Tesla Force

Developer: 10tons Ltd | Publisher: 10tons Ltd | Release Date: 2020 | Genre: Rogue-Lite / Top Down Shooter / Indie | Website: Official Website | Purchase: Steam

A few years ago, 10tons Ltd used their expertise in the top-down shooter genre to craft Tesla Vs. Lovecraft. It fused ideas of their previous titles, such as Crimsonland and Neon Chrome, with some Lovecraftian elements for a fast-paced arena shooter. At first glance, Tesla Force looks like it is just more of the same, but after playing the game, it quickly becomes evident that it is a different beast altogether.

Tesla Force is still a top-down shooter, but 10tons has steered it down the rogue-lite route this time. Not only is Lovecraft not an antagonist anymore, but he joins Tesla as a playable character along with Marie Curie and Mary Shelley. Tesla and Curie are available right from the start, while Curie and Lovecraft can be unlocked along the way. The four characters are not just different skins but have pros and cons that influence your playstyle with them.

Unlike Tesla Vs. Lovecraft, the levels in Tesla Force are now random instead of static. The levels are also procedurally generated, which is good as you will be playing them many times. Wardenclyffe serves as the game’s hub; it is here where you pick your character, research permanent upgrades, and more. The game features three chapters, namely Arkham, Farm, and Forgotten Caves, with only the first available from the start. Players must battle through the chapter, choosing from the different mission types found on the branching world map. Once the boss at the end of the chapter is defeated, players return to Wardenclyffe, where the next chapter is unlocked. Unfortunately, each chapter must be started from scratch as they do not continue from each other. However, the experience you have earned and the crystals you have collected are permanent, which means your character becomes a little stronger and better prepared with each try. Completing all the chapters also unlocks a new difficulty, so there is a reason to return for more.

Tesla Force plays a lot like its predecessor, so players can again expect swarms of enemies coming from all directions. Seven new monsters have joined the cast, bringing the total to 16, but players now have access to twenty different weapons. In addition, the number of power-ups has also almost doubled, and with close to 40 different perks, there’s plenty of room for customizing your character. Whereas Tesla Vs. Lovecraft only had one mission type, and everything was reset after completing a level, Tesla Force has a lot more variety. There are now five different mission types, ranging from destroying statues and closing portals to fixing machinery or surviving long enough to research hives. The ability to pick your path through each chapter makes it easy to focus on the mission types you enjoy and avoid the ones you don’t. Players can choose a perk after completing each level and retain their weapons. The mech, easily one of our favorite features from the original game, makes a return, and it’s just as deadly as always. Players get to briefly control it at the start of each stage before it explodes into different pieces that must be collected before it can be activated again. Interestingly, Shelley has a “Mechenstein,” which is basically a mech with a dolphin brain wired to it so that it moves around and shoots on its own without her operating it.

Visually, Tesla Force improves on the original with features such as real-time shadows and advanced lighting. The stages also feature many destructible objects, and players can tweak the graphics to set things like particle detail level and FXAA anti-aliasing. It’s also neat that players can choose between camera presets for normal, classic, and top-down views. The soundtrack for Tesla Force is also really good and perfectly matches the frantic action. Despite the wide variety of weapons, they all sound good, as do all the growls and grunts from the monsters. As it is a twin-stick shooter, the game can be played with a gamepad, but using a keyboard and mouse combination felt the most natural to us.

Although Tesla Force doesn’t have much in the way of a real story, it is highly addictive and has plenty of replay value. Using crystals to buy permanent upgrades or per-run advantages keeps things fresh. The “doomsday clock” that continually counts down while making monsters deadlier if you dawdle too much also keeps the pace up. Another big plus for the game is the inclusion of local co-op and support for Remote Play Together.

As with the original game and rogue-lite titles in general, some repetition is involved when playing Tesla Force. However, it kept us hooked until we got all the Steam Achievements, and it is a title that we will continue to go back to whenever the urge to shoot things arises. It’s a pity that many players will only look at the surface similarities that the game has with Tesla Vs. Lovecraft and miss out on the amount of depth that has been added to it. One thing is for sure: 10tons rarely disappoint when it comes to top-down shooters, and Tesla Force is no exception.