![]() Dying leads to a quick reincarnation, which is good since it means returning to the action quicker, but the problem comes from the fact that progress is recorded beyond the checkpoint. The presence of checkpoints is good, since restarting from the beginning of the level after every death can get tiresome, and most players wouldn't create constant saves unless they were preparing for a personal challenge. There is one thing that might irk some genre fans, and it is the checkpoint and progress system. The disappearance of corpses doesn't feel necessary, but the presence of a nearly blood-red room makes for a grizzly sight, so the change is for the better. The game makes the corpses disappear, but it leaves the blood to act as a marker that you've visited and fought in the area before. Thanks to the number of enemies you'll encounter at any time, that means loads of corpses and buckets of blood being spilled in the environment and on yourself, as evidenced by your blood-soaked firearms. We're not talking about something as advanced as Soldier of Fortune, but you will be separating heads from bodies and blowing apart enemies from their torsos almost constantly. If you had to look for something that can be considered new, it would be in the gore. ![]() Combined with item placement that also makes sense, it feels like a classic shooter that is more accessible compared to some of the more recent attempts that feel like they were only made for skilled enthusiasts. Movement is fast, but it doesn't feel like the run button is permanently on, so it doesn't feel like it's running too fast or out of control. Even though you can pull up a map to see where you are, the design feels intuitive enough that you'll rarely feel like you need it, even with the amount of backtracking you'll need to do. Those enemies come in numerous waves that aren't overwhelming, and the variety of each wave is reminiscent of the classics. The alt-fire modes - a charged-up shotgun blast, a quad-barrel shot, or a triple shot from a pistol - make it feel like there's some depth to the normal weapon layout. The shooting feels punchy enough that even pistols feel dangerous against enemies. None of this matters too much since the actual gameplay is absolutely solid. There's nothing new as far as mechanics or features go, so you aren't expecting a twist on the proven formula. Alternate fire modes exist for all of your weapons, and the game has a checkpoint system, so you aren't starting over from the beginning when you die. Every gun needs reloading after a few shots, and they fall under classes that determine the type of ammo they'll share. You can also jump, with a few areas requiring some light platforming. You need to pay attention to the vertical axis and not just the horizontal one. Enemies will remind you of carbon copies of id's monsters but changed just enough to make them less demonic and more alien. The level design follows the classic formula of slightly maze-like levels, where you need to find the right colored key to progress and an actual exit or elevator before the game takes you to the next stage. If you want to hit someone with a melee attack, you need to switch to your fists to punch them. The weapons you wield range from pistols to shotguns to grenade launchers, and a few energy weapons have been thrown in for good measure. Though it seems like it's lazy shorthand, the best way to describe the core gameplay loop of Prodeus is Doom with elements of later first-person shooters mixed in.
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