Hadley's Run: A Starship Saga

+Unique music +Player choice +Some clever writing -Somewhat meh-gameplay; grindy and doesn't really FEEL good -Difficulty and progression feels utterly meaningless. I'm sure you would feel more powerful after a run, but completing the game on the very first run just led to a meh-experience. I didn't get to spend any scrap during the run. -> I presume it's a roguelite-resource and might open up some unlocks, powerups and even shops for future runs, but I don't see any reason playing the game a second time. -Scripting could use polish. NPCs talk to you as they would know you / you have met them before. There's clear expectation that a player would not get further than X on their first run. -First run upgrades were mostly just super lame, e.g. 10% damage, 5% attack speed, -10% CD on a skill. These should play more active role. Based on the few unlocks I saw during the run, these seemed to improve, but why gate the more interesting stuff behind the boring? = Neutral to disappointed, but since I wouldn't really recommend such game to myself, I won't do it to you either.

Quality roguelite twin-stick shooter. Played with an xbox controller. What you need to know: 1. Fight, die, buy upgrades, repeat. 2. Usual pick 3 with rerolls. 3. Surprising amount of colourful characters to interact with and their own stories. 4. Not too long. 5. Fair escalation of challenge. Look, it's a quality game worth your time. Exploration tag? Nope.