90s nostalgia/grind
I’ve been greatly enjoying 90s inspired games, and Exodemon is no exception. In truth, Exodemon is astoundingly simplistic but no worse for wear. It’s a retro FPS style, like old school DOOM or Wolfenstein, with one large difference, and some other neat tricks. Turns out these little differences provide a massive distinction, and despite the clear similarities to old games, it‘s not just a rehash. In a sense, it is somewhat original.
In Exodemon you’ll be wandering around tight corridors, unlocking doors, and fighting enemies as you go along. Rather than fighting with a standard pistol, you’ll be slashing enemies with a claw, or firing an energy projectile with your other claw. You may run out of bullets quickly if you’re not careful, so the gameplay circles around the 1-2 process of slashing/firing. It’s exceedingly simple gameplay, but it’s done at a super fast pace, and instead of using keys to open doors you slash your way through levels – neat.
The constant process of dodging enemies, and enemy fire, while getting close enough to slash them is engaging. It’s repetitive and not really that original, but most importantly… it’s a blast to play. The flow is fantastic, with platforming in there too, and it feels good. It’ll take you straight back to the 90s, dispatching enemies in an almost automatic process, yet with difficulty, while trying to find the exit. Thankfully, the exit isn’t that difficult to find.
Compared to other 90s inspired FPS games, Exodemon is quite repetitive. The environments are as repetitive as the gameplay but considering the era of games they reproduce it’s not surprising. Nonetheless, it is an engaging title well worth its asking price. Fans of this type of game should love it, but with the simplicity of gameplay, it could have broad appeal. On top of that, it comes with a charming soundtrack.
The hook of the game is that you’re constantly running out of ammo, so you have to fire your claw weapon a little sparingly. You can die very easily. You’ll have to find powerup items for collecting ammo and health, and enemies also replenish you. It’s a good system that has you in an even flow of killing enemies. Interestingly, the repetition isn’t boring, it’s actually lots of fun. Killing never gets old. Exodemon is an addictive game and is highly recommended for fans of old school games.
