Rogue Sentry is not a rogue, roguelite, or roguelike. No, the name is a literal description of the playable protagonist, a robot sentry that has gone rogue. Gameplay is a twin-stick Metroidvania, outfitted with PlayDate-like 1-bit visuals that are letterboxed within the widescreen. Two quickly summarize, it is a wonderful and highly entertaining three-hour romp.
Machines wiped out mankind and have overthrown civilization. However, there is one tiny sentry gun that decides humanity is worth saving and fights against the oppressors. It is your job to destroy generators, save any humans you can find, and navigate a complex fortress composed of nearly 100 individual screens.
Presented from a top-down view like the original Legend of Zelda but with a Metroid-style of progression, one analog stick controls movement while holding the other causes it to shoot in that direction. There is no reloading, no dashing, and no special abilities to manage. Instead, the entire game has been handcrafted to provide a satisfying, well-paced, compact, experience design around exploration, combat, and bullethell gameplay. Starting with a limited ranged weapon, eventually the little sentry will grow in power, gaining the ability to shoot further and with more firepower. Once the map is obtained, the player quickly realizes how well chiseled this game is.
With multiple endings and unlockable gameplay modes, there is enough replay value to support dedicated players. Me, I felt completely satisfied watching the credits after one three hour quest. Once I learned the mechanics of the gameplay, I couldn’t put it down and finished it in one sitting.
Each screen has been specifically designed to not only fit with the connected areas, but also challenge the player in a new way. Even though it only takes a few hours to complete, do not mistake brevity with low quality or low challenge. I manage to die dozens of times, mostly due to the one-hit kill attacks which can often be more cheap than challenging, my biggest complaint about its design. But even with moments of frustration and difficulty spikes, the 1-bit visuals and entertaining gameplay deeply sank its hooks into me.
The game also rewards the player for playing well but firmly humbles the experience with each death. If you manage to clear a room of all enemies, the player is rewarded with a screen-cleaning chime but also the enemies and hazards stay dead. Die and all the baddies respawn which can be soul crushing at times. There is always a checkpoint within proximity, but sometimes moving between screens you already cleared for the 14th time gets a little old. The chiptune soundtrack is also well done but limited and found myself turning down the volume after I died a dozen times to one boss built around that one-hit kill as it started to grow on my nerves. Also, there is a surprise at the end of the game that I do not wish to spoil, but know that it comes out of nowhere and creates a stiff challenge.
Rogue Sentry is a really fun, little game. It isn’t perfect (some of the one-hit kills are out of control) but I honestly have not been captivated by a game like this in a while. The best part? It is priced under $10 which is an extraordinary value. While the Achievements are not easily unlockable, which is outside the norm for an EastAsiaSoft release, the quality is right on par with the majority of their library of small, digital releases. Do not let Rogue Sentry fly under your radar or be distracted by the simple visuals. Wishlist it. Buy it. Play it. Enjoy it.
Not To Be Confused With: rogue-type gameplay
Better Than: any expectations you might have
Wait For It: a sequel with co-op
By: Zachary Gasiorowski, Editor in Chief myGamer.com
X/Twitter: @ZackGaz
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RATING
SCORE - 9
9
SCORE
A 1-bit top-down twin-stick Metroidvania that is so tightly designed, I got more fun out of this $8 game in this compact 3-hour quest than most AAA titles.