Sublevel Zero Redux

Sublevel Zero Redux
71
Metacritic
86
Steam
76.922
xDR
Our rating is calculated based on the reviews and popularity of the game.
Price
$3.74
Release date
8 October 2015
Developers
Publishers
Steam reviews score
Total
86 (428 votes)

Sublevel Zero Redux is a roguelite six-degree-of-freedom shooter in a universe where reality is falling apart. Use your zero-g gunship to fight through a vast underground facility, looting advanced weapons to destroy hordes of deadly enemies.

Show detailed description

Sublevel Zero Redux system requirements

Minimum:

  • OS: Win XP / Win 7 / Win 8 / Win 10
  • Processor: 2.5 GHz Dual Core Processor
  • Memory: 2 GB RAM
  • Graphics: Shader Model 3 compliant graphics cards (GeForce GT 520/Radeon HD 3850 and above)
  • DirectX: Version 9.0c
  • Storage: 800 MB available space
  • Sound Card: DirectX 9.0c compatible.

Recommended:

Recommended requirements are not yet specified.
Similar games
Delver
Delver

Action, Adventure, Indie, RPG

$14.99 xDr: 82.40
DLC
Show all DLC
Popularity
Reviews
Write a new review
Vargas78
Vargas78

It's good, i'd almost say criminally overlooked/underrated. For rogue-like and Descent fans, you really should try it.

Phobos
Phobos

At first I thought it’s going to be meh and not worth a buy.

Seeing it on special I thought I could take the chance and see how it feels with a controller. That is what I normally do before I bother with my dual T1600s.

Was I impressed as it felt so smooth and seamless using a controller. Flying around trying to shoot a few things while I listen to the sounds and looking at how it was presented. It all felt good and was saying to me welcome back to 6DOF done right...

Brilliant! * thumbs up *

I can only say that you impressed me; you made me play more than just trying it out with a controller to gauge its worth. I will definitely play more.

Hell it moved into my current list from tryout :D

Linkblade
Linkblade

I came with full excitement because I thought it was like Forsaken and searched some nostalgia. But here is not much to find what Forsaken gave me. The gameplay is pretty boring. Always be cautious and progress by first clearing everything from a safe distance. You open a door to a new room and right behind it is a bunch of enemies waiting for you to fight a stupid door fight with them. Shoot, move back and avoid their bullets, go forward and repeat. This pretty much sums up the whole gameplay. shoot, go back/avoid, forward again, repeat. Easy and numb. Being a rogue-like doesn't help with the repetition in this game. It's just annoying to repeat the same process again and again. It feels like work to do for me.

tranker
tranker

Really good game....such a throwback to descent!!! Brings back so many memories of playing with my sons!! Nice job!

SNK
SNK

A generally fun shooter game with ok controls and a great sci-fi theme. Has good graphics and a simple gameplay. 7.8/10

shyguy
shyguy

*VR Only Review*

Disclaimer: I've literally never played Forsaken or Descent, so I don't have anything to compare this to nostalgia-wise.

Picked it up, I really like the art style and love the music - but not fully having my VR legs the movement was still a bit rough for me. I know it'd be a game breaking addition, but I kept feeling like if I could look-to-target, I would be moving less and therefore less motion sickness feelings. I felt a bit swimmy after playing it for 45 minutes. With strong VR legs or if I had some nostalgia to base this on, it would have been a solid purchase but not quite for me.

I *did* refund it, but I think the game interesting enough that probably a lot of people will like it, it just wasn't quite for me.

MagicalButtMan
MagicalButtMan

I loved Descent, and this is a great amalgamation of that game with rogue elements. Very happy with this purchase.

DiscoMonster
DiscoMonster

Plays great in VR after the Redux update! Highly recommended.

Saturn2K
Saturn2K

This is a beaitful and challenging game. The enemy and level design perfectly complements the 6 degree of movement flying you can do with a controller. The more you play, the more ships and weapons you unlock, like most roguelikes. I think it does that well. This way you learn the basics and find your own playstyle rather than being overwhelmed by hundreds of combinations.

In a way, the flying is really relaxing. This really turned me on to 6 DOF flying games. I've put about 150 hours into this game, and with the new update that number will keep growing.

Gemini
Gemini

I can't play the game because my joystick uses an 8-way hat. If the devs had any interest in fixing this issue I would've just used a workaround for the time being, except their response to my bug report gave me the impression they had NO interest in fixing this. Basically, if you want to play this game and your joystick has an 8-way hat, either be prepared to use third-party software or otherwise suffer with a ship you can't control. :(

DUKE NUKEM
DUKE NUKEM

i tried it but i had no fun with it, the combat just didn't intrigue me and I wasn't very good at it

i normally love rougelike fps but as a real conesseur of them in general this one stands out as one of the lesser ones

itznadatumah
itznadatumah

Buyer beware: you can't turn off bloom. You can't even turn it down.

