Developed by Apptivus and published for Retrovibe comes an arena shooter of of epic presentation. A combination of Quake and Doom with a 90s cot of paint, pick up your weapon and get ready to cave some skulls.
It’s time to get radical with Impaler.
Groovy
Impaler is an arena shooter with roguelike elements, sporting a pixelated style and 90s aesthetic. Your objective is simple: fight your way through wave after wave of monsters and face off against the evil creature that trapped you here. In one hand, your trusty Impaler. In the other, one of many other weapons you can use to mow through the hordes of creatures.
Every run of Impaler starts with you picking up various guns to use as your primary. The SMG is a fast but low damage weapon, the shotgun is low range but high damage, typical stuff. As you play the game you can complete objectives that will unlock more weapons for you to use. You have unlimited ammunition, so no need to worry there. You aren’t limited to the guns though. At your side is the titular Impaler. This vicious short-range weapon summons a spike under your enemies for massive damage.
Get stabby with it
As you mow down more enemies in each wave, you will earn coins. These coins can be spent as you activate the next wave and allow you to purchase upgrades at 50 a piece. Cleverly enough, you can buy more than one if you have the money to do it. These upgrades can affect your gun, the Impaler, your health, and numerous other attributes. These upgrades will be random every run, but once you uncover one, you’ll know it the next time it comes up.
The level design in Impaler is singular: a rectangle room with the spawn point in the center. Every time you begin a round, enemies can show up anywhere in the room. So, it pays to keep your head on a swivel. Enemies are varied as well and not locked to any particular wave. Vampires, slimes, floating heads with laser eyes can appear in differing levels of health and damage. There are also pillars that can appear, blocking you off or providing cover depending on how you look at it. They are breakable. However, you may not always want to.
Survive ten waves, then you get to face the boss. If and when you beat it, you are done! You win! Or did you? There is more to uncover in this game. More runs to be made and more secrets to unlock. All of this wrapped in a nice package that is well worth checking out for the price of a cup of good coffee.
Final Verdict
Impaler is a fun romp with explosive stages and fast-paced gameplay. Every run is different enough with the perfect difficulty curve allowing you to binge for a high score or burn some time without being too invested. It’s a game worth picking up and giving a shot.
Impaler is available through Steam on PC. Review key provided by Retrovibe.
VERDICT
GOOD
GOOD
Impaler is a fun romp with explosive stages and fast-paced gameplay. Runs are different enough with the perfect difficulty curve allowing you to binge for a high score or burn some time without being too invested.
