‘[REDACTED]’ Is the Newest Roguelike to Put Me in a Chokehold

I love the Roguelike genre. It’s the perfect mix of challenge and intelligence. So, when I had the chance to play [REDACTED], I was anticipating a good time. I had no idea just how good a time I would have, though. 

[REDACTED] is a classic Roguelike. It has the genre’s traditional difficulty, permanent and run-specific upgrades, and my personal favorite element: a story that acknowledges your constant deaths. 

‘[REDACTED]’ FEELS LIKE a roguelike STRIKING DISTANCE ALWAYS WANTED TO MAKE

The Callisto Protocol was a solid game, but this just feels right. It’s a surprisingly funny game with a blazing soundtrack and some great voice acting. The gameplay is as fast-paced as the best Bullet-Hell games without the constant stream of projectiles. Though some enemies consistently fire shots at you.

What separates [REDACTED] from other Roguelikes is that you’re in a race against several inmates in the Black Iron Prison to reach an escape pod. At the beginning of each run, a progress bar pops up at the bottom of the screen showing your opposition and how far ahead they are. Fortunately, you have some tools at your disposal to slow down or outright stop them before they beat you. Oh, and just to continue the additions to the chaos? You can fight your own corpse that somehow ends up more powerful than you were when you were alive.

Throughout your run, you collect various forms of currency used to upgrade aspects of your character or affect your runs in different ways. There are files on characters you encounter on your runs with redacted information that can be revealed to lessen the damage they do to you when you catch up and fight them in the prison.

‘[REDACTED]’ IS THE PERFECT COUNTER TO ‘HADES’

I love Hades, it’s one of the greatest Roguelikes ever. There’s no “but” there, it’s incredible.  [REDACTED] feels like the other side of the Roguelike coin. Hades, despite its underworld setting, is cleaner and there’s a feeling of controlled chaos in its design. And it’s still fairly straightforward in how it plays. 

[REDACTED], though? It’s chunkier — there’s a weight to everything. The arenas you fight in are a hazard to your enemies as much as they are to you. There’s a different layer of strategy in selecting your upgrades and getting your build just right. With the added element of a race, having the right deterrents for your opponents is just as important. You’re building for each arena but also for the coming fight when you inevitably end up in the same room with the inmate you’re trying to beat to the end.

I’m wholly invested in this game. Just like I was when I played Hades. I always felt like the best Roguelikes have a moment about two hours in where you have that Lethal Shooter “I understand it now” moment and the game really opens up. From there, the strategies and nuances of the game start to form. [REDACTED] hit that moment for me right at the two-hour mark. I was looking for a game that could properly fill the void while I wait for Hades 2 to fully release. [REDACTED] might do more than fill the void. It might take over the spot.