Speed running is a niche section of gaming where players try to beat games as quickly as possible. Speed running has been gaining popularity over the years because of YouTube and events like Awesome Games Done Quick. So what happens when a game is made that is solely about speed running? DeadCore is the result. DeadCore is a fast paced first person platformer. The game will have players running across sky high platforms and solving puzzles while racing the clock. But does it offer enough to appeal to those outside of the speed runner niche?
Graphics
DeadCore is not a looker. There’s not a lot to look at in this game; just the areas you’ll be running across and the occasional hazard. The game has a very drab color palette and poor textures; it leads to the game being a bore to look at. A more vibrant color palette could really help to add some much needed character. As it stands, Deadcore looks more like a Garry’s Mod game than its own beast.
Story
DeadCore hearkens back to the classic era of gaming, where you’d only know the story if you go out of your way to find it. You play as a person who wakes up with no memory and must climb your way out of a crazy vertical maze. There is a lack of a “Big Bad” as the developers clearly wanted this to be a gameplay experience but if you’re looking for any semblance of a story, you’re out of luck.
Sound
There’s not much to listen to in DeadCore. The game doesn’t have a lot going on so you’ll largely being listening to footsteps and sci-fi sound effects. The sound design is perfectly acceptable but there’s nothing noteworthy here.
The game is backed by a techno soundtrack that is a tad generic but it does its job. That said, you should probably opt for your own music if you’re playing this game. You won’t be missing much by tuning out this game’s audio.
Gameplay
The gameplay is where all of the effort in DeadCore went to. DeadCore can be a bit of fun once you get the hang of things. The fast paced nature of the game is really rewarding, jump from platform to platform and solving puzzles mid flight empowers you. The game keeps you on you toes by mixing in puzzles with the platforming, so you must always be alert; you’ll have to slow down sometimes or you’ll end up at the last checkpoint.
However, the high of DeadCore doesn’t last too long. The game can feel a bit repetitive to more casual gamers. I found myself getting bored after a bit. DeadCore has a learning curve that I feel most people won’t want to learn. If you don’t keep up with the game, it will leave you slowly getting through platforms and puzzles. There’s also not enough variety in the game to keep casual players hooked. Someone can get the gist of the game after an hour of playing, there’s not too many twists and turns that this game offers. You really have to love the core gameplay to stick with DeadCore. This is definitely not a problem for the niche audience this game is targeted towards, but the average person will be left behind.
Conclusion
DeadCore is a game that wears its niche-ness on its sleeves. It doesn’t try to appeal to a larger audience, it’s proud of what it is. So it is a hard game to review, especially since I’m not a part of the audience it’s targeted towards. I feel like people who want to find a game to master and push to its limits, will have a great time with DeadCore. But everyone else should probably look elsewhere.