Hop into the the newest Vampire Survivors clone with a twin-stick twist and up to 4-player co-op. See if it’s worth the grind in our Entropy Survivors review!
As Steam’s Bullet Heaven Fest 2.0 rages on, it’s become clear to me that this genre has seen so much saturation that it’s now a goal to find diamonds in the rough. As addictive asVampire Survivorsis, and with tons of “Survivors-likes” making great use of the creativity in the genre, a bullet heaven needs to do a LOT to stick out in the crowd. So here’s a pitch from Moving Pieces Interactive – how about a frog with a rocket launcher riding on top of a mecha versus the world?
There’s nothing quite like being surrounded by enemies, but the odds are in your favor.
Entropy Survivors does just that, and more. With melee attacks handled by the robot and ranged with the frog, it’s another example of the twin-stick bullet heaven being a genre mashup destined for success. Can this one set itself from the pack and make a rollicking good impression for newcomers? Find out in our Entropy Survivors Review!
Entropy Survivors Review – Gameplay
If you’ve touched a Survivors-like, you know what’s in store for the general gameplay: more enemies than you can fathom, new mobs every minute, big boss at the end, rinse and repeat. What Entropy Survivors does a bit different is give the player free reign of both melee and ranged attacks, as well as their choice of auto aim/fire for each. Left click handles the robot’s slashes, whereas holding right click slows the movement down and fires the ranged weapon at the crosshairs.
Yes, you can roll up the entire field of enemies into a ball and watch them tumble down.
If this fighting style isn’t enough of a hook, you’ll soon see in your first run of Entropy Survivors that the powerups are a downright blast. One powerup turns the field into a pinball machine, with enemies bouncing off bumpers and turning you into a pinball if you hit a flipper. Another lets you roll a ball into enemies as they accumulate in a timed-combo, a laKatamari. These are a riot and simply never get old as you turn the tides of a screen full of enemies.
Defeating a boss gets you either 1, 3, or 5 level-ups, which certainly makes them a priority.
The difficulty level in Entropy Survivors is precisely where it needs to be. Each new minute brings about a new enemy type, and there’s just enough of a challenge to warrant the pickup of powerups and health on a frequent basis while you juggle XP collection and screen clearing. Work the game just right and you’ll get the ever-satisfying feeling of power alongside a seemingly-insurmountable flood of fodder in your way.
When you can even upgrade your upgrades, you’re in for some serious power.
Variety is the spice of life in Entropy Survivors, with forty unique abilities across the frog and the robot, and six unlockable weapons for each. I quickly fell in love with the frog’s slow-firing but devastating rocket launcher, and the robot’s long-range spear. In addition, there are eight possible classes, whether you want to drop a tank on the field, leave thorns behind you, or jet above the field to make a quick escape. So many different playstyles are at the ready to experiment with.
Expect a huge surge of serotonin once you see this screen for the first time.
The roguelite nature of Entropy Survivors means there’s a huge amount of things to level up and unlock for ample replayability. Not just limited to permanent progression upgrades, you’ll also add bonus abilities to your class, weapons, and even ability potency across runs. Thanks to incentives within reaching challenges, you’re constantly unlocking things in this game across every single run, making every run a worthwhile endeavor.
Entropy Survivors Review – Performance/Graphics
Bullet heavens with a realistic art style can stress out a CPU with the quantity of enemies on-screen at any time, but Entropy Survivors runs like a dream maxing out framerates on modest PC configurations. Tons of particle effects and dozens of enemy types populate the screen, but the ever-dreaded screen clog never materializes thanks to distinct shading and texturing.
Wait a minute, this isn’t Waluigi Pinball…
Steam Decks have been referred to as “Vampire Survivors machines” due to the short-form gameplay being excellent for gaming on-the-go, so it’s a pleasure to say it runs well on the platform. The current listing for compatibility on the Steam store page shows as “Unknown”, but it’s much closer to Playable and leaning to Verified in my experience, as even with some frame drops, it never hinders the experience.
Entropy Survivors Review – Audio
The music within Entropy Survivors is serviceable, but hearing the same track every time you replay a level means it could be best turned off after a bit with your own music taking its place. Thankfully, the VFX are massively satisfying, akin to a casino when you pick up a chest or an important item, and accurate sound effects for your chosen weapon or ability.
Entropy Survivors Review – What Else?
The addictiveness in Entropy Survivors is bar none – enough to remind me of why I fell in love with this genre years back and found it hard to tear myself away long enough to write this review. If the game feels like it’s off to a slow start, I can guarantee that once you unlock a new weapon or a new class, everything will gel and the game will be exceptionally worth it.
The challenges you’re closest to reaching shows on the side of the screen in every run.
Entropy Survivors Review – Conclusion
Entropy Survivors has worked its way to my top 5 bullet heavens ever, alongside greats like Soulstone Survivors and Halls of Torment. It’s one of the best things I’ve played all year and one I will continue to play into the new year, thanks to its polish, addictive nature, and laundry list of challenges I desperately want to tick off. My search for a diamond in the rough was successful here, and I couldn’t recommend this title more for any fans of bullet heavens, Survivors-likes, and/or roguelites.
So, why should you play Entropy Survivors?
- Ultimate “one more run” Survivors-like addictiveness.
- Every single run bears fruit and gives you something else to work towards.
- Excellent gameplay, visuals, sound design, and fun factor.
But why shouldn’t you play Entropy Survivors?
- Some classes/weapons are way more viable than others.
- You’re just too burnt out on the bullet heaven genre to give it another go.
A review code was kindly provided by Moving Pieces Interactivefor the purpose of our Entropy Survivors Review. You can check out our other reviews here and if you haven’t already, be sure to join the Qualbert Discord to find out about the latest game and review updates!
