Nuclear Throne

Nuclear Throne is one of those games where you keep telling yourself that you will have just one more try. This is a hard-as-nails, borderline frustrating game that I could not stop playing. It is part rouge like, part bullet hell shooter, and part pure mayhem all wrapped up in one over-the-top package that is a ton of fun, even though you will die about a million times when you are playing it.

No Last Hope Here

This is a game that is not exactly story-driven, but the premise of what is going down here is something that I think is a lot of fun. Humanity is long gone so you are not trying to save the world. Now, mutants and monsters rule the world and you want to take what you want so you head through this wasteland killing monsters trying to get to the Nuclear Throne!

Shooting Is Cray, Cray!

The gameplay on offer here could not be any more intense. The levels are randomly generated so you never know what is coming your way. However, there are different “stages” that have a theme and these themes do give you a little idea of some of the enemies and pitfalls that you can expect.

You start a level and the idea is that you want to kill all of the enemies and make your way to the end. If you do this, you will be greatly rewarded with a new mutation. There are a ton of mutations and these serve as a “build” for your character. You only get a choice of four and what four it throws your way is random.

Deep In The Radioactive Dirt!

Nuclear Throne is going to eat you up and spit you out! But you will probably want to come back for more. When you get a good run going, things just feel great. There is an excellent selection of weapons ranging from pistols to laser guns and even though the game is brutally tough, it is very generous with how it rewards you. Most of the time when you die, you will have earned something for your troubles.

High Radiation Levels On This Pixel Art!

I know that the whole pixel art rogue-like game has been done to death at this point. However, I do think that the crazy mutant setting of this game gives it a slight edge. I love the mutants that you can play as in the game.

They all have a ton of personality and I think the different monsters and mutants you fight all have a lot of style to them as well.

Pros:

• I loved the different mutant characters
• The progression in the game is great, it keeps you wanting to play
• The mutant upgrade system is done very well
• While the game is tough, it is also fun and fair

Cons:

• I can see some people finding it more frustrating than fun
• The game did crash on me a couple of times