Prodeus secrets
I don’t have much of a preference between the two, although I suppose the sprites do fit the aesthetic better. Prodeus is fully 3D level-wise, but you shockingly have a choice between sprites and 3D models. The sound the twin submachine guns have is a highly satisfying report that feels substantial. The sound effects are particularly excellent. Everything feels snappy and accurate and the guns are fun to shoot, too. One of the most interesting guns lets you land a beacon on a foe and then shoot it without aiming at it. Nearly everything feels like a sort of machine gun, although each weapon has an alternate fire mapped to the right mouse button. The guns are all solid and fun to use, even if they can feel a bit too familiar at times. Prodeus is a quick game that gets downright hectic at times. The shooting is impressive, as is the handling of the guns. It definitely feels like it was designed by professionals, which it clearly is. I played all of the available content and practically never had that classic Doom feeling of wandering around aimlessly until I happened to stumble on the way forward. At the same time, the levels are fairly large, but they tend to funnel you in specific directions. The signposting is also very good, and it’s hard to get lost. They’re different enough from each other so that they’re memorable and have unique layouts though. Prodeus has strong level design, albeit not as strong as some recent stand-outs. The current map just doesn’t take that long to navigate. At this point in development though, there’s not much reason to worry about that. You can unlock shortcuts to other parts of the map by completing weapon-based challenges where you have to get through levels quickly while destroying all the targets. Levels are selected from a map screen that you can move around freely in. Along the way you’ll fight hordes of gnarly enemies, pick up keys to unlock the path forward, and hunt for secrets. You’re dropped into a level and need to find the exit. The game goes exactly like the classics all do. It’s a ’90s styled FPS, so things can be kept simple without issue. You’re some guy without a name who people will probably call Prodeus Guy, and you’re fighting in some kind of interdimensional war against demon-like entities and electric energy beings maybe? Who can say with any certainty? And I’m fine with that. Like a lot of games similar to Doom, I have very little idea of who you play as or what you’re doing in Prodeus. Hellbound taught me to keep my expectations in check, but I didn’t really need to for this one. The game enters Early Access on November 9, and the developers promise an awful lot for Prodeus. Prodeus thinks that’s stupid and is a hell of a lot like Doom. They’ve been going after that Build Engine feel or trying to be like Quake a lot of the time, but the most famous entry in the genre often gets left alone. For all of the retro-throwback FPS games that get made, it’s surprisingly uncommon to see ones that try to feel like Doom.
