Redacted

I have a relatively limited experience with roguelike games. Apart from Hades and its sequel, it hasn't been a very popular genre in the Andersson family. But, having said that, it's always fun to have challenges and try something new. When I got home on Wednesday, I installed Redacted to my Xbox and have since then fought my way through Striking Distance Studios' new title. Has the studio managed to measure up to Hades or Dead Cells? I guess we'll just have to find out.

Redacted is set in the world of The Callisto Protocol, specifically the prison where the protagonist of the latter title must survive a massive biochemical outbreak that has caused the prisoners to go mad and mutate. The same premise applies now, but here you take on the role of one of the security guards who must now deploy their entire arsenal to get off the planet alive. But apart from the same premise and similar starting point, the game experiences differ significantly and offer two completely separate adventures. So you don't need to have any experience with either game to appreciate the content. On the one hand, The Callisto Protocol is presented as a horror game, but it seems Striking Distance Studios has now completely abandonedthat approach from the aforementioned title to create something new in the form of this roguelike.

Fans of the genre will recognise the premise of Redacted. Just like in Hades, for example, the game is based on getting from point A to point B. On the way there, you will encounter several trials in the form of various enemies and bosses, which will make life difficult for you over and over again. You will die, many times, while getting stronger and stronger with each attempt. The layout itself is also very reminiscent of Hades, so if you like Supergiant's adventure through the Underworld, there is a good chance that you will also appreciate Redacted.

But, I'll be honest. The first hour or rather, hours into the adventure, I did not find it fun at all. I felt very overwhelmed by all the components, all the currencies, systems and even the controls themselves which were very different from the more traditional controls of the genre. I died many times and that in itself is not necessarily a bad thing. But at the same time, I felt that an incredible amount was thrown at me at once and that I didn't really get a chance to learn and get used to all the different functions. Simply put, the uphill was huge, but you were expected to run your fastest at the same time without fainting from sheer exhaustion. A perfect example of what I mean can be obtained by just looking at the display. There is an incredible amount of information, but the game never really explains or clarifies what it is used for or how it is collected. A lot of it is left to you to try and find the answers yourself, which unfortunately isn't the easiest thing to do in the various menus. It's a recurring theme throughout the experience.

But, having said that - it gets better. Although the beginning is a huge uphill battle that is truly unforgiving, you get into it. Even though the game controls are different, for example, I can still appreciate that they chose to go their own way. In the end, the controls felt as natural as any other from the genre and as you developed your skills, the experience got better and better. Sure, some things leave room for more to be desired. For example, there is no signalling of how much cooldown you have for your dodge, which I think is one of the most important features of the genre. It would have helped if the game had given any information about when you can use the function, as you now have to rely solely on your own intuition or ability to spam a button until something happens.

Striking Distance Studios has put a lot of effort into giving the player the conditions to make each round unique. At your disposal you have a wide arsenal of different weapon sets, and the game encourages you to not just limit yourself to a few favourites, but rewards you for trying new things. For someone who tends to fall back on locking in on particular weapons and play styles, it was refreshing to be motivated to try new ways of approaching each run.

Unlike The Callisto Protocol which graphically delivers a more realistic image, Redacted has chosen to go a completely different route stylistically. I can definitely see some similarities between the two when it comes to the environments, but where the previous title relied on a dark and gloomy atmosphere, Redacted looks more colourful, cartoony and more reminiscent of a comic book. The feeling that the game wants to convey is an incredible contrast to the developer's previous title, but at the same time there has never been any talk of continuing the same theme even if the game was set in the same world. In addition, a rocking soundtrack has been chosen, which also fits the theme. For the most part, I like the choice of direction, but sometimes I feel that I would have liked more variety in colour choices and the environment as a whole. But, in and of itself, it's not something that stands out in comparison to similar titles in the genre.

However, I wish there had been a deeper plot to build on, or at least a clearer why. I think I've been spoilt by my previous experience of Hades, where from start to finish there was a clear thread of why you kept coming back. There was also a consistent sense of progression, which I personally find very crucial for this type of game. Here I wish the developer had put more effort into making that little extra for the experience, because in the end it unfortunately falls flat. But, again - I'm basing this on my own preferences.

To summarise my experience, you could say that it has been both high and low. The dull start set the bar low, and then slowly but surely I realised that it could actually still be fun. Overall, I've had fun, but as I've played, I've also asked for that little extra. Is it revolutionary for the genre? Unfortunately not. Redacted definitely manages to entertain, but it doesn't quite reach the same level as Hades or Dead Cells. That said, it's not a bad game and I think many can appreciate the developer's new direction. But for me personally, there was more to be desired.