Deathstate: Abyssal Edition

i thought this was a perfect video game well before anyone even imagined vampire survivors, and i still do.

A lot of the other reviews have talked about the elements it draws from roguelikes and twin stick shooters, but I want to give the 2022 perspective of how it compares to Vampire Survivors. I hadn't put a lot of time into this when I first bought it, but I circled back around to it during lockdown, and I appreciate it a lot more now. I'm a big fan of Vampire Survivors, and I more appreciate the design and power ramp in Deathstate compared to VS. While I don't think I lost a run of VS after try #3 or 4, every run of Deathstate requires me to focus on my position and abilities and approach. One thing that works pretty well is the damage to HP balance. While you can get behind on the damage curve, it never feels impossible to win. Whereas in VS, things ramp up in such a way that your input almost doesn't matter if your stats aren't up to par. If you use all the elements at your disposal (usually an artifact and organ in every level, the merchant, plus desecration altars), gameplay remains pretty brisk. Overall, with lockdown depression, I came to really appreciate Vampire Survivors one-stick gameplay, and with that perspective I find Deathstate a lot of fun as a halfway point between VS and full on bullet hell games. It's def worth a try if you like Vampire Survivors, or bullet hells, or have pandemic depression 😅

Sampled this game for an hour on my "Indie Tryouts" Day - what a banger. It's an unholy eldritch combination of bullet heaven and hell - as a viewer put it "Bullet Purgatory". Throw in some wild roguelike "Binding of Isaac"-style relics and upgrades and it's well worth a look. Cool to uncover an old hidden indie gem.

This game is very addicting, it just keeps pulling you in, if you enjoyed Halloween Forever, youll love this!!

Deathstate is kind of a mix between bullet hell and roguelike, and holds the balance well. Runs are short with enough variety to keep it interesting. There are a lot of unlocks (both items and characters) and feels a little opaque sometimes given how much the game hints at secrets, but is still worth the asking price.

SUMMARY: A must-buy single-stick roguelike shooter adventure with plenty of unlockables and challenge. Fight Lovecraftian monsters in a dream world, try to find the way to the right endings, and have fun! I got Deathstate in 2022, years after release. I played it for hours, if you want any idea how good it is. In Deathstate you play one of many people/beings trapped in an in-between dreamworld by a mysterious professor's experience. You pick someone to play and voyage into various dimensions, battling monsters with psychic powers and magic, and hopefully doing the right things to escape. Yes, there's actually a plot. The game delivers everything you'd want in a single-stick roguelike shooter adventure - items, enemies, boss fights, lore, all sorts of equipment. At the same time it's precise in its design, with clear gameplay, easy controls, and an adventure you can often play in 30 minutes. However, let's look at the elements. CHARACTERS: You start with one character, and unlock others as you progress. This gives you different ways to play, and of course various endings to unlock. GAMEPLAY: Literally move and you shoot automatically. A lot of your time will be dodging and activating various relics, abilites, and potions. ENEMIES: Enemies are cute 16-bit lovecraftian monsters. Many are simple, but enough have unique abilities to keep you on your toes. LEVELS: Pretty standard proceural block-based dungeons. The colors and extras are nice, adding a vibrancy to them. There's also various treasures and devices you can find. BOSSES: Bosses are pretty interesting, though you'll develop strategies for them over time. The designs are great. LEVELING: You level characters by finding organs from champions and boss monsters. These are randomized, and will affect your gameplay choices. EQUIPMENT: This is very precise. You have one special ability (which might change), one artifact (triggered), one weapon (modifies your attacks), one grimoire (which adds attacks or modifes yours), and one potion to carry. You have options, but also you never have to manage a complex inventory. UNLOCKABLES: LOTS of unlockables. You'll unlock more items, secrets, treasures, and more in most games sessions. It makes the game very fun to play as you're usually rewarded. ENDINGS: There's also endings, secrets, and videos to unlock as well. In short, Deathstate is a must buy if you like roguelike shooters. Its just a lot of fun with plenty to do.

The gameplay is super unforgiving, even for a bullet hell, but it’s equally rewarding: killer aesthetics, spooky atmosphere, fun levels and challenges, and the soundtrack SLAPS.

Deathstate

It's not perfect, but if you are someone who both likes roguelikes and is a scrub like me, it's fantastic. Also probably the best game adaptation of From Beyond we're ever gonna get.

This is like the much more difficult predecessor of the auto-battler/shooter genre that exploded with Vampire Survivor. If you want a bit of a challenge...or a lot of challenge because its super hard on hard lol but definitely reasonable on normal. Check it out, it'snot bad for full price, even better if you catch it on sale 8.5/10