Review - Deadzone: Rogue

Developer: Prophecy Games

Publisher: Prophecy Games

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam), Nintendo Switch 2

Reviewed on: Nintendo Switch 2

Roguelites and roguelikes are a massive and widespread pair of genres. Balatro, Hades II, Blue Prince, Dead Cells, the list goes on and on. If anyone is going to make a roguelike or roguelite these days, there has to be a means to do it in a manner that is distinct, rewarding, and engrossing. It isn't easy, given how many roguelikes and roguelites there are in games these days, but sometimes it takes a spark and a willingness to pursue an idea. Deadzone: Rogue is such an idea that puts a breath of fresh air into the genre. 

Featuring a new take on the formula, Deadzone: Rogue combined traditional sci-fi first-person shooter mechanics with a plethora of rewarding rogue-like mechanics, becoming an extraordinarily pleasing shooter that fans of either genre will greatly enjoy. With its multiple quests, various rougelite elements, and multiplayer, it’s a fine shooter, especially on the Nintendo Switch 2 platform. 

Enter the Zone

A derelict ship lies in orbit. Waking up with no knowledge or memory of who you are, all that you know is that there is a gun in your hand and a ship to explore. Something terrible has happened, and it's up to you to explore. You venture out and are quickly eliminated by rogue robots. Suddenly, you awaken again, a little sharper than before, but still facing a grand threat. This only adds to the mystery unfolding.

With each run, it soon becomes apparent that this ship is beleaguered with dangerous enemies. Clones, colonists, cybernetic monstrosities, and an army of rogue robots all infest the ship. What is happening and why the ship is infested with so many dangers is a mystery that needs to be uncovered, one zone at a time. 

The Deadzone

Deadzone: Rogue is a sci-fi FPS with roguelite elements. Players begin with a standard pistol that can do considerable damage against various enemies. Over time, weapons can be procured. Their power varies according to their rarity, with grey being common and yellow being legendary. These weapons consist of various firearms, from shotguns to assault rifles to submachine guns and sniper rifles. Shooting, moving, and aiming feel sharp and competent, but it's the structure of the gameplay that keeps players coming back for more. 

The layout in Deadzone: Rogue is divided into Zones. There are three zones on the ship, with a fourth added via a massive content update. Each zone contains a main quest and several sub-quests. The main quests have multiple difficulty settings and yield a plethora of rewards depending on that difficulty. Though it should be noted, the easiest difficult setting, Adventure, is not a cake walk. Deadzone: Rogue is a challenging game with its assortment of enemies and the elemental abilities they bring. 

One Step At A Time

Progression in Deadzone: Rogue is extraordinarily rewarding. Going on a quest in a zone requires clearing out a multitude of rooms. One quest, for example, can be thirty rooms. There are checkpoint rooms in between. These vital points offer the ability to level up weapons, heal, and acquire new items such as armor. Between these checkpoints, players clear each room of enemies. These enemies start off simply enough as robot soldiers, but they quickly become more dangerous and overwhelming in sheer numbers. Robot spiders move quickly and leap in scathing attacks. Melee bots move quickly for a swift stab. 

Other enemies approach as players progress, increasing in both size and difficulty. These robotic monstrosities of flesh and machine are powerful and deadly, using elemental damage to affect the player. I found myself being felled by missile-launching cyborgs and torched by large spider droids. Fortunately, Deadzone Rogue has an elaborate and rewarding system that makes each run fulfilling.

Tools of the Trade

After completing each zone, a special item container appears. The first container typically contains a weapon to choose from. Subsequent containers have augmentations and perks that allow for deep customization of a build. Do you favor aiming down the sights? Choose the augment that increases damage when aiming. Do you spray from the hip? Choose the augment with hip fire enhancements. The rewards don't stop there. 

There is an involved and deep perk system that further alters a build. Deadzone: Rogue has four elements: Ice, fire, electricity, and void. Each element provides its own form of damage to enemies and can be further tweaked depending on what weapons are chosen, as well as what perks are chosen. Clearing each floor allows choosing these perks for a variety of options, from health and shields to grenades and elemental buffs. The more floors cleared, the better the perks. 

Shoot Everything

With the perk and augment system, the builds I was able to make were exceptional! Before long, I became a super soldier that could emit a freezing blizzard from my feet, while firing a pulse rifle that discharged void orbs at nearby enemies. I could even throw a grenade that electrocuted enemies and fire a submachine gun with a near-instant reload. Even with builds like this, Deadzone: Rogue is not easy, but the options with perks and assortment of customizations make each run a wonder for experimentation with the combat. 

Speaking of combat, the shooting is solid and strong. There are targets aplenty and chaotic shootouts. Weapons have a certain heft and feel. Some could argue that the weapon designs are generic, but I do like how they appear assembled. The LCD screens with the ammo count are a nice touch. Shooting and defeating enemies feels impactful. There's a distinctive sound that is heard when they go down, which is a nice feedback in the heat of combat. The game can also be played with up to three players in crossplay multiplayer. 

Stealthiness

Another nice addition to the combat is the stealth mode. When entering a room, players are invisible to enemies. This allows players to roam around a room, mapping out the dangers and forming tactics. Ideally, this mode allows players to identify the deadliest targets for swift elimination. Once weapons are fired, the stealth mode deactivates, and the enemies attack. 

A quest run in Deadzone: Rogue can last upwards of an hour or so. While the checkpoints offer an opportunity to save and exit, the missions are quite a stretch. Losing at the end of the run will undoubtedly happen. Fortunately, there are permanent base upgrades that increase a player's chances of survival. Health, weapon damage, and other attributes can be chosen. Additionally, there is a tier that improves perks and their effectiveness. These attributes can be attained with currency acquired in a run. Therefore, it's important to complete the additional sub-quests in the game to further increase these perks and their tiers. 

Quests Everywhere

Some of the sub-quests feature modifiers and are shorter. Some levels might feature only bug-like bots, and others may modify the player to have strong firepower but weaker shields. A nice bonus to sub-quests is a wave-based sub-quest, turning Darkzone: Rogue into a horde shooter with up to thirty waves of enemies to destroy. These sub-quests can also be played with other players in multiplayer. 

In terms of difficulty, Deadzone: Rogue is flexible too. Even when losing, I found myself being simultaneously challenged and rewarded. Some games in the genre punish the player with trial-and-error or needless grinding. Fortunately, for Deadzone: Rogue, the systems are intricate and allow for meaningful progression, even if a run gets cut short.

Enter the Deadzone: Rogue

Deadzone: Rogue is a well-made and well-structured game. It’s not perfect, but there’s hardly a blemish in the game. My main criticism would be one particular set of stages, in which the floor is electrified, and players must navigate platforms while enemies are shooting at them. It was cumbersome, between jumping, dashing, and shooting. Some might argue the art style is generic, but that doesn’t quite matter when the gameplay is so good. The same can be said of the music, which could have been better. Finally, the Nintendo Switch 2 performs very well with the game, but I do wish it could have performed at 60fps. 

Deadzone: Rogue is an excellent game. It’s constant sensation of reward and experimentation, coupled with strong gameplay and a neat little story, make this a compelling shooter to play, especially on the go. The roguelite genre isn’t going anywhere, and possibly may never flame out, and if there are more games like Deadzone: Rogue, the genre has a bright future ahead. Grab your handgun and get blasting. Deadzone: Rogue rocks.

DEADZONE: ROGUE IS A MUST BUY!