Indie Impression - We Are Doomed

 We Are Doomed

 Now Available and on Steam Greenlight

Developed by Caffeine Monster Software

 

We Are Doomed brings us a new kind of experience in the shooter genre.
Set to a vibrant world of colorful collage cut-out visuals and featuring close-quarters action through use of the very powerful but short beam, elements that make this a great change of pace from the general crowd of twin-stick shooters we're so used to seeing.

You'll have to approach every situation carefully to avoid being overwhelmed

The abstract nature and risk taken in going against the general space shooter themes of this genre attracted me to We Are Doomed at first glance, I was too curious not to try. It ended up the gameplay lives up to it's distinct appearance with the use of some genuinely engaging design choices in enemy placements and their behaviors.

Not only do you have the standard little baddies swarming around to get you but well placed lines of patrolling foes along walls to keep you from coasting on the sides, as well as stationary turret enemies that shoot lightning quick bullets for you to maneuver around as you dash to safety. The tougher, almost mid-boss like enemies start to appear the deeper into the game's 30 waves you get, keeping you on your toes throughout your short but sweet frenetic blast of lazerbeaming action.

The myriad of different enemy designs and patterns keep you on your toes.

The fact that your beam is so short makes the game feel as intense as it does and gives an almost strategic approach to each situation, since you'll have to get up unnervingly close to foes without getting swarmed or caught in their crossfire.

It's a much more forgiving shooter than most are used to overall, but it manages to keep the challenge fresh and interesting with the addition of increasingly harder and smarter enemies every ten waves, evolving progressively with the enchanting melody you hear throughout.

During your hyperactive brawl for supremacy you'll be scrambling to collect the glowing power-up cubes used to power your Superbeam, which is a bit like a bomb/ultimate weapon. It takes awhile to build up but it decimates anything in your path within seconds and feels pretty damn satisfying.

The Superbeam is your key to a successful run and even more vital to achieving a higher-score (the core of these sort of games). Forgetting to grab each power-up and building it's meter is the surest way to being overtaken in the most hectic of situations, when you'll need it most.

Despite the relaxing aesthetics, We Are Doomed has plenty of challenging moments.

It's a game that on the outside, is sweet and simple. It's the perfect title for quick play sessions, but breaking away from it will be a hard task as you are sucked into the need to surpass each previous score and make it further into it's 30 waves. The game is fun and accessible enough for all levels of play but will hook the most dedicated of score-chasers.

Available now for only $4, We Are Doomed is an easily recommendable twin-stick shooter for those looking for a game that tries something new while retaining the solid and precise action of its predecessors. You should also consider going over to Steam Greenlight and giving it your vote, because this is exactly the unique new perspective we need to keep the genre fresh and interesting.