For the most part it's a great game. Personally, the inventory management gets on my nerves, and not having the option to turn off bloom is just unacceptable. I get that there is probably no better way to do the inventory system, and that the bloom is intended to be a key part of the aesthetic, so I will still recommend it. I'm just someone who doesn't like those things.

Toranaga-1974
Toranaga-1974

Ok, I have to admit that I really just now realized what roguelike means. Sorry, but I don`t like it that you have to start all over again and again without the possibility to save your progress. MY FAULT!

The game itself is fun!

I don't recommend it because oft this roguelike "no savepoints" style.

Mikelangelo
Mikelangelo

Way too short. I was initially impressed, with the "rogue-lite" approach and Descent nostalgia -- and then the game was over. There isn't enough variety of enemies and stuff to make me want to keep playing. Seems like a neat proof of concept.

Mr. Q
Mr. Q

Very short game. If they come back and include a longer interesting compaign i would recommend it to everyone. Right now it kind of feels like a demo of a remade Descent. The game is actually so well redone I really wish the would add more content though.

MadLad
MadLad

Few suggestions for vr (maybe its just me being new to vr) but the game felt too responive in vr mode and somtimes i got confused just becasue i turned so fast. Otherwise great game 10/10 would buy again

qqmajikpp
qqmajikpp

As a HUGE fan of 6DOF style games and having played lots and lots of both Descent and Forsaken, this game takes it back. The art stle and gameplay is unique enough to put it in a league all of its own. With the ability to craft stuff and the procedurally generated levels, the replay value is nearly endless.

And now for my favorite part.... the VR aspect.
The immersion is incredible. I can sit down and play with a gamepad. It's like really being in the cockpit. I've pretty much trained myself to keep my head still since i've played lots of games kinda simaler. It's nice to look around, but if you played this game without VR, you should probably not look around a whole lot if you want to actually blow things up. I play this in VR mostly but my wife still cant watch me play it since its still up on the screen.... I guess I got a strong stomach since I dont get queasy at all... while doing rolls and everything. If you get motion sick even a little bit.... this game in VR probably isnt for you. I've been hooked on Kingspray for a bit, and I've had Sublevel zero for a while but only recently started playing redux in VR. My new favorite.

-DOOMER-
-DOOMER-

I got this for the VR experiance, and I could not find a good play possition for it. My default sitting postion was in front of most of the HUD, so I only got a fraction of the info I wanted. Controle was ok, but I never could really master it. Gameplay was fun though. If future updates remedy the player possitioning issue, I'd be fully on board with a positive review, but for now I'm going to call this one a pass for play in VR.

jes
jes

ayyy its pretty good if you are a fan of Descent but can't afford the actual spitrual succesor that costs twice as much

its got pretty lights and nice crafting that i like~

fenrif
fenrif

Rogue-like Descent in VR.

It starts off a bit slow owing to a mechanic of unlocking new items for subsiquent playthroughs only after you die (or finish the game) but it's great fun regardless.

jacksalvo
jacksalvo

I have this game here, and also in my Oculus library.

If you're debating getting this.....get it. You'll get way more value out of this than you would spending the same amount of money on your customary, lonely Friday night meal at Applebees before heading back to your dark studio apartment and crying yourself to sleep while your next door neighbors argue loudly through the paper thin walls.

Benedict
Benedict

SublevelZero is a really nice "Descent Roguelike", but in VR (HTC Vive) it is bloody amazing, and one of the best VR games there is right now, excellent gameplay, excellent graphical style, excellent framerate, no nausea, etc - it just works. The quality level is right up there with Superhot VR. Wow.

My only suggestion for VR is a FOV option, it feels a bit too zoomed in while playing in VR.

M I C
M I C

+ A very unique 6DOF! (permadeath + randomly arranged rooms)
+ A huge amount of weapons and parts of the ship to find and craft!
+ Choose your playstyle - be either a tactical Railgunner or go all out with a spread gun and a faster engine... in Quake-style!
+ A huge variety of rooms and enemies, making the game more replayable!
+ Gorgeous gameplay, thanks to the smooth and responsive controls as well as fun combats!
+ A dreamlike visual combination of "8-bit" textures, neon/Tron lighting and square particles!
+ Beautiful music that adapts to various situations in the game!
+ Redux expansion allows non-hardcore gamers to enjoy this game, thanks to the choice of 3 difficulties and its gameplay being more balanced!

moox262
moox262

Fantastic game. I saw the trailer and pics from it and dismissed it as a cartoonish day-glo version of Descent, but
not so. It's pretty close to Descent, and fun in ways that i'd have to admit that that game wasn't. It adds a crafting element that is motivating. Compared to old-school Descent, the levels feel maybe a little claustrophobic with more
close-in battles. I've played this and I've played Descent Underground and Overload. It's better than D:U, and stands
on its own side-by-side with Overload. Get 'em both. There are lots of games on steam that are not fun, but this one is. It's slick and polished.

