Roguelike Game Redacted Took a Lot of Cues From Fighting Games

Striking Distance Studios went in a completely different direction from its debut titleThe Callisto Protocolwith[REDACTED],an adrenaline-fueled isometric roguelike with a vibrant comic book aesthetic, punk-infused soundtrack, and irreverent tone. While atmospheric sci-fi horror games likeThe Callisto Protocolare all about immersion and being emotionally evocative, one consideration trumps all when it comes to roguelikes: gameplay. The most memorable roguelike games all share undeniably exceptional-feeling gameplay from moment to moment, and[REDACTED]looked to examples outside the genre for ideas on how to achieve this.

Game Rant sat down withStriking Distance CEO Steve Papoutsis and creative director Ben Walker to discuss how the team built anengaging combat system in[REDACTED]largely inspired by the depth and tightness of combat in fighting games likeStreet Fighter. They also spoke about how the varied move set available to players ties into the game’s substantial arsenal of potential builds that leverage all the player’s capabilities.

[REDACTED]’s Controls Feel Like A Fighting Game

Creative director Ben Walker pointed to the game’s control scheme as a top priority, and traditionalfighting games likeStreet Fighterhave long been a prime example of solid controls that enable a vast array of moves.[REDACTED]players can dash, kick, shoot, and swing during combat, but further depth comes from using combinations of these. For example, a kick followed by a dash results in a speedy slide, while attacking shortly after a dash results in a unique dash attack. Fluidly applying this entire kit can be immensely satisfying, and it’s also key to survival in Black Iron Prison.

It all centered around the controls. We’re big fans of fighting games and RPGs with builds, and so we tried to merge the two. We looked at a lot of traditional old fighters likeStreet FighterandSuperSmash Brothersto figure out what makes melee combat feel really good and tried to bring some of that in. Then we looked at fast, top-down shooters—like old-school twin-stick shooters—and thought, “Can we merge these two things together?”

Of course, the arsenal of weapons available to players switches this up even further. Slower, heavier melee weapons offer a completely different playstyle from more agile options, and the player’s choice of ranged weapon is equally significant. In this way, the player’s starting loadout is not unlike choosing afavorite character inMortal Kombat.

[REDACTED]’s Roguelike Upgrades Shake Up Gameplay Every Run

The depth of the combat system all feeds back into[REDACTED]‘sRPG-like build variety, which Papoutsis felt was another key component to get right in the roguelike. Known as “experiments,” the roguelike powerups that players can find during a run tend to enhance each of these moves and add new interactions. For example, sliding might leave behind a trail of fire, or dash attacks might freeze nearby enemies.

On top of that, we wanted that instant feel, that really good snappy responsiveness on top of these builds. Since roguelikes are shorter, and I’ve been enjoying shorter games myself, we wanted that chance to rebuild those builds over and over again.League of Legendsdid this some ways back, and I think that’s what pulled me into that game—I could have fun setting things up the way I wanted without a huge time commitment, and being able to try over and over. Those were the three big things on the gameplay side that we’re looking for.

By tying the experiments to the move set in this manner, each run might call for players to focus on a different play style. A powerful upgrade to dash might inspire players to dash every chance they can get, while one that enhances kick may have them attempting to get up close in every engagement. This combination of build and playstyle varietymakes[REDACTED]a promising roguelikefor fans wanting a change of pace with every run.

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WHERE TO PLAY

Black Iron, a state-of-the-art penitentiary located on Jupiter’s icy moon Callisto, is overrun with hordes of infected inmates. As a modest prison guard your job is simple – get to the last escape pod and get out alive.But you aren’t the only survivor looking to escape. Your rivals – a deranged custodian, a violent gangster, a maniacal lunch lady, and more – can’t wait to step over your corpse and save themselves.Only one of you can make it off the moon – make sure it’s you!FIGHT/DIE/ADAPTEach death is a learning experience. Starting fresh each run, build up your loadout with powerful experiments, weapon schematics, and buffs to battle through Black Iron. When you die (and you will die), use your hard-earned loot to purchase new permanent weapons, suits, and skills. Get stronger, experiment with your strategy, and get out!ROUT YOUR RIVALSYou’re not the only person to survive the initial outbreak or willing to use a bit of violence to get to the last escape pod. Some prisoners and even your correctional services colleagues are just as eager to escape and will make escaping harder by attacking you remotely or challenging you to a one-on-one duel. Race them, attack them back remotely, and fight them to the death to make it out in one piece.FIGHT YOUR LAST CORPSEWhen you die, you leave more than a coverall-clad carcass. Defeat the reanimated corpse of the last guard to succumb to the prison’s dangers to earn a powerful experiment. But beware, it’s not going to be an easy fight. The semi-alive guard has the same loadout they had when they met an untimely end and a few extra tricks up its sleeve to keep things spicy.DO OR DIEYou’ve made the perfect build, battled through bosses, ran through rivals, killed your corpse, found all the files, and now you’re standing in front of that last escape pod. Sure, you could leave it all behind for the sweet taste of freedom… or risk it all in one last hardcore do-or-die run back through the prison. Fail and you lose all your purchased gear, skills, suits, and weapons. But IF you succeed, you’ll unlock new powerful permanent gear.FUTURE PUNKAn irreverent attitude, unique presentation, vivid graphic novel style, and a 180bpm original arcade-punk soundtrack by Mutato Muzika enhance [REDACTED]’s sci-fi setting and fast white-knuckle action.