Relentless Frontier

truly outstanding spiritual successor to chex quest

Крутой динамичный шутер, но не всегда понятно куда идти.

Halo meets DOOM with combat inspired by bits and pieces of the likes of DOOM Eternal and Ultrakill. Relentless Frontier is one, few hour long episode as of writing this but it's already a very full package, with compelling combat, fantastic and snappy and precise movement that will make you forget you're playing a GZDOOM game, great level design with tons of secrets to find, and fantastic replayability with a novel approach to difficulty that makes replaying the game extremely rewarding. I'm excited to see where this game goes in the future, but hell I'd say my 3 playthroughs already would've given me my hypothetical $15 worth of fun, and even in it's current state I wouldn't hesitate for a second to recommend this to fans of retro FPS games or any of the games I've mentioned above. Video: https://youtu.be/vW_9IsQHZK8

Just started playing but already I believe I've found something Special here. The Movement is fantastic and the weapons all feel very good! I also enjoy the backtracking a lot. Relentless Frontier reminds me a lot of Hedon Bloodright, which is a good thing. The levels feel interconnected and the combat has a great speed and flow to it. I am really look forward to finishing Episode 1 and seeing what the dev's plan for the future! Edit - Finished the game. My god is it good. I can't wait for Episode 2 to come out!

Absolutely a work of love. Interesting weapons, an almost metroidvania-esque upgrade system that keeps the gameplay from getting stale, and heaps of lovely little environmental details really show the amount of care that went into making this game. Absolutely recommended.

Fast paced game with satisfying gunplay and beautiful artstyle. The game has a good mix of puzzles and enemies to keep you going. Really looking forward to see more content. If you like this retro artstyle and Doom style sort of game give it a go!

Relentless Frontier, developed by Fission Ogre and published by Hellforge Studios, is a bold and inventive first-person shooter that blends retro aesthetics with modern gameplay sensibilities. Built in the GZDoom engine and currently in Early Access, the game throws players into a grim, sci-fi world where high-stakes action and strategic progression go hand-in-hand. Set on the remote terraforming colony of Ross-128b, you take on the role of Noah Gansky, a disgraced combat engineer sentenced to service in a penal legion. After disaster strikes the colony, Noah seizes the opportunity to escape and fight back, utilizing both his engineering prowess and raw firepower. This narrative setup creates a solid foundation for a game that constantly pushes you to adapt, explore, and overcome. Where Relentless Frontier truly sets itself apart is in its gameplay loop, which combines fast, fluid movement with deliberate combat and exploration. Movement isn’t just a way to get from point A to B — it’s integral to survival. Dashing, sliding, and using the Omniblade for brutal melee finishers turn each encounter into a dance of positioning and aggression. The levels are built with verticality and secrets in mind, rewarding players who think outside the box and revisit older areas with newly acquired upgrades. Unlike many retro-style shooters that rely purely on speed and reflex, this game demands thought and timing, especially as it integrates a light Metroidvania structure into its level progression. One of the core innovations is the Omnistruct system, which allows players to harvest a resource called Omnifuel from enemies and the environment. This fuel can be used to craft and upgrade weapons, armor, and abilities on the fly, giving players freedom in how they build out their arsenal. Choosing whether to spend Omnifuel on an immediate firepower boost or to save for a critical mobility upgrade becomes a meaningful decision. It adds a layer of long-term planning rarely seen in retro-inspired FPS games and helps give each player's run a distinct flavor. The resource economy also ties directly into exploration, as secret areas often reward players with caches of Omnifuel or upgrade blueprints that drastically change how future encounters can be approached. Visually, Relentless Frontier embraces its retro roots without feeling outdated. The sprite-based art style is sharp and expressive, enhanced by fluid frame-by-frame animations that bring both enemies and the player character to life. There’s a satisfying weight to every action, whether it’s blasting a cultist apart with a charged cannon shot or leaping over pools of alien biomass. The level design is tight, compact, and smartly layered, with shortcuts, destructible walls, and environmental storytelling that hint at the wider world and its decay. The GZDoom engine has been pushed to impressive heights here, balancing retro charm with modern fluidity and responsiveness. Despite being in Early Access, the game is already surprisingly polished in many areas. Performance is stable, the controls are tight, and the visual identity is well established. That said, it’s clear that Relentless Frontier is still a work in progress. As of now, it includes a single playable episode with a limited number of weapons and upgrades. Enemy variety, while promising, is still developing, and some narrative elements feel more like placeholders than fully fleshed-out arcs. However, the development team has been active and communicative, pushing regular updates that address feedback and expand on the game’s systems. Players invested early will likely see significant evolution over time. In its current state, Relentless Frontier is already a standout among indie FPS titles. It offers a deeper, more tactical experience than many of its retro shooter peers while still capturing the chaotic thrill that defines the genre. The layered movement mechanics, Omnistruct crafting system, and exploratory level design work in harmony to create a shooter that values smart decisions as much as twitch reflexes. It’s not a finished product, and those looking for a complete, story-rich campaign might want to wait. But for players excited by the potential of a well-crafted, sci-fi shooter that rewards experimentation and mobility, this is an incredibly strong foundation that could grow into something special. Rating: 8/10