I was Vex before Destiny
I was Vex befo…

Despite being a big fan of six-degrees-of-freedom games, I'm afraid I cannot recomend Sublevel Zero. There are several distinct aspects of the game that while I feel would be fine in isolation combine very poorly.

The game's faux-retro aesthetic with the visible pixels, simple textures and upbeat chiptune music is charming in and of itself, but it doesn't combine well with the game's genre. 6DOF games are already known for their dizzying, labryinthine levels. The Descent series had fairly complex and varied textures for a game of its day, which was largely so that the player was able to tell fairly easily what part of the level they were in and what parts of the room were walls, ceiling and floors. This made it easier to navigate their complex levels. The art style used in Sublevel Zero doesn't have much texture variation or complexity, meaning the rooms are difficult to navigate.

Compounding this issue is the entirely randomized level design. You only ever encounter a given level layout once and once only, whereas a lot of the fun of other 6DOF games was exploring the levels, memorizing patterns, finding secrets.

The roguelike elements also intrude on the gunplay. You can carry two guns and two missiles, and there's a fairly extraneous inventory and crafting system which could've been done away with in favour of a simple Binding of Isaac pickup system.

A standard playthrough of this game will take you about 40 minutes if you explore some of the side areas. This game may have some replayability value, but it wasn't enough to keep me invested.

Gila
Gila

Pros: Good controls (at least for the xbox controler) and neat item crafting system (though not much depth).

Cons: colour scheme is hard on the eyes (your milage may vary) and looking around in VR doesn't do much it's mostly just 3D goggles. For me holding my head centered so as to not mess up my aiming ended up giving me a sore neck.

Over all the cons are all things that might just be me.

bullpup ツ
bullpup ツ

Fun for two hours, but unfortunately too short and not enough replayability.

Cheeseness
Cheeseness

It all started with Descent, which was this FPS/space sim hybrid thing that would create and solidify an entire genre of games known as 6DOF shooters. In addition to all the other cool stuff it does, by allowing players to move through "six degrees of freedom" and by providing interesting navigational challenges, Descent lets players form a kind of relationship with its spaces that isn't found in other styles of games.

Fast forward 20 years, and while the original Descent and its sequel continue to live on through projects derived from engine source releases (like DXX-Rebirth, D2X-XL), the number of 6DOF Descent-likes made since has been fairly small until a recent resurgence through titles like NeonXSZ, GeoCore and the in-development Descent: Underground (more on that and Overload another time), but it wasn't until I played Sublevel Zero that I found something that really scratched the itch I'd had since playing as the Material Defender all those years ago.

It's easy to infer from that that Sublevel Zero is nothing more than a Descent clone. It's clearly drawing a lot of inspiration from Descent, with its robotic enemies, maze-like level structures and reactor fights, but Sublevel Zero deviates enough that I was surprised to enjoy it as much as I have.

Set in a crumbling universe populated by the fragmented remnants of humanity, Sublevel Zero puts players in the role of a scout for an unnamed clan, who stumbles across a lost, ancient facility guarded by automated defences, which seemingly holds both clues to the flux storms that ravage the universe and "pre-Event" technology that might benefit your clan. Upon approach, you discover that the facility is creating flux events as it rips itself and your ship from the universe. Your only hope rests in scavenging components of a larger flux drive with which to make the jump home.

Sublevel Zero's levels are procedurally generated from a large set of pre-made rooms that are joined together by dynamic corridors. I had long assumed that the enjoyment of navigating and learning a space that I enjoyed so much from Descent came from conscious level design sensibilities, and although Sublevel Zero's individual generated levels aren't as memorable as Descent's crafted ones, the sense of exploration and mastering a layout is still very much present.

Each level, or "sublevel" introduces new visual styles and room layouts, creating progressively more sprawling environments to explore. More diverse and difficult robot enemies are introduced over time, and while these may not be as memorable as Descent's (perhaps because there are far more of them), they are distinct and fill specific roles. A sublevel ends when its reactor is destroyed, leaving a flux drive component to be collected before you make your jump to the next.

There are six sublevels in total, starting at zero and working up to 5. Sublevel Zero offers one save slot, which is cleared whenever the player dies or a new game is started, giving it the kind of permadeath that rogue-likes are known for. When resources are low, suddenly the risk vs reward proposition of clearing out an ambush room becomes vastly different than it would have been in a game like Descent, where the consequence of a death is restoring a save.

