[b]TL;DR: If you like a modern "movement-shooter" twist on an old-school FPS framework, this IS the game for you. Mostly everything from the gameplay to the music is excellent, though there are a few weak spots involving some enemy design, engine-jank, pacing, and storytelling. Playing this game on the highest difficulty was some of the funnest gaming I've experienced in years. Also, Roaring Cricket FTW.[/b]
(For posterity, this review comes from a run-through of the “Admiral’ difficulty.)
Growing up on boomer shooters like Doom, I thought I'd seen everything that needed to be seen from sequels, imitators, and the wonderful modding community, but, wow, I was wrong. Selaco is just a whole different beast.
[u][b]GAMEPLAY:[/b][/u]
Imagine FEAR (minus the slow-mo) with Titanfall 2/Apex Legends gunplay/movement (with a slide-cool down to keep things “fair”), but in GZDoom. Sounds scary and like an impossible task, yeah? Don’t worry, I thought the same thing, and was proven wrong. If you like fast-paced run-and-gun action, this is your game (expect SOME jank, but, this damn thing is running through GZDoom, so they get a slight pass.)
You will need the jukes, because the enemy doesn’t really ♥♥♥♥ around (relative to limitations they face in GZDoom.) The A.I. is akin to FEAR, in that enemies will "strategize" to best attack and penetrate your position. In general, you cannot hold a corner and pick them off, one-by-one. I say "in general" because, while battle arenas are generally designed to give enemies multiple avenues of attack (sidewalls, windows, sprawling paths, etc.), you can manipulate their pathing and the environment to make some choke points. In fear of overselling the A.I., it’s not exactly SUPER smart, but it’s more than convincing, giving modern-day AAA games’ A.I. some competition.
The TTK is high on both ends. All enemies require a relatively high level of respect, even the “lowly” Riflemen. Shotgunners can 1-2 hit you, even from range. Don’t get me started on the JumpJet soldiers, who, after dying, can crash into you and kill you. Again, much like Doom taught us back in the day: Don't. Stop. Moving. Personally, I live for this ♥♥♥♥, and if you are someone who loves high-risk, high-reward movement shooters, this is your jam. It does NOT disappoint.
The funny part about the weapon arsenal is that every weapon is too good. The most boring weapon in your arsenal is the DMR, and that’s saying something. Because upgrades costs were too tight, I found myself primarily sticking with 5 weapons:
Rifle (mid-long range tool)
Roaring Cricket (the ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ GOAT)
Shotgun (short-range workhorse)
Nail Gun (crowd-control/flex-shotty)
Secret Weapon (sadly, by the time you get it, Chapter 1 is pretty much over, so not a lot of time to play with it.)
This doesn’t mean that the remaining arsenal is garbage – every other weapon is great!! It’s just that the aforementioned line-up suited my playstyle. Though, to be honest, I feel like I could have just played the game entirely-through with just the Roaring Cricket -- that thing is a beast.
The enemy-list is tight, but dynamic enough. The only enemies that were kinda meh will appear in the 2nd half of the game. You’ll know what I’m talking about when you see them. I wish they did get more creative with said enemies, maybe the design team can work in something akin to invisible Pinkies? I mean, it worked for "Enemy Zero" (IYKYK).
There’s lots to do in the game too, from A CRAPLOAD of secrets to fun Easter eggs, this game has a lot of fun distractions. Heck, even the stupid in-app “Burger Flipper” game oddly worked, and I found myself invested into it for some reason.
[u][b]GRAPHICS/ENVIRONMENT:[/b][/u]
[b] If you get lost, follow the green lights. If you want to be sure you aren't accidentally backtracking, walk in some enemy viscera, and move out -- you'll leave visible footprints in the environment. [/b]
It's a 2-D sprite shooter. Not for everyone, but, if you can get past that, do it. It's worth it. Though, I did encounter a few issues where enemies appeared"semi-invisible" due to seeing their 2-D sprites from certain (unintended?) angles. This seldom-happened, but when it did, it was a bit jarring.
This game EXCELS at environmental storytelling. Since most items can be manipulated/destroyed in the environment, you can easily figure out where enemies are shooting/moving from, as their bullets break glass, displace objects, destroy books that launch paper pieces in the air, etc. It is very clear that meticulous detail was put into each area and combat scenario, and it does so much for the game's story and immersiveness.
[u][b]STORY:[/b][/u]
Basic run-of-the-mill stuff (so far). The story is there, if you look for it, but it is entirely possible to play the game without knowing the plot at all, and it surprisingly works. The gameplay is very engaging, and I am confident that those of you that just want a fun FPS run will enjoy this game without the story, even though the ending of the first chapter is….abrupt, to say the least. If you don't read the data logs, expect to be confused by the objectives. This can be a downside to many, and I don't blame you if it is for you.
[u][b]MUSIC/SOUND:[/b][/u]
Music, of course, is subject to taste, so YMMV, but I think that the OST is excellent. If you like electronic music, you will love the OST. High energy when the bullets fly, and moody during the more exploratory moments.
"The Starlight Suite V: Blue", "Paint It Purple" (though a little too "dub-steppy" for me), "Second Chance" and "Hydrophobia" are the stand-out tracks to me.
Sound effects, including environmental, spoken-dialogue, and for weapons/items are great. Every gun sounds appropriately meaty and weighty. Each environment definitely has its own distinct ambiance that helps with immersion. Dawn's movement/pain sounds are surprisingly spot-on and work well. Enemies will (stupidly) shout out their next moves in combat so you can adjust accordingly (thanks, FEAR), but, hey, it's a video game, so just go with it. :). Slight-side note, but I love how the Juggernauts talk ♥♥♥♥ during combat, it surprisingly was effective in getting me in the zone to air 'em out.
[u][b]DIFFICULTY:[/b][/u]
Play it how you like; however, I must say that playing it on Admiral difficulty was so much fun. The challenge was tough, but absolutely fair. I honestly don’t think I would have enjoyed the game on lower difficulties as much, because the high-difficulty combat scenarios were so engaging, high-octane, and, most importantly, fun! If you’re looking for an empowering challenge, I cannot recommend pushing yourself as much as you can, it is so worth it.
This game is a steal, and might be my favorite game of this year. It’s certainly wild to see a FPS optimized for GZDoom giving modern-day AAA shooters a legitimate run for their collective money.
