A roguelike cyber-shooter is on Steam’s hot releases this weekend: Deadlink, a game where you join an elite anti-evil corporation task force, uses remote-controlled androids called “autonomous combat shells” to launch a brand of vicious justice “at a fraction of the cost of a hopeless lawsuit.”
It’s an ever-increasing thrill and speed shooter where slowing down is a good way to die instantly. There are a lot of adrenaline-boosting skills that you can collect and use along with your weapons – which is good, because you’ll be taking on tanks, drones and swarms of security guards and/or hired villains.
During runs against the Corps, you build up a series of implants to use, activated by things like switching weapons, using your grappling hook, and using your other powers. This way you build synergies with your weapons and you come up with combos to guide you through the levels. If you inevitably die, you’ll be given currency, based on how far you’ve come, to spend on permanent upgrades.
Deadlink is currently in Early Access, so there is a limit to how much you can play right now. There are two levels, each of which is a decent size. There are also two Android chassis to control, the thunderously aggressive Soldier and the faster Hunter. The developers plan to keep it in Early Access for about a year.
Ways to build vary quite a bit, from long range sniping and status issues to fully automatic or close range shotgun attacks. A few elemental effects, such as fire and acid, let you customize further. Fans compare the game to fast shooters like Ultrakill and Doom Eternal. “Combat is a really good mix of old-school Quake and Hades,” says (opens in new tab) a Steam reviewer.
You can find Deadlink on Steam (opens in new tab) in Early Access, where it’s $20, or 20% off until October 25. It is developed by Gruby Entertainment and published by SuperGG.com.
Gruby Entertainment is a small indie based in Warsaw, Poland, and Deadlink seems to be their first game. SuperGG previously published games like Deflector and Raji: An Ancient Epic.