience.”
- “Ridiculously fun descent-clone type game with great freedom of movement and really nails the retro feel while supporting some modern roguelike gaming mechanics.”
- “Overall—and most importantly—the game is just downright fun; flying around and blowing up bots is just immensely satisfying and the gameplay is just all around extremely fun.”
- “One notable downside to gameplay is how cramped the caverns can often be and how that affects your freedom of movement.”
- “It plays surprisingly smooth with controller but it's basically a step back compared to Descent as far as gameplay is concerned.”
- “As of right now, with its slim amount of content, minimal replayability, and glaring gameplay unbalances, I can’t recommend it at a price of $15; it simply isn’t worth that when I know I could probably have a similar amount of fun playing a very good flash game for free.”
music
209 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
59%
2%
The music in the game has received a mixed but generally positive reception, with many players praising its catchy chiptune and orchestral blend that complements the retro visuals and enhances the gameplay experience. Some reviewers highlighted the dynamic nature of the soundtrack, which adapts to different environments and combat situations, adding depth to the immersion. However, a few players found the music repetitive over extended play sessions, suggesting that it might not resonate with everyone.
- “The music alone makes the experience well worth the price.”
- “I dare say that the music is as three-dimensional as the environments you fly in -- as changing environments will augment the current song on the fly; entering caverns will make the music become more subdued, getting into a big fight will ramp up the drums and bass.”
- “One special mention goes to the soundtrack, written by Will Bedford: it is a marvelous blend of chiptune and orchestral music, and really fits the atmosphere of Sublevel Zero!”
- “The game is somewhat lacking in atmosphere, the music doesn't feel very fitting, and the levels can be a bit bland and linear.”
- “The music makes you want to turn it off.”
- “While the music was one of the highlights of the Descent series, the music for this game does not evoke as much of a connection although it does complement the retro-like visuals well.”
replayability
76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
55%
5%
Replayability in the game is a mixed bag; while many players appreciate the roguelike mechanics and procedural generation that offer a fresh experience with each playthrough, others criticize the sameness of the levels and limited content, which detracts from long-term engagement. Unlockable ships, crafting options, and achievements provide some incentive to replay, but the permadeath feature and repetitive environments leave some players feeling that the replay value is not as high as expected. Overall, the game appeals to fans of the genre with its potential for endless replayability, but it may not satisfy those seeking more diverse gameplay experiences.
- “Plays very similar to Descent, but the roguelike mechanics make for great replayability.”
- “With the ability to craft stuff and the procedurally generated levels, the replay value is nearly endless.”
- “Infinite replayability and looting system; yep, Descent and Diablo had a baby and it's coming for your soul... and your free time.”
- “The only downside is that the incentives for replaying (new hulls, new crafting, seeing more baddies, possibly getting more logs) don't really make up for the sameness of the procedurally-generated levels and spare visuals, so for me there wasn't much replayability.”
- “Unfortunately, randomizing the layouts of the game after each player death doesn't, in my book, make up for what feels to me like the lack of replayability due to the permadeath.”
- “On top of that, the maps quickly feel similar (if not identical) and blur into one contiguous texture of the same dozen spaceship interiors, lava caves, and crystal caves over and over again, despite the procedural map generation, making this the first time I’ve ever seen procedural/dynamic level generation fail to add replayability to a game.”
story
49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
76%
6%
The game's story is often described as minimal and somewhat clichéd, with many players noting that it feels secondary to the gameplay. While there are elements of a dark and intriguing background narrative revealed through collectible text logs, the plot is generally considered thin and not essential to the overall experience. Despite this, some players appreciate the nostalgic and modern soundtrack, as well as the replayability offered by mission-based gameplay.
- “A decently written story and equal parts nostalgic and modern soundtrack make this a game I can't put down.”
- “The background story is dark and intriguing, featuring a shattered futuristic apocalypse universe where wormholes open up randomly across known space and steal bits of worlds.”
- “The piecemeal unlocking of new blueprints for weapons and modules combined with a (admittedly cliched so far) story unfolding over dozens of text logs makes for good replayability.”
- “There's a story somewhere in there apparently, but it forgot to exist about five minutes into the game.”
