Out of Seemingly Nowhere - An Indie Gem Sparkles
I recently had the pleasure of being contacted by the developer of The Great Rebellion, who kindly included a code for their game in a message to me. They mentioned that they'd been working tirelessly for over 2 years on it, and given all that's been happening on the channel lately, I just couldn't resist diving in...
This just felt so... applicable.
Brief Overview - What The Heck Is It?
The Great Rebellion is a Cyberpunk-inspired run'n'gun roguelite set in a world dominated by technocratic elites striving for digital immortality. Someone mentioned the words 'Contra-Vania' during a recent livestream, and that just felt so spot on.
The 'elites' will stop at nothing to transcend their human bodies, the player must fight through randomly generated levels in stunning 16-bit-style retro pixel art, accompanied by a dynamic soundtrack. Seriously, the soundtrack is kicking... Surpassed only by the game's hysterical all-too-real dystopian future dialogue.
With 60 weapons to choose from, character upgrades, collectible items, unlockable allies, and special powers from the spirits of European heroes, the game is just begging you to join the rebellion against a powerful enemy... That feels all too real this day-in-age.
The game is set in a dystopian Europe of the year 20XX, where the Lucis Lux Mega-Corporation owns everything, and the people own nothing.
You play as Human 10.28, a man who decides he’s had enough of being a cog in this soul-crushing system and takes up the fight against seemingly invincible foes.
During a recent livestream, we were absolutely captivated by the action and music of The Great Rebellion. To me, for a relatively unknown 'indie' game, this one really blew me away with all it had to offer.
Game Deets
The game features six levels, each with a unique theme and enemies, and five levels end with a boss fight, while the final level presents two boss battles. While it may feel a tad short initially, each playthrough is different thanks to the randomly generated levels, offering endless replayability. The controls are tight, and the game runs flawlessly.
In the game, you start in a "landing room" and navigate through rooms that can go up, down, left, or right, fighting enemies along the way. A portal appears after defeating all enemies in a room, allowing you to teleport back to collect items you might have left behind - Think similar to that NES game Street Fighter 2030, but... much better.
Each level contains about 8 to 10 fighting rooms, including the boss fight, and other rooms that might contain crates with goodies, but you'll need a keycard to open them. Anyone a fan of platformers and shmups will take to this right away.
Companions
One of the standout features is the companions you can find, like the ghosts of the Red Baron, Joan of Arc, or King Arthur. They follow you and provide additional powers but can also take damage and fade away. There are also people to rescue who will head to the Waldgang secret hub, where you can interact with them and upgrade your skills at the Gus Fawkes store using the social points you earn while playing through the levels.
Honestly, the Great Rebellion is a legit out-of-nowhere surprise, with its excellent retro graphics, compelling story, and outstanding control inputs. The game's price is reasonable for what it offers. Most people will complete the game on normal difficulty in about 5-8 hours... But using the permadeath setting option in hard mode provides a far more challenging experience that significantly increases the game's replay value, depending on how you look at it.
Summed Up
Overall, The Great Rebellion is a real indie hidden gem that any action-roguelike platformer enthusiast should discover. Its combination of tight controls, stunning retro visuals, and a dynamic soundtrack makes it a standout title in the indie gaming scene... and I'm not alone. The Vast majority of Steam players who have had the chance to check this one out agree:
This fast-paced, pixelated action-roguelike platformer developed by Kvltgames published on February 2, 2024, on Steam for $20 USD. IMHO, it's a must-play for fans of the genre, but if you're buried in a backlog like most folks, you can always wishlist and wait for a sale.
If you're sitting on the fence, I'd recommend joining the rebellion and experiencing this thrilling journey for yourself - And no, this review is not sponsored lol... But the developer did give me a code to check it out at no cost.
~Smash
