A roguelike cyber-shooter is sitting on Steam's hot releases this weekend: Deadlink, a game where you're part of an elite anti-evil-corporation task force uses remote-piloted androids called "autonomous combat shells" to bring a brand of vicious justice "for a fraction of the cost of a hopeless court case."
It's a shooter of ever-escalating tension and speed, where slowing down is a good way to immediately die. There are lots of high-adrenaline, amped-up abilities to collect and use in conjunction with your guns—which is good, because you're going up against tanks, drones, and swarms of security goons and/or hired thugs.
During runs against the corps you build up a suite of implants to use, triggered by stuff like swapping weapons, using your grappling hook, and using your other powers. That's how you build up synergies with your weapons and figure out combos to carry you through the levels. When you inevitably die you get currency, based on how far you got, to spend on permanent upgrades.
Deadlink is currently in Early Access, so there's a limit on how much you can play right now. There are two levels, each of which is decently sized. There are also two android chassis to pilot, the thunderously aggressive Soldier and the speedier Hunter. The developers plan for it to be in Early Access for about a year.
Ways to build vary pretty greatly, from long-distance sniping and status afflictions to full-auto attacks or close-range strikes using shotguns. A few elemental effects, like fire and acid, let you customize further. Fans of it are comparing the game to fast-paced shooters like Ultrakill and Doom Eternal. "Combat is a really good mix of old-school Quake and Hades," says one Steam reviewer.
You can find Deadlink on Steam in Early Access, where it's $20, or 20% off until October 25th. It's developed by Gruby Entertainment and published by SuperGG.com.
Gruby Entertainment is a small indie based in Warsaw, Poland, and Deadlink seems to be their first game. SuperGG previously published games like Deflector and Raji: An Ancient Epic.
