TombStar from company No More Robots is described as a top down Western shooter with roguelike elements. The only story available is that a group called the Grimheart Gang has taken over the planet Tombstar, and you must trek through tons of enemies, and bullet-hell obstacles, to wrestle back the planet from the evil clutches of King Kill Card.
I am here to tell you that it indeed nails this formula. The game, coming to steam on July 20th, immediately puts you in the game with one selectable character, and a tutorial. It is a twin stick with trigger shooter, which makes it very easy to pick up. When I fired up this game sometime last week, I was immediately familiar with it's controls, as I couldn't stop comparing it to one of my favorite indie shooters, Enter The Gungeon.
Once you get through the tutorial and a prologue, the game immediately sets you free, and lets you find out how to do things on your own in real time. As previously mentioned, the goal is to go through the first level, and get beat down by the final boss of that level. From here, the game gives you a summary of your run, as well as how many experience points you will receive. XP is how you unlock permanent buffs that you can attach to characters, and allows the other two characters to be eventually unlocked. All three characters have different attributes, such as one comes default with a sniper rifle, as the other comes slower, with more HP. There's also a story that unfolds the further you get, and an in game-per run upgrade system for the perks you can receive. The perks can be an extra heart, to a reflect attribute. There's also a store in each level, that allows you to buy weapons, HP, or keys to unlock chests, and perks.
There's no listed price at the time of writing, but you can wishlist it, and have it ready at the time of release. If you want to put away a few hours, into a game that rewards you for losing, this is the game for you. And trust me, if you've played Enter The Gungeon, you're going to like this one. Check out a little of my playthrough below. We will definitely be returning to this game. "Lead on, adventurer. You quest awaits."