Another decidedly non-Descent-ish mechanic that Sublevel Zero sports is its crafting system. Collectable nanites serve as a currency that can be spent on combining existing weapons, missiles, engines and hulls into new, more powerful weapons according to a range of blueprints. The equipment drop rate and blueprint requirements are tuned in a way that often forces players to make do with what they have rather than ignore crafting opportunities and hold out for what they'd prefer, prompting exploration and discovery of gameplay outside players' comfort zones.

Aesthetically, SubLevel Zero pushes a high fidelity/low detail feel, with sharp pixel art textures mapped onto low poly models rendered at high resolution with bloom and dynamic lighting. Conscious palette design sets interesting tones for each of the game's rooms and environments, while well-placed lighting and detailing helps spaces feel identifiable and navigable. In sublevels 1 and 2, lava cavern and crystal cavern environments are introduced, which provide a more organic counterpoint to the majority of the game's rooms, which feel engineered from metal sheeting.

Each reactor provides an increasingly difficult challenge. Sublevel 1 introduces laser beams that chaotically scorch the room as the reactor spins wildly. Sublevel 2's reactor constantly fires projectiles and is positioned in a way that requires players to expose themselves in order to deal damage to it. Sublevel 3's reactor is in a cavern with columns of falling lava that trigger splash damage when shot, and spawns turrets in the room's nooks and crannies when the reactor is attacked. The difficulty of each reactor encounter feels like it works along different axes to the advantages that higher tier weapons provide, creating a level of challenge and intensity that requires players to think strategically and have a plan of attack when engaging a reactor.

Most of the enemy robot have distinct silhouettes, though some that feel like upgraded variants use similar models and can be identified through their different colour and behaviour. For example, the base Grunt is coloured blue and fires large medium speed projectiles, while the purple Seeker Grunt fires slower moving projectiles that doggedly home in on the player. Robots can also usually be identified by their alert sounds as their AI becomes aware of the player. Robots such as the Sniper or Lava Miner have distinctive charging sounds before their attacks.

There's something almost melodic about the robot sounds and their movement behaviour that gives them a degree of charm and personality. Drones will chirp, then approach quickly while firing, approaching at the same speed as their projectiles before slowing down to track from a close distance. Missile Defenders will bellow before slowly turning their hulking frames to track your agile ship's movements in a way that feels inexorable. The Lava Miners will play an extended note as they charge their drills and fly toward you at breakneck speed, bounding into and off walls as you dodge past, then singing before doing it again.

All of the game's sound effects feel synthetic and processed, giving a constructed, mechanical vibe that is echoed by the visual style of the non-cavern environments. While the effects are well presented and generally do a good job of communicating what they need to, the star of Sublevel Zero's soundscape is its soundtrack. Primarily dominated by retro feeling chiptune-esque sounds, real-world style instruments like percussion, horns, strings, pianos, flutes and electric guitar can be heard in most of the arrangements, giving extra dimension and weight to the tracks that I think would be hard to achieve without them. Will Bedford's work does an amazing job of supporting the quietness of lonely exploration, the danger and intensity of big battles, the ambivalence of being lost but having purpose, and the epicness of being an awesome space pilot facing down the odds with confidence.

I had my first successful Sublevel Zero run on my birthday, and managed to capture it on stream (including unabashedly cheesing the final reactor). I've since had two successful runs, though none after the Sublevel Zero Redux update, which restructures some of the campaign, adds more enemies, classes and several other features that give the game additional polish. Between Steam and non-Steam versions, I'm well over 100 hours deep now, and expecct to continue coming back to Sublevel Zero for years to come.

This was originally written as part of a retrospective on games I finished in 2016

MOLON LABE
MOLON LABE

I've played Descent games for years and also the new Overload, I expected this to be up to those standards. But it's too different and therefore not enjoyable for me.

The the graphics are too chunky and it's difficult to enjoy shooting at blobs of pixels with your pixels.

JMonty42
JMonty42

I only have a little bit of time in it so far, but I need to leave a good review because this game excels where so many games I've purchased and returned lately fail. This game supports multiple controllers (joysticks) to be used at once. I have a total of 4 controllers plugged in: 2 joysticks, rudder pedals, and a throttle. I don't use the throttle for this game. But I've bound my left joystick to strafing forward, back, left, and right. My right joystick controls pitch and roll. My pedals control the yaw and the toe brakes control strafing up and down. Setting the controls is done very similar to other games of this genre that have come out recently. But unlike those games, this one actually recognizes the brand of my controllers (CH Products) and there's no problem binding the different axes and buttons on each stick to whatever action I want. The one thing that seems to be lacking in this regard is being able to rebind menu navigation, so in VR I still have to have my keyboard nearby to use the arrow keys and space bar to navigate the menus.