Of the myriad retro shooter projects forever stuck in Early Access limbo, Relentless Frontier is definitely one deserving of more attention than it got. As of build version 0.5, this GZDoom shooter features [b]extensive maps[/b] that rival the likes of [i]Hedon[/i] (though Relentless Frontier’s mission objectives and progression aren’t as intricate) and [b]visceral gunplay[/b] that’s certainly closer to something like [i]Selaco[/i] rather than the more static shooting of deliberately 'traditionalist' retro shooters like [i]Supplice[/i]. Relentless Frontier also offers a [b]great amount of player mobility[/b], some neat [b]equipment upgrades[/b] that add unique and useful functionality to the (otherwise rather limited) selection of 5 weapons, as well as enough [b]plot and environmental storytelling[/b] to tie everything together (take notes, [i]Selaco[/i] Early Access build!) [b]Relentless Frontier’s main gameplay gimmick over other shooters is the inclusion of “omnifuel”[/b], a resource generated by killing enemies with your melee weapon or by destroying specific containers in the environment. It’s basically [b]a currency which you can use to buy health, armour or ammunition at any point during gameplay[/b] (there are still plenty of normal pickups available on the maps BTW). This system may not feel earthshakingly innovative, but it does prove useful, as [b]it minimises the risk of getting stuck because you’ve run out of health or ammo[/b], and it allows you to stock up on ammo for your favourite gun when you can't find any in the environment. It’s like a halfway point between the challenging resource management of old-school shooters and the infinitely regenerating health prevalent in the post-nineties generation of modern shooters. Other than that, Relentless Frontier is just a great example of the type of game you probably think of when GZDoom is mentioned. [b]Movement feels very good, as you get modern traversal options like slides, long jumps, double jumps and dashes[/b] for getting across the large maps quickly and fluently. [b]Secrets are plentiful and the maps are as non-linear as you’d expect[/b] from a game made in the tradition of 1993's [i]Doom[/i], but with all the technical possibilities offered by the GZDoom engine. Relentless Frontier also usually allows you to return to previous maps (points of no return are signposted), which is a good thing when you acquire upgrades that unlock specific barriers which you may have encountered previously. Though these are mostly optional and [b]not nearly numerous enough to call this game a metroidvania[/b]. In short: [b]If you’re into old-school shooter experiences that offer a lot of exploration on large, intricately designed maps[/b], such as the aforementioned [i]Hedon[/i], [b]then Relentless Frontier is absolutely worth your time[/b]. That being said, I do feel I should point out that the game currently ‘only’ includes one episode of a planned minimum of two. That [b]one episode can still easily provide you some 7+ hours of excellent gameplay[/b] if you take your time exploring the maps to find secrets and optional upgrades; but given that Relentless Frontier doesn’t seem to have garnered nearly as much of an audience as some other retro shooter projects, I think it’s fair to question whether it’ll ever get to the scale originally envisioned (here’s looking at you, [i]Diluvian Ultra[/i]). So, as with any Early Access game, it may be prudent to either wait a bit longer to see how it works out, or get it at a discount if you can’t justify paying full price for one episode. [b]To me, Relentless Frontier’s current Early Access build is well worth the money[/b] because of the excellent quality of everything on display, but your mileage may vary.