Pitching Mega Man as a modern FPS might sound like a stretch, but Metric Empire’s upcoming action-roguelite Battle Shapers is doing a great job of delivering on this promise thus far. While still at least a few months out from an Early Access release, Battle Shapers already feels great to play and is shaping up to be a standout option for fans of FPS roguelites, especially thanks to its unusually perky and accessible approach.
Battle Shapers first made a standout appearance in Steam’s most recent Next Fest with a playable demo, and Screen Rant was able to test drive an updated build this time around featuring a heretofore-unseen jungle biome. It’s a very small slice of the finished game, but its various roguelite pieces are fitting together nicely, even if the moment-to-moment gameplay is a little on the easier side.
The Mega Man influences are front and center here, which may seem odd when considering the game’s first-person perspective, but it’s a great example of adapting an aesthetic and feel to a wholly different genre. Battle Shapers takes the classic series’ mid-century modern aesthetic and updates it with a contemporary high-def polish, delivering a presentation that is always fully readable with a rock-solid framerate but unmistakably, uncannily nostalgic, powered by a high-energy and brightly upbeat light rock soundtrack.
It’s also encouraging to find an FPS which is decidedly all-ages, with a peppy script that stays out of the way of gameplay but sets up the Battle Shapers world. Players take on the role of Ada, a “Shaper” android attempting to rid New Elysium of the destructive Overlords, who are essentially boss characters with some form of immediately identifiable shtick; in the preview, the sole Overlord available to fight is Volt Colossus (which itself sounds exactly like a Mega Man villain). The story never strays too far from old-school Saturday morning cartoon vibes, and it’s a refreshing tone for a frequently grim genre.
While the preview only takes place through the intro area and first boss zone, there are already a number of interesting roguelite systems at play. For one, the game’s obtainable boss powers are much more complicated than Battle Shapers’ inspirations may suggest, offering “cores” instead of boss weapons. These can then be equipped in primary or secondary slots at the start of a run, significantly changing the basic combat mechanics to offer alternate play styles.
2023-08-01 08:24:03
Source from screenrant.com
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