The gameplay is pretty fun, too. I've only played a little bit so far, but it seems like something I can sink some hours into for sure.

comirnaty
comirnaty

can't think of anything new it offered, but can't think of anything it does wrong either. A very enjoyable VR experience after 2 hours of playing and I'll definately play more.

randomUserId
randomUserId

Nice descent-like game with roguelike mechanics and arcade style music. The AI has minor issues but nothing too serious (e.g. an enemy ship got stuck somewhere that was hard to find. It was just waiting there silently for me to find it). Regarding controls, the ship occasionaly rolls by itself which is annoying, especially during battles. The ship is also a bit unresponsive and navigation is a bit laggy. Hopefully thats because of my PC.

Verdict: Recommended 6DOF game that Descent fans might like.

NoPhuxyz
NoPhuxyz

Couldn't get my HOTAS to work with this game in VR. I even had to navigate the menus using a keyboard and mouse as my VIVE controllers also didn't work. I searched online for solutions but didn't find anything that helped. If there is a way to make it work I never found it. I shouldn't have to trawl the web for solutions in the first place. Don't download this game If you have VR or HOTAS. I already requested a refund

KINGS GUARD GAMES
KINGS GUARD GAMES

A very good rouge version of decent, love the coulorful graphics and unlocks an easy 9/10

PT_Mighty
PT_Mighty

Simple to learn, hard to master. Also a lot of fun to play, on both a monitor and occulus.
You can play through a full run in a single evening (or fail miserably trying), and I find myself coming back to this game more than the more complicated 6 DOF games, like Overload

Not much else to say :)

Steals
Steals

Really enjoying this game its fantastic. I got it quite recently and its holding my attention. I spotted it had VR support so i got it for this reason originally. I had to map the controls to a saitek X52 pro which was a little fiddly at first. I did that outside of VR. mouse and keyboard is just as good if not easier actually, but i think it helps with immersion. I play this game more outside of VR because i sometimes get motion sick, on the occasions i did it was after quite a long play time. This game does have extra options for vr users to prevent motion sickness, i probably should use them.

Badman
Badman

Very reminiscent of Descent. Very pleasant to look at and fly through.

Thunderdrake3
Thunderdrake3

Sublevel zero is a rogue-lite spaceship dungeoun crawler, with crafting and some permenant upgrades between runs. The art style is very pleasing, the soundtrack is on point, and the weapons are satisfying to use. I wish it had the ability to break down pieces of equipment for nanites instead of just leaving them behind, and I wish there were more difficulty options. The UI for equipment description is also somewhat confusing.

8/10.

Eauxcaigh
Eauxcaigh

This is an excellent 6dof, I think it surpasses Overload in many aspects, which is saying a lot. The minimap is great, the music is great, the replayability is great, the design/universe/atmosphere is great. Just a fantastic game

Astrellon
Astrellon

If you liked Decent and low poly style then you'll probably really like Sublevel. Simply put the visuals are really crisp with colours that pop, the audio compliments with good chip like tunes and old style sound effects and flying around the caves feels good overall.

I've mostly played on Linux across Ubuntu and Mint with zero problems and would highly recommend for anyone who is remotely interested in space shooters or roguelites.

SIDisTHE
SIDisTHE

Game feels really good. VR feels good but has a little bit of a ghosting issue.

CrunchyGlass
CrunchyGlass

6DOF - VR support - Descent type gameplay (with some innovations) - solid visuals / soundtrack

highly recommend this

Purps™
Purps™

I feel kinda "meh" about Sublevel Zero. I'm probably not going to spend much time with it, but my issues with it aren't necessarily about it being a *bad* game. In a yes/no review system I still can't really recommend it.

First thing to say about Sublevel Zero is that it more or less nails the control and gameplay aspects of Descent. If all you want is a 6dof shooter that functions well as a 6dof shooter, it does all that in a roguelike package. On the gameplay end, it's good, it delivers. The random generation makes decent levels for a roguelike, there's a lot of good weapon designs and the combat mechanics are solid. If this is all you're looking for in a game you'll probably get your money's worth, but I think there are better alternatives in the genre unless you've already exhausted those or are specifically after a 6DOF Roguelike.

Where it fails is mostly down to the style and overall feel of the game. If you played Descent, you probably remember blasting drones in dingy, poorly lit mine facilities to an absolutely iconic OPL3/Soundblaster/Roland synth soundtrack. There was a lot of detailed texture and spritework and even the drones, in early 90s polygon 3D, had a lot of personality in their designs. Sublevel Zero, on the other hand, is stylistically forgettable. The abstract indie "low-poly" style (quotation marks because it actually has a pretty typical amount of polygons, just no edge smoothing) is fairly common in indie games and the chiptune soundtrack is, well, Chiptune. There's nothing really unique about it on the visual or audio end.

