My reflexes aren’t what they were, and honestly, they weren’t much to begin with, and yet I’m a sucker for a fast-paced game. Vibrant, kinetic chaos that makes you feel like a God. Of course, the issue for me these days is that I can often make the graceful ballet of a high-octane game look like I’m backflipping through jelly.
Modern gaming is great, though, because there are games out there that can give you the correct feeling without the insane effort required (while still giving those who can still play that way the tools to go bananas). A spectacle without the dexterity barrier sounds like it should be a hollow victory, but if a developer finds the right balance, then it’s a beautiful chaos for all.
When I caught a video of the brilliantly-named Contextual Turtle’s Coreless, it looked like the kind of hyperactive action I wanted. As I read about it, the realization grew that it was a compromise between challenge and accessible spectacle that I could get invested in.
Coreless is a third-person roguelike that fuses hack n’ slash grandstanding with the visual fizzbangwallop of the likes of Risk of Rain 2 and Vampire Survivors. This is a game that’s not entirely interested in its story at this Early Access stage of its life, but the action? Oh boy, is it interested in that.
The game sees you take on a varied horde of foes with the ability to build an avatar with impressively flexible skillsets. Between the diverse and expansive talent points and add-ons, Coreless already offers the player a distinct identity in their play, and best of all, each build creates its own visual style that explodes with technological expression, as if someone had handed Jackson Pollock an unstable paint mixer.
As is expected, the longer you endure a run in Coreless, the more things ramp up in terms of personal power and foe complexity. Ticks work as a currency to unlock add-ons and Milestones, which come in at specific points to enhance any of the add-ons you have, boosting power levels. So the deeper into a run you go, the greater the arsenal you have to dole out multi-colored explosive violence.
Coreless Don’t Wreck Less
Enemy encounters keep you on your toes, with little wrinkles added to them depending on the state of your current run. Currently, getting comfortable with Coreless’ flow is somewhat challenging due to the seemingly random shifts it undergoes. Yet that’s what made this early version have a little more staying power than if it followed a more regimented model. It bodes well for the game’s future that it’s somewhat inconsistent, but with a clear intent.
After raising the Heat meter to 100% in a run, a boss battle is enabled, and the opportunity for big rewards and greater challenge emerge. The thing is, the rewards are decent, but the challenge is a touch hit and miss. Understandable, I suppose, given this is a roguelike and you’re in thrall to the whims of the algorithm. It’s also sometimes an issue in general play, but there’s plenty of time to shore up issues like this. The same goes for the technical hiccups that occur when the game gets really busy.
Again, being Early Access, you can certainly feel the limitations of the sci-fi roguelike RPG, but the developer has frontloaded what’s here with its most significant strengths. I know the term ‘Early Access’ is not a concrete phrase to apply to all games in progress, given it can mean anything from a bare-bones tech demo to a near-fully-featured title.
It means that viewing the two in the same light is grossly unfair, so there’s no shame in Coreless essentially being a vertical slice to promote funding for the whole game at this point, especially considering the modest opening price. It does the job pretty damn well, too.
The result of that is a fleeting experience I put a few hours into, and felt content leaving it there until a later date. With a little more time to truly grow, Coreless could end up being a compelling slice of chaotic roguelike action.
Coreless is available now on Steam in Early Access. A prologue demo is also available for free.
