Selaco

One of the best FPS's I've played in recent years hands down. Selaco takes clear inspiration from the classics you'll have seen mentioned such as Doom, Duke and F.E.A.R with similarities to other Boomer Shooters such as Hedon and Ion fury. The best comparison I could think of for Selaco would be Prodeus as both games have some of the best 2D sprites you'll see in a FPS along with satisfying visual & audio weapon effects and a permanent upgrade system that made secret hunting far more rewarding. Prodeus is a good game that ticks most of the right boxes but Selaco is a great game and even in late early access hits above its weight in almost everything it does. You forget sometimes that the game is all 2.5D with its impressive use of textures, lighting and destructible objects scattered around each level. The level of interaction you have with the environment is comparable to System Shock which was another game whose level design I found similar to Selaco which isn't necessarily a compliment. The gunplay, guns, controls and movement is slick. I didn't get stuck on one object or in a space during my playthrough. The combat is intense, exciting and chaotic. With one of the most enjoyable parts of Selaco being the encounters with its enemies and the carnage which ensues. The world is interesting enough to encourage exploration while the subtle use of a plot/backstory doesn't try to detract from the gameplay which focuses on a mix of combat encounters, environmental puzzles or obstacles. Selaco doesn't introduce anything we haven't seen before but does it well enough that it feels fun and fresh. The Soundtrack is excellent to boot and really suits the whole sci-fi aesthetic. Nothing is perfect however and overlooking one or two minor criticisms I have to acknowledge some of the negative feedback while it is still in early access. There is one feature I do think Selaco could benefit from which would be a quest marker to indicate what direction your next objective or area of progression is. The map design in Selaco is no where near the worst I've played in a FPS or any game, the combat arenas are clearly designed with combat in mind and the levels are often crafted to encourage and reward the player for exploration. Overall the map design is good and there is a in game map to help the player which marks important items etc. Although at least twice in my playthrough there was a period of 15-20 mins that without any clear indication where I should go, I was wandering around the level till I found the objective/exit. Wasn't all bad I suppose stumbled upon a few secrets would have missed otherwise. Final Verdict 8/10 so far but on it's way to becoming a masterpiece in the genre if chapter 2 is better yet again.