Into the Pit is a throwback FPS style rogue-lite with clear inspiration taken from Doom, Bloodborne, and the string of wildly popular rogue-lites seen over the past decade, such as the Binding of Isaac and Hades.
I had originally played the demo for Into the Pit during Steam’s Next Fest indie games showcase, and I really enjoyed what they had to show off. The actual moment to moment gameplay and shooting in Into the Pit feels really good. I love the low poly aesthetic and PS1-inspired lighting, giving me Dusk and Cultic vibes. That is about all I have to say positively about the game.
In absolutely stunning move, Into the Pit is a rogue-lite without random level generation. There are about two dozen (if even) level layouts that you will encounter over and over again. These levels are incredibly small and all of them can be completed without rushing in about two minutes. Despite the small amount of levels, they still manage to feel robotically crafted with minor variation.
In addition, thought the game features a handful of uniquely designed dungeons, each with its own theme (swamp, forest, etc), it is genuinely difficult to tell the difference between them. The player must complete four levels per floor, and each dungeon has four floors in addition to a boss fight at the end. No matter what dungeon the player chooses to venture into, this layout will be identical on every single playthrough. Floors 1 and 3 will feature a room that heals you, and floors 2 and 4 will feature a room where you can rescue a villager, one of the game’s collectables that unlock more shops in your home base. This completely gets rid of any and all surprise on repeated playthroughs, another huge negative when it comes to rogue-lites.
The game’s weapons, spells that fit comfortably into traditional FPS weapons (shotgun, sniper rifle, etc), honestly all feel really nice to shoot and enemies gib into satisfying chunks. However, the game’s upgrades, earned by completing a level, are incredibly boring and unimaginative. Passive damage % upgrades are not fun or interesting to collect, and they consist of nearly all of them. In addition to the monotonous level design, these also contribute to basically every single run feeling identical.
I think it’s a shame, honestly. They have a really solid foundation here when it comes to gunplay and aesthetics. Without a massive overhaul that I suppose could come in the form of free updates or paid expansions, there is essentially no added value in playing past the free demo.
I had originally played the demo for Into the Pit during Steam’s Next Fest indie games showcase, and I really enjoyed what they had to show off. The actual moment to moment gameplay and shooting in Into the Pit feels really good. I love the low poly aesthetic and PS1-inspired lighting, giving me Dusk and Cultic vibes. That is about all I have to say positively about the game.
In absolutely stunning move, Into the Pit is a rogue-lite without random level generation. There are about two dozen (if even) level layouts that you will encounter over and over again. These levels are incredibly small and all of them can be completed without rushing in about two minutes. Despite the small amount of levels, they still manage to feel robotically crafted with minor variation.
In addition, thought the game features a handful of uniquely designed dungeons, each with its own theme (swamp, forest, etc), it is genuinely difficult to tell the difference between them. The player must complete four levels per floor, and each dungeon has four floors in addition to a boss fight at the end. No matter what dungeon the player chooses to venture into, this layout will be identical on every single playthrough. Floors 1 and 3 will feature a room that heals you, and floors 2 and 4 will feature a room where you can rescue a villager, one of the game’s collectables that unlock more shops in your home base. This completely gets rid of any and all surprise on repeated playthroughs, another huge negative when it comes to rogue-lites.
The game’s weapons, spells that fit comfortably into traditional FPS weapons (shotgun, sniper rifle, etc), honestly all feel really nice to shoot and enemies gib into satisfying chunks. However, the game’s upgrades, earned by completing a level, are incredibly boring and unimaginative. Passive damage % upgrades are not fun or interesting to collect, and they consist of nearly all of them. In addition to the monotonous level design, these also contribute to basically every single run feeling identical.
I think it’s a shame, honestly. They have a really solid foundation here when it comes to gunplay and aesthetics. Without a massive overhaul that I suppose could come in the form of free updates or paid expansions, there is essentially no added value in playing past the free demo.