14 DAY TRIAL // There’s a ton of mana for upgrades I’m trying to get to but a constant flow of enemies makes it hard for me. These birds might not live long when they are hit by my machine gun or trident but their numbers might it hard to navigate toward my goal.
I need those light blue bottles to get a new power (I’m hoping for auto-repair) but my immediate concern is to avoid damage and control the huge horde that’s constantly chasing me. I have already given up on targeting gold because it’s much too risky to go for those shiny piles.
My goals for this run are to get enough money for an upgrade and, if possible, get past the 10-minute mark for survival. If the birds keep blocking my way to a new upgrade, I don’t think I can make my second objective.
REMEDIUM: Sentinels is developed by Sobaka Studio, with publishing from ESDigital Games. It is currently in Early Access on Steam. The game offers a top-down action experience with a rogue-lite structure.
The narrative is pretty limited. A plague has mutated the humans of this universe into monsters that seek to destroy anyone that stands in their way. Players will take control of capable sentinels, powered by alchemy, as they seek to protect the small number of remaining cities.
Gameplay is all about the ancient practice of kitting. Players only control the movement of the sentinel, which auto-attacks. Initially, a slow trickle of angry birds is moving in to attack and some of them drop gold and prime matter, required for upgrades.
Pick up enough of this mana and an option pops up to choose between three potential upgrades. A machine gun can be a good idea or maybe a pulsating damage area around the sentinel sounds better. Keep moving to avoid incoming enemies and pick up more upgrade material. Survive as long as possible and try to learn which abilities best suit your playstyle.
Death comes pretty quickly in REMEDIUM: Sentinels. It’s then time to see if there’s enough money in the alchemical treasury to get an upgrade. Then it’s once more into the kitting fray to try and survive for longer periods and maybe kill a boss.
The Vampire Survivors DNA is strong in the game and the mechanical execution is decent. It’s actually hard to constantly plan movement paths to get to resources while avoiding attacks. When sentinel health gets low, there’s a constant tension between playing it safe or risking for a potential big upgrade.
The rogue elements are a little undercooked. The game needs to either drop more gold or reduce prices for the various upgrades. The world also feels empty and there’s little innovation for the ability system.
REMEDIUM: Sentinels doesn’t have the best presentation. The player’s avatar and his many enemies don’t have much character, the crossroads level is pretty bare bones. The game needs to find ways to make its world more engaging. The sound design is decent and the music is pretty good, accentuating the challenge of trying to survive in this dark world.
Conclusion
The core idea needs to be refined with a wider range of potential upgrades and more situational options. The game also needs to get a little bit weirder when it comes to enemies and player abilities. REMEDIUM: Sentinels needs as much innovation as possible to stand out in what’s becoming a crowded post-Vampire Survivors genre.
A preview key was provided by the publisher.
