Prodeus

Prodeus is a delightfully demonic shooter that drags you back to the time of classic first-person shooter games like Wolfenstein 3D. Prodeus renews a style long since left behind by newer, more graphic-heavy games. Don’t let that deceive you, however. With a wide array of weapons and controls that are smooth as butter, Prodeus is as good as any modern FPS.

 

Check it out for yourself:

 

Gameplay

 

Prodeus relies heavily on your ability to both run and gun. Not only must you fire at wave after wave of foes, but you must also be aware of your surroundings. Dodging, weaving, and parkour are all just as important as your ability to fire a weapon. With a variety of enemy types that all run at you, fire at you, or explode in a deadly pool of goo, you must be aware of everything going on at all times. But you can mitigate some of the chaos with how you fight back.

You are given quite the arsenal in Prodeus. As you progress through the game, your weapon choice expands. As does your playstyle. Maybe you like playing with a mini-gun and adopting the “spray and pray” method. Or perhaps your more of a close combat type of player and reach for the shot-gun to get up close and personal. 

No matter what your preferred playstyle is, Prodeus will make sure you are adept with all weapon types. Ammo is not necessarily limited in Prodeus, but each level changes how often you will find specifics types of ammunition. Some levels will give you a lot more chaos ammo (that can be used in weapons like the Arc Rail), while others will give you more shell ammo for weapons like the shotgun. 

Your ability to succeed in Prodeus depends on your ability to adapt. Each weapon type has a different ability when you aim down the sights. For example, the pistol will fire three rounds instead of one round. The Arc Rail will turn into a powerful long-range weapon instead of a weapon that sends electricity through multiple enemies at once. Every weapon is unique and fun to use. But, your ability to get comfortable with them will determine if you live or die.

Atmosphere

 

Ah, Hell. What a wonderful locale. It’s so nice and warm in the winter. And it’s full of demonic entities that just wanna see you die. It’s wonderful!

And it is the type of aesthetic that Prodeus goes for. Even though it feels cliché for this type of game, it does work incredibly well. Especially when you get to later levels and have to contend with new environmental obstacles like acid lakes. 

Everything in Prodeus feels like a risk. You have to be careful of where you step or you may very well fall into a pool of lava or a room full of baddies. You can just run and shoot and employ the “go, go, go” tactic, but you would be missing out if you do.

Exploration is encouraged. There are secrets in every level that reward you for finding them. If you take the time to check out those ledges or make a jump that seems like it may be just out of reach, you may be in for a treat and some extra aid in your journey.

But the secrets are not easy to reach. To even see them you probably have to mow down a horde first. And there is quite the cast in that horde. Enemies range anywhere from simple foot soldiers that shamble toward you to electrified demons that hurl balls of energy at you.

You have to take your time and see what works for each enemy. A soldier can be taken down easily with a pistol. On the other hand, there is a big demon dog-like thing (pictured below) that can be taken out with a shot-gun. If you are willing to get close enough that is.

 

But no game is complete without a wonderful soundtrack. And the music in Prodeus is kick-ass. The high-intensity music works well with the style and gameplay alike. It makes you want to keep moving and keep knocking down wave after wave of enemy. After all, you can’t have nice relaxing music because this most certainly is no walk in the park.

Final Thoughts

 

Prodeus is a wonderful breath of fresh air in the FPS genre. So many games lately focus on realism and intense graphics. Prodeus reminds you of the genre’s roots and is damn good at doing so. If you want a more “modern” feel, you can switch the sprites over to being renders, which does have its own charm. 

I think fans of any type of FPS game will enjoy Prodeus. It is a fun, action-packed game that is fast-paced and easy to pick up and play for just small bites of time if you want. Some levels are longer than others, but it is easy to pick it up, play a level, and put it back down if you want. And that is something I appreciate being able to do with a busy schedule.

Prodeus will bring nostalgia to some and insight to others. But one thing is for sure, hopping in and destroying some demons is always a good time.