A concentrated blast of roguelike shooter action - Impaler Quick Review

PLAY IT OR SKIP IT?

You should probably play this, as long as you’re a fan of hardcore roguelike/shooter hybrids and don’t mind a game that’s light on content (but cheap). With its blazing fast pace and super old-school visuals, Impaler reminded me of Devil Daggers, another great wave-based arena shooter. Impaler’s frenetic mechanics only go so deep, but it works perfectly as a game I played a few quick rounds of during a break from work or to get my brain working in the morning.

TIME PLAYED

I’ve spent an hour and a half blasting around in Impaler so far. That may not seem like much, but it’s been enough for around four or five runs and unlocking well over a fourth of the game’s total possible perks and weapons, as well as half of the Steam achievements available for it.

WHAT’S AWESOME

• Lightning fast. Like any great arena shooter, Impaler zooms along at a speed that would make my head spin if I wasn’t the one controlling it. Jump, shooting, and maneuvering around enemies all feels fantastic.

• Controller and Steam Deck support. With any first-person shooter, much less one as fast-paced as this, a lot of players will demand mouse and keyboard supremacy. I get it, and Impaler feels awesome when using that traditional setup. But I was surprised and pleased to discover that the game also feels excellent with a controller. That means the game also works beautifully with the Steam Deck, and a fast-paced, replayable title like this makes so much sense on that portable platform.

• Variety. Any time I ended a round with at least fifty coins available, I was given the option of purchasing an upgrade, choosing from two potential upgrades selected at random. Impaler has forty-two possible upgrades in full, and when you add in that randomness factor, it means each run can get shaped and pushed in different directions depending on what perks pop up. That adds just enough of a unique feel to each run to make it addictive to see what happens this time.

• Spikes! Impaler’s most unique mechanic is right in the name. In addition to a primary gun of choice, the player gets the ability to summon spikes from the ground, which can impale any enemies walking under them. Killing an enemy with bullets generally drops more coins for upgrades, while killing them with spikes usually awards health, which makes for an engaging push-pull dynamic. It prevented me from only using one of my weapons and made me think a little bit about what I needed more.

WHAT SUCKS

• Limited content. It’s worth noting that Impaler only costs $2.99 (and even less during its introductory sale, which lasts until December 23, 2022). But that low price comes with an asterisk in the form of the game’s limited content. Seven weapons, ten enemy types, and the aforementioned forty-two weapons should be plenty to keep you busy for a while, but Impaler is inevitably going to run out of steam much faster than other roguelike titles built around similar systems.

💬 Do you think first-person shooters are a good match for roguelike systems, or do you prefer other genres mixed with roguelike? Share your thoughts in a comment below.