Mycopunk Hands-On Preview – Investment Policy

Gaming fundamentally revolves around defeating adversaries and acquiring their possessions, a concept that dates back to Dungeons & Dragons. Essentially, the characters and names may vary, but the core action remains the same. In one game, you might be stabbing orcs, while in another, you could be shooting aliens – however, these actions don’t differ significantly in terms of function.

Mycopunk is a first-person cooperative shooter game that doesn’t aim to revolutionize gaming mechanics. In essence, players will be battling monstrous creatures to collect loot. However, the enemies in this game are an intriguing amalgamation of body horror and alien elements, in a world teeming with massive mushrooms as inhabitants.

What makes Mycopunk stand out among games like Borderlands and Warframes is its unique, dreamlike visual appeal and design. Unlike other games where progress primarily involves numerical increases when defeating enemies, Mycopunk’s rapid character advancement keeps gameplay feeling fresh and dynamic.

I was fortunate enough to test-drive the pre-release version of Mycopunk before its launch on Steam Early Access. In doing so, I got to experience two levels from the game, using each of its characters to battle the extraterrestrial threat.

Why Are Robots Shooting Aliens On A Weird Mushroom World?

Mycopunk features a team of salvaged robots, referred to as the New Atlas Hazard Squad, who were rescued from oblivion following their recruitment by the SAXON corporation. They’re given an opportunity to earn some coin and safeguard their metallic lives with this new task at hand.

The team has been employed as universal pest controllers, dispatched to eliminate strange extraterrestrial lifeforms causing chaos for the SAXON corporation’s activities on a planet dominated by enormous mushrooms. To clarify, these are colossal fungi that dwarf the surrounding terrain.

The core action revolves around completing tasks assigned by the company, descending to the alien world, eliminating the extraterrestrial beings, gathering items to enhance the characters, and narrowly surviving until the transport ship finally touches down. Essentially, repeat this cycle.

1. In the demonstration, the tasks at hand include eliminating a widespread fungus infection on the planet’s surface, as well as establishing a powerful cannon system on ground level aimed at destroying a space station.

2. During the demo presentation, there are two main objectives: one is to eradicate a pervasive fungal outbreak that has spread throughout the planet, and another is to build a railgun setup for blasting a space station from Earth’s surface.

3. The demonstration showcases two primary assignments: one involves dealing with a planet-wide fungus infestation, and another entails deploying a railgun system on Earth to annihilate a space station.

4. In the demonstration, the objectives are focused on tackling a planetary fungal contamination and establishing a surface-based railgun array meant for obliterating a space station.

5. The demo features two main targets: one is to combat a fungal invasion that has taken over the planet, while another involves setting up a gun system on Earth to bombard and destroy a space station from its surface.

1. Option A, the fungal infestation task, is straightforward: basically, you’re asked to eliminate mushroom-like growths that resemble tumors across the world, and at the same time, combat a growing alien force.

2. Option B, the railgun mission, is more complex: it requires you to complete mini-games as you battle aliens and protect your positions from enemy attacks.

Mycopunk Lives And Dies On Its Visuals

As a captivated admirer, I must express my initial impressions on Mycopunk’s visuals before delving into the gameplay. It’s as if I’ve stepped into a surreal comic book landscape – picture The Wolf Among Us under the influence of LSD! Colors explode wildly across the screen in a world that seems untouched by human hands, creating an otherworldly atmosphere.

In the realm of Mycopunk, the sight is nothing short of breathtaking. From the towering fungal structures to the grand spectacle of a distant space station detonating moments after I fired a railgun at it. The whole game offers an unforgettable visual feast.

Pigeons at Play’s inaugural game, Mycopunk, is being released under the publication of Devolver Digital. It’s truly remarkable that a relatively small team has created a visually striking title for their debut project.

Prior to engaging in combat against extraterrestrial beings, the players have a chance to unwind in the Roach Motel – a space station equipped with non-player characters (NPCs) and various knickknacks to examine. Primarily serving as a hub for players to organize their equipment between missions and exchange friendly emotes before embarking on the next, the Roach Motel is relatively uncomplicated. However, it offers a breathtaking view of space as a consolation.

Battles In The Mushroom Kingdom

In the game Mycopunk, the primary antagonists are extraterrestrial beings who traverse the planet. These aliens can be best characterized as metallic spheres, sporting limbs of a vivid purple hue that can transform into an assortment of weapons such as claws, sniper rifles, and missile launchers.

As a gamer, I need to crack open that metallic orb to unveil the yellow, stone-like core hidden inside. Blasting that stone will take down the alien, leaving its limbs scattered about. Those limbs might still pose a threat, as other aliens can grab them before they disappear, effectively arming them with more weapons.

Additionally, there exist formidable alien leaders boasting bizarre aesthetics. Among them is an enormous diamond creature teeming with limbs, reminiscent of a character from Neon Genesis Evangelion. Similar to the other adversaries, they have the ability to absorb body parts, thereby increasing their size.

