The template that Vampire Survivors first laid down has been copied endless times now, but it has never been bettered in my humble opinion.
However, there is a new contender ready to throw its hat (or helmet) into the ring. From Titan and Afil Games, that game is Godsvivors; and that name may give you a bit of a clue as to what it is about.
Taking the “Survivors” part of the source material, and then mixing it with the Ancient Greek gods, we get Godsvivors. Genius no? But can adding the God of War and his buddies make a difference to this oversaturated genre, or are we better off firing up Vampire Survivors again for the millionth time? Well, the purpose of this review is to find out, so let’s go to hell!
The story of the game is a bit sparse, to be honest. Our mission, if you can call it that, is to descend to the Underworld and challenge Hades himself, restoring the balance of power. Or something. Luckily, Hades isn’t swayed by the keen cut and thirst of debate, or a well crafted argument; no, we will have to persuade him as the righteousness of our cause by filling him and his minions with lead. As we all know, automatic weapons featured prominently in the myths of the Ancient Greeks…
As far as the presentation of Godsvivors goes, it is pretty standard, retro styled fare on display here. The sprites of the gods are large and quite well designed, if somewhat pixelated and blocky, and the same can be said for the waves of hellspawn that we face on our way to the final confrontation. The backdrop doesn’t change, being a generic cave floor kind of deal, and the action is viewed from a top down perspective. Even with masses of enemies and bullets on the screen, the action has never slowed down, and the frame rate holds up nicely.
As far as sound goes, and as long as you are a fan of the sound of gunfire, then you are well catered for. Other than that, the thumping rawk soundtrack matches the action perfectly. The rhythm of the music seems to drive the action on screen too and so the presentation works well. No complaints!
Now, the difference between Godsvivors and the one I mentioned earlier is this: this is a true twin stick shooter, and instead of the game attacking for you, you not only have to aim, but you also have to shoot. The left stick moves your chosen God around the screen, while the right stick aims and the right trigger fires your mighty celestial weapon. Reloading of the weapon is done automatically, but obviously while it is happening, you can’t shoot, so bear this mind.
What it does have in common with Vampire Survivors is the upgrade mechanics. There is a permanent upgrade mechanic that is unlocked by earning coins in the levels as you kill foes. These coins can then be spent in the forge, allowing us to buy new bits of kit that provide new powers. These bits of kit, once purchased, can be turned on and off depending on the level of challenge you wish to face. Having 100% extra gold is useful, as is the ability to pick up EXP orbs and gold from further away, so it is up to you.
As we embark on a run, every enemy killed drops gold, but will also drop EXP orbs. And what do EXP orbs make? Prizes! Well, no, that’s slightly inaccurate, as EXP orbs make our gods level up, opening the opportunity to utilise one of three power ups. These can be a variety of things, from fiery shots (why this would hurt demons who live in hell anyway I don’t know, but it does) and even things like faster reloads or increased damage from our firearms. Each power up has three levels, and so getting a build going that works well is always a challenge. And by the time you get to Hades, you’ll need to have a good set of powers!
Every run through the game lasts 15 minutes, and we have to survive to that mark in order to give Hades a good talking too. This makes the game ideal for playing in short bursts, and with extra gods to unlock and further weapons to buy, there is a large amount of things to do. Each god has different powers, and so experimenting with their passive abilities, and their super powerful special attack that can be charged up gives a lot of flexibility.
All in all, it should well mean you’ll enjoy Godsvivors. The short nature of the game means that it never outstays its welcome, and with the many and varied combination of gods, weapons and power ups to choose from, no two runs will ever be the same. If you are in the mood for a fast paced game that will scratch that twin stick itch, then this will fit the bill. And all for a very reasonable price!
Hades Meets Vampire Survivors? Godsvivors Delivers Roguelike Mayhem on Xbox and PlayStation – https://www.thexboxhub.com/hades-meets-vampire-survivors-godsvivors-delivers-roguelike-mayhem-on-xbox-and-playstation/
Buy Godsvivors on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/Godsvivors/9N0W400XP8G5