The whole game just comes together to feel like nothing, no real personality. It's bland, the audiovisual equivalent of plain oatmeal, and the gameplay being good can't really save it from that.

CHOO CHOO
CHOO CHOO

Overall, good!

+ Music
+ Gameplay

- Frustrating Bossfights
- Repetitive

tuxdelux
tuxdelux

I cannot recommend this game, despite my real interest in seeing another 6DOF success, especially with the solid linux support given in the forum. There are a couple things that kill the experience for me: enemies explode ammo like a pinata blocking the view, weapon power-ups are obtained through annoying "treasure rooms", and the gamepad controller sensitivity cannot be adjusted (at least on my system).

All in all, fans of 6DOF-style games will be better looking at the Overload game, on steam. While this one is a bit less expensive, it feels like a cut-rate experience with pixelated graphics, uninspired enemy designs, and limited levels. Add into the mix problems mentioned above, and there are just a lot of frustrating elements that emerge after a few hours of gameplay. And, because it is a rogue-like, every death will mean restarting from the same, unmodified, first level again. That's not obvious from the store description.

I muddled through the game on an ubuntu linux desktop with radeon mesa graphic drivers. The game loaded quickly, although it had micro-freezes during loading, and I had a few times where it froze completely. The game uses the Unity game engine, and it takes up 800 MBs of diskspace. I used an xbox-type gamepad controller.

Lasautus
Lasautus

Gameplay is good, but I really wish they hadn't gone with pixelart style texturing.

xerozohar
xerozohar

The game is, essentially, rogue-like Descent. I'd give it a go if you have a thing for rogue-likes or an itch for that nostalgic 6dof feeling of yore. The art style works, the music is good, the minimal crafting system helps keep things fresh.

Might want to be wary of motion sickness issues. You WILL end up askew to what you might have thought was the ground. Recommend using a landmark to designate "a ground" for an area or room if it would help.

I do not have VR so cannot attest to that mode, unfortunately.

xcali
xcali

fun game. 6 dof good but tricky to master

Delphic Okami
Delphic Okami

I mean, if you liked descent you'll like this

decizion
decizion

Good indie 6DOF roguelite which sadly suffer from poor hud visibility.

The cockpit takes way too much from the player view and the screen also get way too much cluttered from all the particles effects and loot dropped by killed ennemies.
The weapons are satisfying and the controls are good, so overall the gameplay provide a good experience.
Unfortunately some rooms where you have to destroy the generator are poorly balanced and can turn into a bullet hell fest.
It's pretty easy to run out of ammo in boss rooms which basically means you have failed your run if you can't survive the constant waves of ennemies.
Sublevel Zero Redux is not a bad game but they should have reduced effects and allowed players to remove the cockpit entirely to improve visibility.

If that's a game you like you should check out Desecrators available here on steam in early access atm.

Rating 6/10.

Bou
Bou

Pretty much meh and pretty much style over substance. It plays surprisingly smooth with controller but it's basically a step back compared to Descent as far as gameplay is concerned. Descent had exploration, enemies had character and there was a decent balance of weaponry. In Sublevel zero levels consist mostly of a linear chain of corridors dumped with enemies in them which are barely recognizable due to their minecraft blocky appearance. I beat the game almost twice and still don't recognize a single enemy. My biggest complaint is the lack of exploration. The rogue lite elements like procedural level generation and weapon diversity were underwhelming. There is nothing that stands out in this game other than its presentation, music and artstyle.

marksjon
marksjon

Three hours in so far, and it's starting to feel very repetitive due to the permadeath and then restart. Unfortunately, randomizing the layouts of the game after each player death doesn't, in my book, make up for what feels to me like the lack of replayability due to the permadeath.

Milkshakes
Milkshakes

Update:

I wanted to take a minute to post an update. The developer responded to my review in less than 24 hours. I responded to the developers email in 25 minutes. It has now been four weeks since I sent the email and I have yet to receive so much as a confirmation of my email. The developer's response to my review seems to have been a PR move, which I do not appreciate.

Original Review:

I'd love to review the actual game, but it doesn't even work anymore and I was only two hours in. It was working for me at the end of February into the beginning of March. After a SteamVR update, the game is broken for me. I cannot play any build: latest, current, or legacy. I've tried verifying, a fresh install, I even did a complete steam reinstall. Game is still broken. Does not work in standard or VR. The game just hangs at the Unity splash screen.

The game was decent, nothing really special, so I'm not too upset, but I was disheartened by a lack of participation from the developer on the boards. I posted in March and over two months later, no response. I know this game is old, but if there is no support for it, I don't understand why it's sold. I'm quite far outside the two week return policy as well, so I'll have to take a hit on this one.

