Disclaimer
I was sent a free copy of Holy Shoot to review for my blog. While I am very grateful for the opportunity, I won’t let it sway my opinions. This will be my honest review.
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What is Holy Shoot?
Holy Shoot is an action roguelike first person shooter out on Steam Early Access.
Dive into the darkest reaches of Hell armed with only your gun, and any guns you find along the way. Upgrade your hero as you fight off endless waves of demons in this fast-paced adventure. Occasionally, bosses will make the rounds and give you a run for your money. Do you have what it takes to keep Hell under control, or will you be another lost soul victim to its unrelenting heat?
Gameplay
Players start off by playing Supersonic Samuel, but can unlock a second character through gameplay. Each character has access to unique kit of weapons and abilities to help them fight off demons. Players will pick up new weapons as random loot drops and buy from a random assortment of abilities between levels. During a run, players must clear each level of its demons to move on. Dying means starting the run over. Combat is straight forward. The game is a fast paced looter shooter and enemies all have weak points players can target to deal extra damage. The levels do seem to be randomly generated for a bit of variety, but there is a slight repetitive grind that gets easier the more you play and earn permanent upgrades.
Review
I understand the game is still in Early Access and try to be a bit more lenient. Out of the gate, I was impressed with the game’s artstyle. There is some fun whimsy in the character design and the world looks good. The game also has a solid sound track which is always nice. Playing my first few rounds reminded me of the time I spent blasting through the Borderlands series. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t leave much of impressions, especially against similar games I’ve played in the past.
The game plays with some interesting ideas. I like the idea of monsters having weakpoints for dealing extra damage. I also like the fast pace of the game. I also think the world and its monsters are fun and interesting. Unfortunately when the novelty wears off, the game becomes stale. The upgrades you get at each level are all the same or they feel the same. None of the upgrades I picked up felt like they made an impact and some of the weapons felt worse than the starter. I am sure the full game will give players access to more guns and abilities, but I don’t know if I want to wait that long. That said, it does look like the devs are working hard on making the improvements, and I am willing to try a more patched version of the game.
As it stands, whether or not you should try this game in Early Access really depends on how much you want to support the game’s development. While the game looks good, it clearly isn’t finished. The roguelike aspect seems solvable with the limited pool of upgrades and loot and the performance isn’t good. When compared to other similar games, you have better options. I would wait for a more patched version. If you want to support Holy Shoot in Early Access, you can pick up your copy for $19.99.