Slime 3K: Jelly-Themed Joypocalypse
An exhaustive review of the gooey bullet-heaven, 'Slime 3K: Rise Against Despot'.
Early Access Review
last updated Jan 15, 2024
Slime 3K turns the thrill of strategy and senseless violence into a foot-tapping affair that's as viscerally delightful as it is absurd.
Gooey Gameplay Galore
Slime 3K isn’t your garden-variety roguelite, no sirree! Picture this: you're a gelatinous blob with an insatiable appetite for destruction and a knack for card-based warfare. Each frenzied foray into the Slime 3K universe lets you slap together a deck of whimsy and firepower that would make even the most fastidious of librarians blush. With procedurally generated chaos, the rogue-like elements keep you on your toes, or you would if you had any, because, you know, blob life. The thrill of strategy meets senseless violence, with bloblets of tactical play that pushes our invertebrate hero to the brink of bullet hell bliss. The slick incorporation of deck-building mechanics with the rogue-like framework makes for a fresh and gooey spin on replayability. Yet, should you gaze upon the top of the leaderboard and wonder if the veneer of content holds up – spoiler alert: the bottomless pit of pink puny humans isn't as bottomless as advertised.
A Feast for Your Eardrums
If you've ever wondered what the soundtrack to a shape-shifting slime's rampage would sound like, you're in for a treat. The audio team at Konfa Games must've had a blast concocting a soundscape that is part bouncy castle, part action movie. Groovy toons accompany the splatter-fest, turning each gelatinous skirmish into a foot-tapping, if not slightly sticky, affair. Meanwhile, the grotesque squishes and splashes that arise with every human smushing ensure that your audio experience is as viscerally delightful as it is absurd. The sound design does a commendable job of translating that goop into aural ecstasy. However, it's worth noting that as much as the music brings out your inner-child-slime, repeating the same tune can start to feel as monotonous as a metronome stuck on loop.
Visually Viscous
Now, who doesn't appreciate a bit of cartoon violence with their morning coffee? Slime 3K's artistic direction is a non-stop eye-candy buffet, splashing vibrant hues of neon and goo across a pixel-perfect plate. The game's performance, for the most part, is an absolute snack – running silky smooth as your blob self schmoozes through legions of adversaries. And, despite cramming more enemies on-screen than a Black Friday sale, the frame rate rarely takes a nosedive. This visual treat, however, isn’t without its cavities; amidst the kaleidoscope of chaos, distinguishing your blobby self from the relentless onslaught can be more challenging than trying to find a needle in a haystack. Especially one that's also trying to obliterate you.
The Controller Conundrum
Let's get down to brass tacks about the elephant in the room – the one covered in slime. Controls in a bullet-hell extravaganza should be responsive, intuitive, and smoother than a jazz solo. Between keyboard acrobatics and partial controller support, piloting your murderous jelly becomes its own subgenre of challenge. Luckily, the advent of full controller support has since turned what was once a grueling gauntlet into a more comfortable slugfest. The newly implemented secret passives have added a shimmering layer of depth to the experience. That being said, the game's aiming mechanism could benefit from refinements. Imagine trying to thread a needle while riding a rollercoaster, it's akin to targeting enemies amidst the visual onslaught—a work-in-progress, like a half-set jelly mold.
EARLY ACCESS RATING
Developer
Konfa Games
Publisher
tinyBuild
Early Accesss Release Date
November 02, 2023
The Slime Time Verdict
Slime 3K: Rise Against Despot is a delightful pile of goo that's managed to slide its way into the merciless niche of roguelite deck-builders. With its lively graphics, infectious audio, and innovative take on gameplay, it grabs your attention every bit as effectively as a slime latches onto a hapless human. Even in its early-access form, it's a well-rounded albeit sometimes repetitive experience. It doesn't quite reach the zenith of its potential, but it squishes beyond the point of novelty into the realm of legitimate good fun. From its surprisingly intricate deck-building to its vibrant, juicy aesthetic, Slime 3K has solidified itself as more than a sticky situation; it's evolving into a genuinely engrossing slugfest.