Deadcore is a first-person platformer set in a sci-fi inspired universe. Utilizing jumps and dashes, the player will hop their way to the top of an ominous tower. Originally released in 2014 for PC players, this re-release for current generation consoles brings all of the fun to a new audience.
Indie developer 5-Bits Games has crafted a speedrunners’ dream. Any player who has enjoyed Portal or Mirror’s Edge will feel right at home with Deadcore. There’s not much to offer in the story department, but the gameplay will more than make up for it if you’re a fan of the genre. Tight controls and excellent level design make this one of the best platforming games available. Precision and quick reflexes are of the utmost importance. Thankfully, the game does designate a button for respawns. It needs one too, because you will be dying a lot. Most of the checkpoints are just far enough apart to keep it challenging and fun.
The game is pretty boring visually. It works both for and against it. On the one hand, its simplistic design helps the player easily understand where and where not to go. The simplicity aids in keeping the player moving forward. On the other hand, it feels dull. It doesn’t get more interesting as you progress either. However, the level design is top notch. All the platforming mechanics slowly build on themselves making it both fun and engaging. There aren’t many enemies, and the enemies that do exist only aim to push you off of your path. It’s possible to shoot them, of course. The SwitchGun also provides the ability to activate and deactivate obstacles in the level. This could mean deactivating a fan so that you’re not blown off course. You can also use the SwitchGun to activate a change in gravity of a platform. All these things gel together seamlessly throughout the level design.
The audio serves its purpose at best. There is a soundtrack, but it seems to cut in and out at rather odd times. Every time you activate a boost there is a strange melody that plays momentarily. The sounds of the enemy robots are very reminiscent of a droid straight out of Star Wars. The music is very fitting of the overall tone when it actually does start playing.
It is possible to finish the game without ever unlocking the blast ability. Perhaps this is a design decision to encourage multiple playthroughs. Speedruns would be another way to enjoy this game a second time. The already small audience this game attracts would very much be inclined to watch streams of the best speedrunners battling to finish with the lowest time. The game definitely caters to these players by offering a timer right on the screen of the SwitchGun.
With its dated graphics and lack of a compelling story to offer any depth, Deadcore isn’t going to turn any heads. However, it doesn’t really have to. Deadcore is so good at doing what it does best, and that alone will keep fans of the genre happy and coming back for more. Deadcore receives a 7 out of 10.
Check Out the DeadCore Gameplay Trailer:
DeadCore is now available for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 priced at $7.99.
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PS4 Review
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Overall Score - 7/107/10
I was born and raised in a town so small there were more cows than people. I joined the USAF as soon as I could, and I currently reside in San Antonio. I am a singer/songwriter on the side, but I've been a gamer since birth. I grew up with PlayStation and Nintendo, though, I don't discriminate between consoles and PC. I have a PC with a 3080, Steam Deck, and a PS5.
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