One of the best surprises at Summer Game Fest came from an appointment I never intended to take. Ain’t that how it always goes? So I had just played Orbitals – my final appointment at Nintendo’s booth – and was on my way out when someone beckoned me over to a nearby station and asked if I wanted to play Armatus. Eh, I had a few minutes to spare, so why not?
Turns out Armatus – Counterplay’s first game since 2020’s Godfall – should have been on my radar a long time ago because it’s one of my favorite genres: a third-person roguelite shooter. (Emphasis on the LITE.) Here, death isn’t punished – in fact, your demise progresses the narrative. HALLELUJAH! And as you continue to play (and die die die) you’ll accrue new, increasingly powerful abilities and upgrades which stay with you between runs. CAN I GET A DOUBLE HALLELUJAH FOR PROGRESSION?!
I don’t mean to alarm you, but demons have taken over Paris. Like, it’s a big ol’ infestation. Humans are fucked. And hey, no pressure or anything, but YOU, dear player, are the last “supernatural warrior of an ancient order” and it’s up to you to rip and tear your way through the desolated ruins of Paris to find something called “The Sunless Gate.” Supposedly this gate could maybe (?) possibly (?) be the key to humanity’s salvation! But here’s another problem: as far as we know, there are only four humans left on Earth. That’s not a lot, but hey, you may as well do your part to save those four! (OR SHOULD YOU DUN DUN DUUUUN!)
You have options when it comes to massacring those pesky demons. In addition to a scythe (which I freakin’ loved) you’ll begin each run with your choice of assault rifles, single shot rifles, shotguns and SMGs, each paired with a randomized alt-fire. Sometimes these pairings operate incredibly well together. Sometimes they drastically impact how you need to play. And other times they’re just fun. I once had a sniper rifle matched with a grenade launcher alt-fire which was HILARIOUS since I never go for sniper rifles because accuracy and I are not friends, but a sniper rifle with a grenade launcher? OKAY. I’ll bite. And you know what, I ended up using the actual sniper rifle quite a bit!
On top of the ever-changing weapons at your disposal, you will also wield celestial powers. Basically, supernatural, badass magical abilities that allow you to do things from slowing down time, to firing divine homing missiles to slamming the ground like you’re a big ol’ angry meteor.
I noticed there were a lot (a lot a lot) of options throughout my run to augment my weapons and the way I played. I can’t imagine this system getting stale for a LONG time.
Sometimes mid-run you’ll find yourself in a quiet area for a brief moment of respite, but don’t get too comfortable because it’s only there so you can make a tough decision. You’ll face several rooms, most of which will tantalizingly dangle the promise of shiny, desired boons should you choose their path – better loot, more health, etc. – but sometimes, because we can’t have nice things, there may be a resulting consequence. You’ll have to use your best judgment and weigh the status of your current run on whether or not the risks are worth the reward.
It’s all incredibly addictive, and within mere moments of venturing into those damn demon-infested streets I found myself in one of those epic flows – you know, where you’re just cutting through the bad dudes like a hot knife through butter, landing hits left and right, pushing forward, doing shit that makes you look cooler than you probably are, etc. The gameplay feels good, nothing I experienced felt floaty, and while historically I haven’t had the best luck with shooters on Switch, I have zero complaints based on what I’ve played.
What remains to be seen, and what’s most important to me and the way I enjoy these games, is how meaningful and impactful the progression feels. I don’t mind failing over and over again as long as I walk away with something to show for it, be it the money I accrued, an increase in stats or an item that’ll help me on my next run. As long as I feel like I’m not standing still I will absolutely keep coming back for more. KEEP GIVING ME THE PAIN. And just based on my conversations with the team, I don’t get the feeling that Counterplay Games is trying to create a grueling, punishing, hair-ripping-out experience here.
I’m also incredibly curious about the narrative. It feels like there’s a lot we don’t know (intentionally!) and I hope there’s plenty of opportunity to learn about this chaotic world and how we ended up with, y’know, demons in the street and stuff. And I’m putting this out there now: I don’t trust those remaining four humans. I have the feeling those bastards probably caused this mess to begin with, and if I end up being right, I’m absolutely blasting them into smithereens with my Sniper Grenade Launcher hybrid.
I haven’t stopped thinking about Armatus. Thankfully, we don’t have much longer to wait, as it launches this winter for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S (and Game Pass!) and Steam.