IronicPrince
IronicPrince

maybe im just dumb but ive tried messing with controls and looking it up and not getting a clear answer but if you were interested in this game for vr aspect just steer clear. as far as i can find out you cant use your vr controllers (oculus rift s) and instead must use either a keyboard or gamepad which to me what is even the point of vr. unless im just really stupid theres no vr controller support so the "full vr support" isnt really, which is a shame cause this game looked cool to play in vr. if that doesnt bother you then this is worth it on sale

n00n3h3r3
n00n3h3r3

This is Descent VR. If you ever liked Descent, you will love this game. If you don't know what Descent is, it's basically flying a ship inside a huge network of tunnels. Graphics and controls are great. The only mystery is why the game's main Steam graphic looks like a TRON bike.

The only thing that would mess some people up is that this game requires a control pad. You also definitely want to be sitting. If Descent ever made you sick, this will do the same.

Ravenousld3341
Ravenousld3341

So basically this is rogulelike descent.

If you know what descent it, then you get it, if you don't then think of another six axis shooter like everspace.

I really like this neon art aesthetic. There's fun weapons and loadouts you can slap together. I'd recommend this game to anyone. It's really fun.

ByteMyPixels
ByteMyPixels

6DOF games are definitely a niche genre, but it is very clear that the team at SIGTRAP knows what makes the game work and what doesn't.

While everything is randomly generated the tile sets are amazingly detailed and the chunky art style keeps the player informed and makes this game as much fun to watch as it is to play.

If you are looking for a small light weight shooter that has a good challenge this will give you everything you want. Perfect for shorter play sessions when you are time poor.

ISuperGenXI
ISuperGenXI

Not a bad game perse, however this is the only game I've ever played in VR that has made me motion sick (and I've played the likes of Jet Island, No Man's Sky, and several racing games). If you're thinking of getting it for VR, I wouldn't recommend it. However playing it on a normal screen is still pretty fun.

Kzon
Kzon

I really want to like this - obviously I came here wanting more

The polish is too low. It leaves so much to be desired.

I also don't dig the art style.

lordcirth
lordcirth

Fun action, and item crafting is a nice touch too.

√Entropy
√Entropy

Sublevel Zero Redux is an amazing 6dof roguelike fps. Plays very similar to descent but the roguelike mechanics make for great replayability. I definitely recommend it.

machinedgod
machinedgod

I had it in my wishlist for awhile, and all I can say, I waited too long.
Combat is fun, navigating/exploring is fun, equipping yourself is fun - heck, even _collecting_ items is fun, since you gotta ct fast.
Don't wait for as long as I did, its a great game. You'll be replaying it over and over again.

Petrograd
Petrograd

This is the best 6DOF game I've played on Steam. The combat is well-balanced, the pacing is solid, and the weapon crafting is fun.

The only downside is that the incentives for replaying (new hulls, new crafting, seeing more baddies, possibly getting more logs) don't really make up for the sameiness of the procedurally-generated levels and spare visuals, so for me there wasn't much replayability. That's a damn shame, because the other 6DOF games I've tried all have inferior gameplay.

Tsuki Zero
Tsuki Zero

I was a bit on the fence about it, but... Six Degree Of Freedom Roguelite isn't easy to come by, right? But there are a few points that really annoys me:
1. It's "short". Granted the more you beat it, the more sublevels you unlock, stretching the next runs.
2. Smol inventory. Wouldn't be so bad if we could "scrap for nanities" or if all items took only 1 block of space. Even then it needs more inventory slot.
3. Slow turning is slow. More often than not I find myself being overwhelmed because I can't turn fast enough, no matter how fast my mouse is.
4. Hud and Craft/Inventory clash with each other. It's hard to tell whether I'm reading my gear data or the inventory/craft.
5. The game hangs for a little when loading. It gives a scare for about a minute or two, but after that the loading times lowers considerably for whatever reason.
6. The crafting seems to be VERY selective. Early sublevels I get new recipes all the time, but later ones seems to only bring out one once in a blue moon.

Despite all that... I still like it and can say I recommend it.

D_Dorchagraine
D_Dorchagraine

This is truly a amazing game. Full controller support. Smooth controls to, when you are flying using thumbsticks the reactions are so smooth its incredible. Other than this, great clean neon graphics, a nod to the 80s and a classic game from the 1990s called descent.

poVoq
poVoq

Runs well in VR on Linux (with Proton)

CasualCheetah
CasualCheetah

Sublevel Zero Redux in VR is fantastic, as the premise of piloting any laser-wielding vehicle should be. However, after the novelty wears off, SZR shows itself to not be a particularly deep experience. One notable downside to gameplay is how cramped the caverns can often be and how that affects your freedom of movement. Still, the music is catchy and the combat is generally satisfying, so I'd reckon the game is worth checking out for any passing VR users with the stomach for prolonged 6DoF immersion.

