I don’t think I need to tell any of you that I’m a roguelike fan. Of all the genres in gaming, this is the one I hold most dear. There are a couple of reasons for this. First off, these games are hard but fair. There isn’t any of this “git gud” nonsense that’s permeating other titles. You die frequently but you feel all the more rewarded when you do well. Secondly, your play-through is different every time which adds tons of longevity and last but not least there’s always tons of secrets to unlock and cool stuff to upgrade and find. With all this being said let’s come to Genesis Alpha One which has just hit our PC screens.
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Genesis Alpha One is a roguelike shooter from the devs at Radiation Blue. This title isn’t just all about blowing things to bits, though. There are equally important base-building elements here. You will find yourself managing your ship while fighting off alien invasions, farming resources and discovering new, uncharted, planets. You may even need to resort to cloning yourself in a last-ditch effort to save humanity.
If this sounds like something that might float your boat, a deluxe edition of Genesis Alpha One is available on GOG and Steam. This version of the game comes with the awesome loot you get with any good deluxe copy. In this case, you’ll get a digital artbook, soundtrack, and Rocket Star Corporation DLC featuring exclusive weapons.
On top of all the wonderful stuff I’ve just mentioned, the deluxe version will launch with an update that improves lighting and graphics. On a less aesthetic level, enemy intelligence is also improved, along with new weapons for better gunplay and a new HUD system.
Something I really like is the ability you’ll have to explore the ship you’ve lovingly created in first-person. This isn’t something we see a great deal of in roguelikes and when you’ve gone to all that hard work, it’s a nice touch. The entire game is in this perspective. This is going to make those firefights all the more adrenaline-fueled.
As with any other roguelike game, you’ll have to be on your toes and think smart. You’ll need to build wisely and use your research properly because the aliens aren’t playing around. If you aren’t prepared for an attack you might be losing your ship and crew faster than you’d think.
There are versions of the non-deluxe game out for PC if you don’t want to go the whole hog off the bat. Console owners can also grab a copy of Genesis Alpha One but will have to wait a little while for the deluxe version of the game to be made available to them.
I’m really excited by Genesis Alpha One. Well … of course I am … it’s a brand new way of getting killed over and over until I get lucky or learn what I’m doing the hard way. If you’re like me and love lots of variety in your game or a bit of a bout of gaming masochism, this is a very good direction in which to look. Did I mention Team 17 were involved in this? I didn’t? Well … Nuff said really.
