When a review is marked as ‘in progress’, it is done on the basis that enough time has been invested to obtain solid impressions even though we have been unable to beat it.  This may be down to an extreme length or brutal difficulty, but either way it is a title that has overcome us… at least for a period of time.

Games marked as such will receive the usual review treatment, plus some additional footage to help give you a general idea of what to expect. These games will likely be finished at some point, and the review will be updated accordingly. As such, keep checking back if you want to keep a track of our full final thoughts when we have them!

Many thanks to Super Rare Games for  the review code

VAPE SHOOT DIE REPEAT
Talking about POST VOID is a tad difficult without likening it to playing DOOM on Nightmare difficulty whilst undergoing a bad acid trip. It’s a fast paced shooter that has you blasting through the 30 second long stages before the skull that controls your life runs out of juice. Blowing up the bizarre enemies that block your path will fuel your skull with the life essence it craves that will keep you alive.

The game is split over four acts, typically lasting around three stages, which are randomly assembled but are formed using the same basic theming and enemy assortments each time. It’s enough for you to know what dangers to expect, whilst preventing you from being able to memorise the route through. It’s roguelite design to such a degree that you’ll barely even notice it, especially as a successful run won’t even last ten minutes in total.

Whilst levels are typically bright labyrinths of death, the fun lies in pushing through the claustrophobic corridors and blasting everything in your way. Monstrously-faced creatures in suits make up the bulk of the foes, but as the game goes on you’ll fight fearsome gray abominations known as ‘flamingoes’ that like to chew your face off, swarms of flying drones, and even fleshy giant doors that are just begging for you to put them out of their misery.

The loop typically involves making your way to the end of each stage before your skull juice runs out, and then selecting one of three different upgrades to make you slightly more likely to survive. There’s a few additional weapons to choose from that offer their own benefits; some buffs to your clip, reload speed, and skull capacity; and also some one off upgrades such as ricocheting bullets and explosive shots.

All of these elements help to give you a slight edge, but most of it is down to you. Your strafing, your aiming – your overall skill – will determine just how far you get. The game doesn’t include gyro support, but the fast nature of the game also means that I didn’t really miss it either. There’s no time to fine tune your shots, and the aim assistance is just enough to makes sure that getting close to their head will likely blow it clean off. It’s the first FPS game on Switch that I’ve played without motion assistance that I’ve felt controls absolutely perfect without it.

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Whilst I wasn’t able to reach Act 4 by the time of the review, let alone finish it, the game’s addictiveness kept me coming back for more. It’s psychedelic, fast-paced, addictive and – most importantly – fun. For the cheap price, this is one that all shooting fans should give a shot.