MadamVonCuntpuncherThe19th
MadamVonCuntpu…

I really like this game alot, its a super fun and addicting spiritual successor to the Descent series. That being said don't go into this game expecting Descent 1&2 or even 3 this game is a randomly generated rougelite where every run though is different. the art style, combat are both great art style kinda blends between modern and early 3D/late dos era game texture wise but its all super clear nothing is muddy but it all still has a sort of angular look to it which I'm sort of a sucker for honestly. The music is there, its pretty alright, nothing amazing but its alright, the ship controls kinda of stupid and too... assisted imo at first I recommend turning off Snap Rolling and Auto-leveling if you want it too feel more like Descent control wise but other than that I really have no HUGE problems with this game, super stable never crashed on me. Word of warning though, when you start a new game its going to starting loading and it will look frozen for like 10-30 seconds, it is not just be patient. Oh and the "Bosses" kind of suck just kinda though.

Biomech
Biomech

This heavily invokes the feelings of the Descent games: 6 Degrees of Freedom, Tight winding corridors, and a variety of enemies each with their own unique behaviour and design. If you have a HOSAS setup, this game really shines allowing you to adeptly maneuver throughout the cramped twisting levels. The procedurally generated levels makes replaying fairly fresh, although my biggest complaint is that the game often puts you in cramped and tight areas which greatly hamper your ability to use all 6DOF.

If you were a fan of the Descent series in the 90's this is a must get. Even if you never played the original descent series, but enjoy 6DOF like in many space sims, this will be a fun, fast game for you to easily pickup, enjoy, and return to without feeling like you need to commit to it every day for hours on end.

LIGHTNING
LIGHTNING

Excellent 6-dof shooter, its not exactly like Descent but its similar enough. Lovely visual design and sountrack.

cj76
cj76

I'm not a mad, every day Gamer but Sublevel Zero Redux offers a unique perspective with challenging ambush combat and nice level design.
For the price and install size I'd recommend it for something different.

rami
rami

Fun but the procedural generation and rogue-like elements get boring quick. I think Descent is better (could be nostalgia though, since I haven't played it in years)

DarkSaber
DarkSaber

My biggest issue with this game was the flashing lights from the weapons. I don't have epilepsy or anything, but I found it extremely irritating to the point where it put me off playing the game (even after turning down the lighting settings). As far as I know, there was no option to switch off the cockpit graphics and just have a crosshair on the screen a la Forsaken.

There was also some tutorial text that got cut off by the edge of the screen (re: equipping or dropping weapons from the inventory), as well as the fact that the inventory menu doesn't pause the game (meaning that the ship will rotate when you press A and weapons will switch when you press the D-Pad) and a few other minor annoyances.

If these things were fixed then the game has a lot of potential. The core gameplay is fine, the visuals and soundtrack are cool and I like the idea of a roguelike version of Forsaken. It was just a lot of little things that conspired to ultimately ruin the experience for me.

Terminus Rex
Terminus Rex

Do you like Rogue-likes, do you like Descent?
If so then play this game.
If you like Descent and don't like Rogue-likes.
You might still like this. It's not anywhere near as punishing as your average RL on the starter difficulty.
Have you never played Descent?
Well, it's like a flight sim or space sim, but you're more like a helicopter kind of? Up, down, left, right. You can stop and stuff. It's wild and let's you do some cool things. Like an old school FPS but you can fly.
Do you dislike Rogue-lies and Descent?
Please leave.

Nick
Nick

Unintuitive UI, no ammo pickups at all, no way to craft them. 3 hours playing and I've run out of bullets every single run by the second level and had to resort to ramming my ship into things to do any damage. Garbage,

Vicious Beast
Vicious Beast

Everything is so limp and wimpy in this game, fighting enemies often involves just casually strafing in a circle and firing too many bullets into each enemy while the enemies obligingly sit there and take it. It doesn't take long at all to start recognizing all the rooms, too.

zaitsev04
zaitsev04

Its like Descent but with more replayable.

DueyBear
DueyBear

I mostly played this game on console, but the steam version performs well as well. A great x/y/z axis shooter Rogue-like with a neat aesthetic and an addictive gameflow.

Memphis
Memphis

The brief moments i was able to play this it seemed pretty great. The movement is incredibly fluid. They nailed the 6DoF feeling from the old Descent games. But i was unable to make it past the first couple of rooms due to the game freezing for minutes at a time, and then resuming for 10 seconds or so, only to freeze for another several minutes, making the game completely unplayable. I was hoping to play it on our Oculus in VR but it had the same problem both in VR and Desktop.

Running Windows 11 and an RTX 3080.