PLATFORM: PC, PS5, XBOX SERIES (REVIEWED) | RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
Set in the same universe as 2022’s Callisto Protocol, [Redacted] moves away from its older cousin’s dark and brooding melee-focused survival horror gameplay and goes for a completely different approach – this is a bright and colourful “punk rock roguelike” in which you’re put in the shoes of a guard during an outbreak of mutants in Black Isle Prison. Your task is simply (“simply”!) to make your way to the prison’s last escape pod, but as well as dealing with the hordes of monsters hungry for human flesh, you’ll also have to contend with other humans who are all vying for that one single escape pod.
[Redacted] gives you a basic set of tools to start off with, and clearing each room of enemies rewards you with either a choice of three randomly-chosen temporary upgrades or some handy currency. There’s also a selection of unlockable uniforms which each have their own upgradeable built-in buffs, as well as upgradeable weapons with unique mechanics and strengths, giving plenty of options for building a character that fits your preferred playstyle. When you die, any temporary abilities you had gained are lost, but you’re able to permanently upgrade your abilities and buy new gear between each run which are transferred to all future attempts. You’ll also often come across the remains of your previous character, which you can choose to fight (or not). Their corpse will have the exact same abilities that they had when they died, so it might not be an easy battle but you’ll gain a bunch of extra upgrades if you’re able to take them down.
Throwing an extra spanner into your escape plans, a host of “rivals” make themselves known throughout the game. These NPCs are humans who are also trying to escape the prison, and you’ll encounter up to three of them in each zone. You can attack them remotely to slow down their progress or deal a bit of damage, or fight them one-on-one if you’re able to catch up with them. If you manage to reach the escape pod, any undefeated rivals must be defeated one after the other before you can make your escape, but this still isn’t quite the end – completing the game unlocks new weapon upgrades and modifiers, as well as the chance to uncover information about the rivals to unlock a super secret vault, to encourage you to keep playing. [Redacted] does everything you’d want a roguelike to do, and although it may not quite offer the same amount of depth as other titles, it’ll certainly keep fans of the genre occupied for many hours.
