In , you are a warrior condemned to eternal sufferance, doomed to cut your way through hellish hordes of monsters over and over, until you master “the demon within.” But for a game that’s so steeped in themes of punishment, it’s actually a surprisingly zen action shooter – one where you can achieve a brain-tickling flow state buoyed by hellfire and shotguns. was released in full by Australia’s own PlaySide Studios in October 2024, but I actually first played the game at SXSW Sydney 2024, surrounded by onlookers.
Even with all eyes on my progress, and the fear of failure in the spotlight, I found all that melting away as ‘s hordes approached. The magic of the game is in its combat design. You have multiple weapons available at your disposal, and many of these can unleash harder-hitting attacks if you reload at the right time.
Some guns are good for front-on attacks. Some guns are good for sweeping hordes of enemies. There’s also a sword to taking out nearby threats.
As you roam a solitary platform, you must switch and change between all your weapons, while reloading at just the right time, to take out demons before they can take you out. It’s just you, your guns, and demons flowing in. To survive, you must notice their flow patterns, ensuring you maintain your position, while angling for the best shot.
Survival is all in the technique. It’s not just about wrangling guns and firing them at the most demons possible. It’s about moving within your environment.