In the past few years, the roguelike genre (and its more accessible cousin, the rougelite) has exploded in popularity, especially within the realm of indie games. Many gamers have embraced this purposely difficult genre with excellent entries like Dead Cells and Hades wowing critics and fans alike. However, as the field becomes more crowded, roguelikes must deliver new mechanics to set themselves apart. One upcoming roguelite shooter, Orbital Bullet, aims to do just that with deep customization and a completely unique way of presenting its levels.
Orbital Bullet is described by developer SmokeStab Studios as a "360-degree roguelite" that combines 2D pixel art with its 3D circular level design. Players navigate each world by rotating through individual levels one at a time, then ascending to the next circular level. This unique design, combined with random generation, allows for a new style of action-platforming and shooting, where players and enemies are stuck on the same looped geometry with no escape.
Orbital Bullet uses procedural generation to create a unique playthrough each time the player dives back in, constantly mixing things up after each death. Players must dispatch enemies on each circular level to proceed, ascending to the next ring and so forth until a boss is reached. Like other roguelites, Orbital Bullet has a distinct focus on difficulty, and players need to expect a challenge each run -- along with the inevitable scores of deaths.
Players begin each run with a semi-automatic weapon and a double-jump, but like any good roguelite shooter, Orbital Bullet piles on the abilities and weapons with furious frequency. After completing each level, players can upgrade their character with new abilities, adding chain lighting to attacks or even changing the double-jump into a much more useful triple-jump.
Orbital Bullet touts its own unique "Dynamic Skill Tree" as well, as the abilities available are randomly generated just like the levels. This allows each run to be a mixture of luck and correct planning, a main tenant of the roguelite genre. Each class has its own skill tree -- from the fire-based Hellion to the turret-carrying Engineer -- and players can unlock four classes in total to experiment with and choose a favorite.
Players can wield rocket launchers, sniper rifles, shotguns and a plethora of automatic weaponry that can be swapped out on the fly to give a run an edge. Two weapons can be held at a time, so players will have to strategize and find out which combination suits each run the best. Furthermore, players can also find weapon blueprints in runs that will allow for powerful unlocks that players can take into the start of a run, providing another way to get a much-needed advantage. Orbital Bullet even has a shopkeeper that can appear mid-run and offers a way to buy powerful weapons if the player has enough currency looted from enemies.
However despite the plethora of customization options in each run, Orbital Bullet doesn't stop there; it offers players one of the best aspects of roguelites: permanent unlocks. After death, players can spend an alternate currency to unlock permanent upgrades to the character including a powerful shield or increased health to ensure that the next run may last just a bit longer, further adding to the powerful roguelite loop that demands one more run after a difficult death.
Orbital Bullet may possess all the best traditional aspects of a great roguelite shooter, but it's really in the level design where the game differentiates itself. The game's title refers to the player's ability to fire bullets and projectiles that will orbit around the circular levels. This seemingly small detail adds a style and flair to the combat, as players can time a shot from a rocket launcher or sniper rifle to nail an enemy way back in the background, giving a satisfying and stylish kill that is as impressive to pull off as it is to see. Players can even slam enemies with a Mario-like stomp, or jump on enemies' heads to dispatch them for yet another weapon in an already overflowing arsenal.
Orbital Bullet is currently on Steam Early Access for one year, and it just received a new update entitled the "Fresh Meat" update that added new weapons amongst extra skills and upgrades. It has three levels types available, with more planned for its full release, which is currently planned for April 2022. For those who want a unique roguelite shooter full of deep systems and challenging combat, Orbital Bullet seems like a no-brainer.