‘Teleglitch: Die More Edition’ Review – Yep, Still Dying
There needs to me more games where we die a lot. Originally, when I first unwrapped my copy of Dark Souls and played it for an hour, I was ready to give up. I thought a game that punishes you this harshly would never be fun. But, every time I stopped playing, I yearned to go back to it. No matter how much I distracted myself, I always thought I’d be able to make it to the next checkpoint. In Test3 Projects’ latest game, Teleglitch: Die More Edition, I get those same feelings again. And I haven’t even gotten to level three.
Teleglitch is mostly a traditional roguelike game, with randomly generated levels, permadeath, and plenty of loot to discover. The one difference is the lack of turn-based combat, which is absolutely welcome in the current indie scene. Your movements and combat are all in real time, which gives the player a lot of room for panic moments. Since the game features permadeath, you’ll have to play through the whole thing in one sitting. Luckily, every so often, you unlock the ability to start a new game from a later level.
The game takes place in a military complex and/or research facility, depending on where you choose to go. There aren’t any cutscenes nor dialogue (save for an opening journal entry from the main character), instead you find everything out through various terminals discovered in-game that reveal the history of the facility you worked in. Once you die, you’re able to explore everything you’ve discovered throughout your playthroughs, and read about the histories of different experiments and events in the facility.
The game has a wide codex of monsters as well, which will scare you. Not from their appearances, more from the simple fact that they’re attacking you. Even small enemies will end up scaring you. If you’re like I was, and can’t stand games that force you to die while learning, you might not be a fan of Teleglitch. You will die a lot, and you will get pissed, but you will learn.
In contrast to the last game I reviewed (Vintage Hero), Teleglitch is a game that use retro graphics well. It makes the game more simplistic instead of more dated. Roguelike games have always had traditional graphics and gameplay, whereas most other genres have not. I’d love to see a modern roguelike game, but I can’t blame Teleglitch for playing it safe. Plus, the graphics don’t detract from anything. You don’t really notice the graphics of the game once you’re immersed in it. They complement the gameplay, instead of holding it back.
If you’re a fan of creepy, atmospheric roguelikes with a TON of replay value, then Teleglitch: Die More Edition is for you. You can grab the game on Steam, and you can follow Paradox Interactive on Twitter here for updates on the game and news about their other upcoming releases.
