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Fight through hordes of zombies, one room at a time | Full Review - The Doomsland: Survivors

2K View2023-04-07

The Doomsland: Survivors is a top down zombie shooter with rogue-lite elements.

🟩Pros

+A challenging rogue-lite experience

+Interesting combat and random power-ups to select

🟥Cons

-Very hard difficulty even from the start

-Heavy reliance on microtransactions and ads

It seems that the movement-centric rogue-lite genre is getting a lot of love recently as we have another game in our hands, with the same gameplay concept like the other games I’ve recently reviewed like Mighty Doom or Dark Season. This time — yet again— with zombies.

The Doomsland: Survivors is a top-down shooter with rogue-lite elements that will leave you on the edge of your seat. From the moment you start playing, you'll be thrown into a world overrun by human zombies and other zombified creatures and mutants, and it's up to you to fight your way through hordes of enemies to survive, one room at a time.

Gameplay Analysis

The gameplay is fast-paced and intense, with the character automatically firing only when stationary. The only control you have is over your movement and a special attack that slowly reaches 100%, which means you have to constantly dodge and weave your way through enemy fire while taking down as many enemies as possible while stopping. Each level or stage consists of 30 rooms that you must clear one by one, with occasional boss encounters that will put your skills to the test — or not, because they’re ironically more easier than the actual zombie infested rooms.

New sets of upgrades and power-ups every run

The rogue-lite element of the game adds a layer of difficulty and replayability that will keep you coming back for more. Each time you play, you start with a basic gun and basic attack, and must level up by killing enemies. When you level up, you gain access to three randomized upgrade choices that modify how the game plays. These upgrades can range from additional bullets, bouncing bullets, piercing bullets, poison or flame damage, increased health, increased attack speed, and different modifiers depending on remaining HP.

My pistol is firing five bullets at once, some diagonally and bouncing off walls

As you progress through The Doomsland: Survivors, the upgrades become increasingly absurd, resulting in a massive bullet hell mayhem that will test your reflexes and quick thinking, and lag the game so much. Ultimately, it is a very satisfying ordeal, especially when the upgrades are all synergistic with each other and the bullets are flying to your advantage.

A level or stage consists of 30 rooms that the player must clear one by one, with occasional boss encounters randomly every few rooms or so. Clearing all 30 rooms will unlock the next level, coming up short (even at room 29) will not unlock the next level and force players to restart from room 1. Every once in a while there are friendly rooms that houses allies offering upgrades to the player such as health boosts or an attack damage buff.

A grueling experience in both the gameplay and progression

There are persistent elements though in the form of gear upgrade and talent systems that ever so slightly improves character attributes and stats. It's a slow grind, coupled with the game's unforgiving difficulty where you are almost always facing hordes of enemies and bullet hell proportions of projectiles, and the inability to shoot while stationary, makes it a very hard game to progress through. Even at the first level I had a hard time beating all 30 rooms to complete the level. It's a challenging game, and you'll need all the help you can get to progress through all the 16 levels.

Low-key pay to win

Furthermore, the game's heavy reliance on microtransactions and ads can be a bit of a downside. While the game is free-to-play, players will need to spend real money to progress faster or gain immediate access to certain upgrades and items. Even when selecting an upgrade, there is sometimes an option to watch an add to boost the effects of that upgrade. Premium currency called diamonds that can immensely help progression or gacha loot boxes are available to purchased by the player.

Conclusion:

The Doomsland: Survivors is a game that packs a punch. It's a thrilling and intense top-down shooter with a zombie apocalypse setting, challenging gameplay, and rogue-lite elements that add to its replayability. While the heavy reliance on microtransactions and ads may be a downside for some players, the game is still a great choice for anyone looking for a challenging and action-packed gaming experience.

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