Feels like a set of ideas being tested more than a finished & cohesive game, in part due to every map using the same 3-5 textures and in part due to the really broad collection of gameplay mechanics. You have a set of stuff hinting towards tactical FPS gameplay like aiming down sights, gun jamming and bullet arcs, alongside some movement mechanics that mostly end up letting you sequence break or outright skip levels, and then a hunger meter which seems to be there mostly for vibes.

To be clear, I do enjoy the really wide net of mechanics, and the gunplay feels great once you get used to it, it's just that a lot of it feels extraneous to the challenges provided by the level design - at least on normal difficulty, you could probably just play it like unmodded Doom and be more or less fine. I'm hoping the followup, Beyond Citadel, ends up feeling more cohesive in that regard.

I love the gameplay here. Fun movement and a great balance of being able to go fast as fuck and being able to take your time by peeking around corners. Very satisfying gunplay especially with reloading being a tad more nuanced than usual, fun level design, some pretty good music. Overall, a damn fine FPS!

I do have two big gripes with it though. First one is the environments, which look the same for the entire game. The second is the bosses, which just suck ass as they just mostly stand around spamming shit while you unload 500 bullets into them hoping they just fuck off and die already.

Enemy variety is also weak, but it works well enough for the game's length.

I hope the sequel (Beyond Citadel, IIRC) fixes these issues. It actually seems like it does improve on them from what I've seen of the demo so far, at least, while also doubling down on the parts I did like!

PS: anyone who calls it "anime Doom" has not played Doom. Also, anyone who gets filtered by weapons being projectile-based (with arcs and shit) and the reload mechanics is honestly a moron.

Pretty good retro-style FPS. But instead of being dynamic and crazy like it's many counterparts, it's more tactical and moody. You move slower, enemies are very deadly, your health restricted by hunger meter (which acts as a kind of second health bar - I found this mechanic rather underdeveloped, but it's still interesting idea, and it does not get in the way of action), you can lean, aim down sight, crouch to reduce sight jitter, and this game even have realistic, relatively complex reload mechanic. There are almost no saves throughout the levels, which gives weight and consequences to death. Citadel encourages you to play very carefully and tactically, and I very much enjoyed this tense gameplay. Game feel in this game is also incredible, every weapon bangs and clangs magnificently.

Guns look, sound and twitch in an incredibly impactful way. Every burst of shots is accompanied by a barrage of shell casings clanking very satisfyingly, and every kill is accompanied by an explosion of gibs. Gibs system is very thoughtfully done, and it makes killing enemies incredibly enjoyable.

The world around you is an abstract, greenish metal hellscape under heavy scarlet sky, populated with your former comrades who have gone insane. Heavily featured gore punctuates not only how fun it is to spray walls with their guts, but also how pitiful it would be to be in their place - you often see ripped faces of your enemies, full of regret and sorrow amidst the wreckage you just caused.

Citadel can feel very amateurish at times - visual design of maps is always the same and too monotonous, enemy design is far too boring compared to main character and bosses, a couple of music tracks do not fit the mood, and the game becomes too easy in later levels. But even amateurish elements of this game form a strangely alluring atmosphere.

Also, this game has the most disturbing yet satisfying flamethrower kill effects.