- “- The story is paper thin and the collectible text diaries repeat often.”
- “The story/plot/backstory/whatever is pretty much negligible; so much so that I nearly forgot to write anything about it in this review.”
atmosphere
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
25%
15%
The atmosphere of the game is a nostalgic blend of old-school pixel graphics and an engaging soundtrack that combines chiptune and orchestral elements, enhancing the overall experience. While many players appreciate the atmospheric lighting and attention to detail, some feel that certain levels can be bland and the music occasionally overstays its welcome. Overall, the game successfully evokes a sense of nostalgia while offering unique features that contribute to its immersive environment.
- “One special mention goes to the soundtrack, written by Will Bedford: it is a marvelous blend of chiptune and orchestral music, and really fits the atmosphere of Sublevel Zero!”
- “The atmospheric lighting and color grading is executed very well, and you might end up coming back to the game for the visuals alone.”
- “The game is somewhat lacking in atmosphere; the music doesn't feel very fitting, and the levels can be a bit bland and linear.”
- “The atmosphere is completely old school, from the pixel graphics and 8-bit sounds down to the keycards!”
- “The soundtrack is very fitting to the atmosphere of the game and has some dynamic elements.”
grinding
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious due to the lack of variety in resources and the repetitive nature of backtracking through extensive tunnels. The indistinctiveness of items, such as nanos and ammo types, diminishes the excitement and challenge, making encounters feel trivial once safe spots are discovered. While there is potential for mastery, the overall experience is marred by the grindy mechanics.
- “This causes the game to quickly become tedious as the element of danger due to the unknown and unfamiliar environments is quickly lost.”
- “Again, the lack of variety causes the game here to feel tedious.”
- “While that was present in Doom and all the classics this game gets its inspiration from, it is particularly annoying and grindy in this game, because you often need to travel back through a substantial amount of tunnel distance to get to the suspected position of the color key.”
optimization
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
33%
17%
Overall, the game is praised for its excellent optimization, running smoothly even on low-spec systems and providing a highly usable VR experience. While most users report flawless performance with minimal stuttering, some mention occasional floating artifacts and performance slowdowns depending on settings.
- “All interfaces are optimized and highly usable in VR.”
- “This game is very well optimized and runs in VR on my low-spec system flawlessly.”
- “Performance is excellent on my system.”
- “It also has a few occasional floating artifacts and some performance slowdowns depending on your settings.”
- “But luckily the programmers made the game work and run smoothly without major stuttering.”
humor
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is noted for its quirky and self-referential nature, with players finding amusement in the game's mechanics and design choices, such as the menu's unexpected performance impact and the comparison of level design to the classic "Descent." The dialogue snippets reflect a playful tone, suggesting that humor is woven into both gameplay and player interactions. Overall, the humor is described as light-hearted and often meta, contributing to an enjoyable experience.
- “As an interesting side note, the game also accomplishes the hilarious feat of demonstrating exactly how terribly designed Descent's levels were, as the random generation engine in this game routinely churns out better levels than Descent did.”
- “I thought that was funny.”
- “Also funny thing, the menu gives my PC more load than the actual game.”
stability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is mixed, with reports of quick loading times but frequent micro-freezes and occasional complete freezes. While minor glitches exist, particularly in VR mode and during intense action, they generally do not significantly impact gameplay. However, users have noted that the VR experience is particularly problematic, with setup difficulties and a lack of saving progress.
- “If you're thinking of buying this game for VR, don't. It glitches, it's in beta, the cockpit is bad, you can't save your progress, the controls suck, and it's difficult to set up in VR.”
- “There are plenty of slowdowns and glitches when the action gets too intense; environments can be tricky to navigate, and the audio is mostly unsatisfying.”
- “The game loaded quickly, although it had micro-freezes during loading, and I experienced a few instances where it froze completely.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in rogue-likes is often noted for its depth and complexity, allowing players to evolve their characters through various gameplay mechanics and choices. Reviewers appreciate the unique progression systems that enhance replayability and personal investment in character growth. However, some players feel that the randomness inherent in rogue-likes can sometimes hinder a more structured development experience.