It’s quite eerie to come up against such inhuman threats, completely foreign and intent on tearing you apart mercilessly. Their appearance is impressive, but perhaps a bit more diversity could have been added. The initial fright from encountering these purple entities, reminiscent of the creature from The Thing, subsides over time, possibly due to the demo’s constraints.

Mycopunk can be relentlessly harsh on occasions, particularly against adversaries armed with heavy-duty laser guns or volleys of heat-guided missiles. However, the team has a predetermined number of revival opportunities if everyone is wiped out. There’s also a compassionate feature that grants players an additional chance.

If a character perishes in battle but other team members remain alive, their body is split into two pieces and scattered. The surviving teammates can collect one piece of the body and join it with the other to revive the deceased player, without using up a revival token. Additionally, there’s an option for spectator mode, allowing the deceased player to observe the game and evaluate their teammates’ performance.

Mycopunk’s Fighting Robots

In simpler terms, the New Atlas Hazard Team is made up of four robot members, with no limitations on how many individuals can select them. Essentially, this allows for four identical characters to be part of the team. Equipped with weapons, grenades, and two unique skills, these robots possess an offensive capability and a mobility skill.

The Wrangler is a robot dressed in cowboy attire with a stylish hat. It comes equipped with a conventional Air Dash move and an impressive tool called Rocket Lasso. This lasso can not only draw enemies or objects closer to the player, but also propel them forward for additional height or momentum.

In simpler terms, “The Bruiser” is the toughest member of the team, equipped with a Light Projector that generates a shield capable of stunning foes or deflecting incoming attacks. This colossal robot also possesses a move called Nose Dive, which allows it to plummet downwards when jumping, crushing enemies below. However, the Nose Dive can be tricky to aim due to landing slightly ahead of where you anticipate.

In simpler terms, the character known as the Scrapper dominates the Grapple Pole, summoning an enormous metal structure for characters to grab onto. This allows them to propel themselves into the air or overtake enemies using this mechanism. Additionally, the Scrapper possesses a Jetpack that enables them to ascend higher than their fellow teammates.

Among all, the Glider stands out as my ultimate favorite character. With their Rocket Salvo ability, they can lock onto opponents for damage or support teammates with a healing effect. What truly sets them apart is their Wingsuit move, enabling them to dash forward while airborne, adding an extra boost of speed to my gameplay.

Among all characters, I particularly enjoyed using the Glider because its abilities surpassed those of others. It boasted a dependable special attack that homes in on targets, and an air dash maneuver that proved useful for escaping tricky predicaments.

From my perspective, while both the fundamental versions of the Wrangler and the Scrapper are quite alike, I can’t help but feel that their unique abilities could benefit from a touch-up to give each one its own unique flavor.

Preparing To Face The Horde

Beyond just their movements, there’s a notable feature in Mycopunk that stands out – its weaponry. Each character can swiftly access an assortment of firearms and grenades, including the usual suspects like machine guns and rifles.

Initially, my first assignment left me worried about the starting firearm due to the frequent need for reloading it, which seemed to consume more time than actually discharging the weapon. It appeared as though this gun exhausted its thirty-six bullet magazine in an instant. Consequently, I swifty opted for a different weapon, one that allowed me a longer period to aim at the smaller adversaries of Mycopunk, as it offered a slower rate of fire.

The scenario took a new turn when I managed to access some enhancements. You see, instead of merely providing various firearms for the player in Mycopunk, each weapon comes equipped with a 6×7 upgrades matrix. The upgrades are implemented onto this matrix much like items being placed into a suitcase in Resident Evil 4, where the player must carefully arrange them to fit snugly together.

Once I finished my initial task, I gained an enhancement for the standard machine gun that drastically altered its performance. Now, upon firing an empty magazine, the bullets would soar into the sky and then rain down on enemies as if they were heat-seeking droplets. In a flash, the weapon that was previously considered the weakest in the demonstration became my most preferred option, all thanks to this single upgrade.

To clarify, not every enhancement was a major transformation. Some merely boosted the weapon’s statistics and power. However, the ones that significantly altered the weapon I was using stood out to me, generating greater anticipation for the complete version of Mycopunk.

Tripping On Mycopunk

Glancing at it, Mycopunk appears akin to Borderlands, blending humorous futuristic themes with loot-shooter gameplay. However, while they share some resemblances, Mycopunk offers unique elements beneath its surface.

Assessing if the game’s main mechanic remains engaging throughout the entire game can be challenging, especially when we only have a limited preview like the demo to go by.

It’s clear that Mycopunk offers a lot of enjoyable moments during its quick-paced gameplay sessions I’ve played so far. The game truly excels when played cooperatively with friends, as the camaraderie of teaming up to repel the alien invasion brings about plenty of laughter, even in defeat. As long as everyone involved is enthusiastic and ready for a good time, they’ll find Mycopunk to be a blast.

2025-04-28 18:11