Developer: Novarama
Publisher: Novarama
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Tested on: PC
Killsquad – Review
All the way back in 2019 we previewed Killsquad in Early Access. What was the conclusion back then? We found the game had a good, solid base, though there was some improvement possible. We missed some development in the available characters, but also in the progression of games, and more variation in the skills available would have been quite nice too. Now, the time has finally come for us to check out the full release of Killsquad. How much did the game improve over the course of nearly two years?
Story
While there’s not very much in terms of a story in Killsquad, there are actually some lines that sketch a global sci-fi backdrop for the entire game. First of all, you are a member of a kill squad, owned by some vague corporation. According to them, you got nothing to lose and loads to gain. Your mysterious leader, named “Momma”, introduces each quest you go on with a little bit of text that provides a very meager amount of background information. Aside from Momma introducing you to killing creatures and protecting high-value targets, the game also introduces four types of factions that each have their own quirks but barely give you any information about themselves or in some cases none at all. That’s about the extent of it, and while the game gives you some information little by little, it’s barely worth calling a ‘story’.
Graphics
Since our last look, Killsquad improved its graphics slightly. You still find yourself on the same alien planets (plus some) that they created in 2019 with some slight adjustments to the map. There’s plenty to see as you run through the vast wastelands, caves, or buildings. Each of the game’s environments has its own theme, making sure there is enough variety in the map design. The game already looked good, but the developers have now polished the game with some extra particle effects and overall glare, fog, etc. Slaughtering and running through the lands looks as good as it feels.
Sound
The sound is excellent. While we reviewed this product during a Halloween event (which turns all the main menu music and lobby music spooky), this was not the only amazing music we found. Over the course of the entire game, there are a lot of good background tracks to be found. They are of cinematic quality, and they would not feel out of place in i.e. a Marvel superhero movie. While the characters only have a few lines, the voices aren’t annoying to listen to, and the attack sounds and kill splatters just sound like a bonus completing it all.
Gameplay
You can play Killsquad by yourself or with up to four players. Both are rather fun, though we felt that this dungeon-crawler action-filled brawling game is just a tiny bit more fun with friends. Playing with friends ups the difficulty (especially on bosses) a little bit, which gives the game more of an edge. It’s good to experiment with others though, as each game is essentially the same. You start on the left side of a map and need to run to the right (with paths leading up and down as well) as you defeat countless enemies. When you finally reach your objective, you need to either defeat a boss, defend a certain item, or i.e. run from place to place while defending. The small variations are good, but you will find that the action largely stays the same.
There are some tweaking options available for your characters, which is always a plus. Killsquad has some looter-shooter mechanics, meaning you can find new items, weapons, and upgrade resources to make yourself stronger as you defeat more and more aliens. Aside from that, you can also collect upgrade points for your character to give them new skills or slightly adjust/upgrade those skills. This gives you a small progress arc, but you will still mostly use the same skills over and over again. The only thing that stops Killsquad from being boring is that it is crafted with wits and intelligence. For one, each map you start at character level 1 and can go up to level 10. Depending on how you tweaked your skills, at level 2 you might receive an upgrade, at level 4 a new skill, and also at level 6. Normally this is the type of gameplay you see in (addictive) MOBA games, but Killsquad managed to put some of these mechanics in a crawler game. It’s like Diablo, a MOBA game, and Destiny all in one game. There’s always more to grind, something to improve, and more bosses to slay.
Where we previously found that the game in Early Acces was still missing some global progress, you now literally follow multiple routes on a map. Each of the unlocked missions on this map has a higher difficulty than the last one. Your character has something called “vector” though, which is basically a different name for the sum of all your item levels together, indicating how strong your current character is. Your vector is linked to what missions you should play, as each suggests being a certain vector before you start. When you switch to a different character, even though every map you unlocked so far stays unlocked, you need to start over at the beginning again because you are not strong enough for higher vector missions. Together with the mechanics, this gives replayability and an addictive edge. It’s all just well figured out, and it makes sure the game stays fun for a while despite that you only have a limited skill set.
Conclusion
Killsquad is a good game. It has a professional level in its graphics and sound design, and we are glad the developers took their sweet time to get this out of Early Access. While the game might give you just a few skills for each character to use over and over, there are actually loads of small mechanics in place that make the game fun and addictive. You can change to a different character to find your way to better loot again, tweak your skills, experiment with playing styles, and more. Top it off with loads of action and you got yourself something to keep you busy for a while; be it by yourself or with friends.
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