It has been a while since I played a metroidvania, and it has been a pleasure to revisit the genre with Outpost Delta, by developer/publisher Hidden Achievement. Discovering new weapons, going around to unlock the door you have been waiting for the whole time, or not understanding how to progress until you find that specific gear to progress were the perfect reminiscent of the times I had while playing Atari when I was a kid.
The player starts the game as the robot they control reboots in a forgotten part of your space station. As luck would have it, the station is invaded by an alien race named Klaath. You are guided by the station’s AI, who is able to control some functions of the station. At the beginning, the player usually tries to find the right door key to progress, but as you find new gears, you are able to discover new parts of the station.
It was definitely satisfying to remember going back to the place where you got stuck and finally progress through the story. Each item you find provides a new way to play the game, new approaches to fight against the enemies, and a certain satisfaction for discovering one more part of the station. I was also happy with the difficulty level of the game since the game had parts where I could fool the enemies and also be overwhelmed by them.
There were indeed some parts of Outpost Delta, which I found to be old. I got used to playing games with a map where I can always see my exact position and know where to go. Because the game did not have a map that showed the plan of the level – or at least the parts I discovered so far – it made me get lost in the station many times. It was in a way reminiscent of the times I played Metal Gear NES, so the developers might have intentionally left out access to bigger maps.
Unfortunately, there currently are some bugs in the game. <Spoiler> The player can use an item called Mag Boots to walk on the magnetic walls. Especially when the walls are vertical, the controls were a bit funky but also at some parts of the game, glitchy. On top of this, I also wished there were some way to restart the “chapter” or do something to go back in the story because sometimes I got distracted and could not read some crucial information about the story. Despite the minor gameplay glitches and disturbances, the game was definitely a joy to play. Soundtrack and the non-diegetic sounds suit the genre perfectly.
I can say that Outpost Delta is definitely fun to play. The small puzzles and strategic challenges reminded me of the original metroidvania games back in the day. If the developers work on the smoothness of the controls in the game without disturbing the gameflow and animations, Outpost Delta will show its potential. Nevertheless, I feel that the game deserves a 6/10 at the moment.
Check Out the Outpost Delta Trailer:
Outpost Delta is available for Windows PC, Mac, and Linux via Steam.
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Steam Review
I am a game enthusiast who is planning to be a game designer in the future. I am open to any chit-chat about games, discuss games mechanics or talk about anything related to games! Contact me for any questions or comments!
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