Jupiter Hell

Last updated
Jupiter Hell
Jupiter Hell cover.png
Developer(s) ChaosForge
Publisher(s) Hyperstrange
Platform(s)
Release
  • WW: August 5, 2021
Genre(s) Roguelike
Mode(s) Single-player

Jupiter Hell is a roguelike video game developed by ChaosForge and published in 2021 by Hyperstrange. It is a spiritual successor to DRL and adapts first-person shooter gameplay to a tactical roguelike.

Contents

Gameplay

Players control a marine, technician, or scout on a demon-infested science base on the moons of Jupiter. The labs are procedurally generated and tile-based, shown from a top-down perspective. Combat is turn-based and tactical. Multiple weapons are available, each of which has different strengths, such as stopping power, accuracy, and ammunition capacity. A queue controls whose turn it is. Shooting, reloading, and other actions push one's next action later in the queue depending on their cost. Fast players or enemies who perform low-cost actions may act multiple times before their opponents. Cover provides protection, but players are encouraged to move around. [1] Characters can be customized through skill trees. [2]

Development

ChaosForge previously developed DoomRL, which reimagined the first-person shooter Doom as a traditional ASCII-based roguelike. DoomRL was renamed to DRL after Zenimax, Doom's rights-holder, complained. Jupiter Hell is a spiritual successor to DRL, using a similar premise in an original setting with 3D graphics. [3] [4] Zenimax's cease and desist letter about DoomRL, which was sent during Jupiter Hell's Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign in 2016, ignited widespread coverage on high-profile gaming websites, but ChaosForge said it did not translate into nearly as much interest as the existing community built up around DoomRL. [5] Jupiter Hell entered early access in August 2019 [6] and was released on August 5, 2021. [7]

Reception

Jupiter Hell received positive reviews on Metacritic. [8] RPGFan made it an editor's choice and said "while being any good at it requires a time commitment, the rewards are exhilarating". [2] NME called it "a must-have for strategy fans and curious Doom fans alike". [9] Bloody Disgusting said the mash-up of genres "works well" and "provides a compelling game" whether played in short bursts or long-term. [10]

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References

  1. Hogarty, Steve (2019-08-13). "Premature Evaluation: Jupiter Hell". Rock Paper Shotgun . Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  2. 1 2 Richardson, Bob (2021-08-29). "Jupiter Hell". RPGFan. Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  3. Frank, Allegra (2016-12-08). "Facing down copyright claims, Doom roguelike fan game goes open-source (correction)". Polygon . Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  4. Walton, Jarred (2019-05-09). "Jupiter Hell is a tasty turn-based blend of Doom, roguelikes, and heavy metal". PC Gamer . Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  5. Handrahan, Matthew (2017-03-03). "You need a community before doing something like Kickstarter". Gamesindustry.biz . Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  6. Vega, Sin (2019-08-01). "Jupiter Hell, the Doom-inspired roguelike, is now in early access". Rock Paper Shotgun . Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  7. Bolding, Jonathan (2021-07-18). "Grab a shotgun, demon slaying tactical roguelike Jupiter Hell has a release date". PC Gamer . Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  8. "Jupiter Hell (PC)". Metacritic . Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  9. Brown, Andy (2021-08-09). "Jupiter Hell review: a riotously fun rampage of turn-based demon slaying". NME . Retrieved 2023-06-01.
  10. Bolt, Neil (2021-08-06). "[Review]Jupiter Hell Makes Ripping and Tearing a Tactical Turn-Based Affair". Bloody Disgusting . Retrieved 2023-06-01.