Nobody expected a spinoff to 2022’s The Callisto Protocol and so Redacted — a fast-paced, twin-stick shooter roguelike — comes as a pleasant surprise. Set in CP’s Black Iron prison on Jupiter’s moon, Callisto, you take on the role of a prison guard who is not only in a race to reach the last remaining escape pod but also a fight for survival against inmates who are transforming into weird, mutated monsters known as Biophages.
The gameplay loop is almost identical to Hades, and that’s no bad thing. You’ll be gunning, knifing, kicking, sliding, and dashing around, clearing waves of mutations in record time.
After each room completion you’ll have a choice of several power-ups that synergise with your weapons and abilities adding various status effects to them, like freeze, burn, electricity, and poison. You’ll then choose your next room based on a symbol above the door indicating its type.
The Rival system helps the release standout from other roguelikes, with a timer and progress bar at the bottom of the screen tracking your progress in relation to your rivals, who you must outpace or defeat on your way to the escape pod. You’ll have access to several additional button combo abilities which can slow down or even deal additional damage to your rivals, giving you the upper hand when you finally run into them.
At the end of each floor, you’ll face off against a boss that poses a significant threat, and if you fail you’ll be sent back to hub, where you can restart as another generic prison guard.
In the hub you can spend all your hard-earned money to unlock new guns, melee weapons, armour, and skills to further enhance your survivability in each 20-30 minute run. Although the game is challenging, and will no doubt kick your arse to begin with, the sense of progression will keep you returning for more.
The game’s stylish and vibrant comic book visuals suit Callisto Protocol’s creepy, space horror vibes perfectly. With comic strip cutscenes laying down the backstory and detailing rival encounters, it adds another layer of polish to the already excellent presentation.
Redacted has all the addictive core elements of an enjoyable roguelike: a good variety of weapons, abilities, and synergies with a well-polished presentation. The racing rivals and random events keep runs feeling fresh, although its comparatively short runtime and relatively lacklustre melee combat prevent it from being one of the greatest.