Wrack (Final Boss Entertainment)
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Buy your Early Access copy on the Steam Store page
Wrack is an arcade style first person shooter that provides you with plenty of guns, aliens to use them on and then lets you get on with the fun. It is also a game that doesn’t believe in weapon carry limits, hiding behind cover or regenerating health. The result is a lean and mean shooter that doesn’t get bogged down in scripted sequences or boring quick time events.
As an Early Access title the game isn’t quite done yet but what is on offer is already enough to have a lot of fun. The speed of the game took me by surprise after all the other shooters where it feels like your hero is wading through molasses. The game rewards you for chaining kills together and the combo centric shooting benefits from the rapid pace of your character. It took me a while to adjust but it definitely ramps up the excitement.
The cell shaded visuals look pretty good and the game does not shy away from showing some blood. Bodies don’t’ disappear either so levels tend to end up littered with alien corpses and destroyed robots. I was pleasantly surprised by both the adjustable FOV and quicksave/load support both of which are becoming rare in the genre. The inclusion of music by Bobby Prince (of Doom fame) is also pretty impressive.
Levels are pretty large and some exploration is required in order to find the switches needed to unlock doors. You’ll find plenty of health, armor and ammo pickups along the way as well as hidden secrets that contribute to your score. Some levels feature traps like crushing walls and ceilings or hazards such as lava and toxic waste. Be prepared for some large boss battles at the end of each level as well. The emphasis is firmly on the action but you can expect some light puzzle solving as well. I liked the weapons that are on offer and the fact that the game doesn’t’ take itself too serious is also a plus.
Apart from the story there is also time- and score attack modes to sink your teeth into. In addition, the game ships with a level editor so you can jump in and create your own levels. There is no multiplayer mode unfortunately but I applaud the developer for focusing on delivering a great single player experience instead of wasting valuable resources on multi-player.
Final Boss Entertainment promises biweekly updates featuring new content and polishing what is already available. The community content and planned Steam workshop support also means that this is a title that is going to have longevity. Wrack is a game that brings back fond memories of genre classics such as Doom while still maintaining an identity of its own and we are looking forward to experiencing the completed product.
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