New Blood Interactive, a publisher known for indie first-person shooters like Dusk, just put out their latest project, Ultrakill, on Steam. It has both a demo and paid early access version available, which is currently on sale for 20% off, courtesy of the Realms Deep 2020 sale. According to the Steam page, Ultrakill is a “fast-paced ultraviolent old school FPS that fuses together classic shooters like Quake, modern shooters like Doom (2016) and character action games like Devil May Cry.”

Ultrakill’s gameplay is its strongest asset, and it’s what sets it apart from other retro-styled shooters. Combat is incredibly fast-paced and frantic, with hordes of enemies swarming mercilessly. Players have to use their arsenal of weapons as well as their incredible mobility in order to deftly weave chains of kills together – and while this may prove difficult, it seems players are having a blast doing so. With over 600 reviews already and an “Overwhelming Positive” rating, I think New Blood can chalk it up as a success already.

Purchasing the Ultrakill Early Access version grants you access to the game’s prelude and first act, titled “Infinite Hyperdeath”. It’s 15 levels altogether – with eight bosses, eight types of enemies, four weapons (with four customizations for each), three secret levels, and five different difficulty modes.

“The feedback we’ve gotten from the community has always been a big part of what has shaped the game into what it is, and in order to continue that, I want the players to get their hands on the game as soon as possible to make sure it is steered in the correct direction,” writes developer Arsi “Hakita” Patala on the game’s Early Access page. “The community has already greatly shaped the game into what it is now, and I would like to see that continue.” In terms of a solid release date, Patala hopes to have the full game finished by the end of 2021, but it being pushed back to 2022 is a possibility to ensure the highest quality.