After an extensive stint as an Early Access title, Nightmare Reaper is now out in the wild in Version 1.0 form - so to speak. As a game that draws inspiration from retro FPS title likes the original Doom and Wolfenstein 3D, with Borderlands-style loot drops and rogue-lite elements, there's a lot to discover. And enjoy.

A snippet.

Even though Nightmare Reaper features a rogue-lite setup where death is merely a speed bump, the level-based structure works wonders for keeping things feeling fresh. Every three levels the backdrop/locale changes to a new dark and gloomy setting. Part original Doom, a retro-FPS where you’re always on the look-out for secret walls, part something you’d find on the Super Nintendo, where enemies explode and shower coins to collect, it’s an impressive tonal stew. Visually speaking, things are grim, dark, and disturbing, but with a playful undertone that tips the cap to both the original Wolfenstein 3D and games like Metal Slug.

The chunky pixel-art is definitely lo-fi and the visual effects are screen-filling and over-the-top when the action heats-up, but it’s all surprisingly crisp when simply exploring different pathways and discovering secrets. Dying in a level, as mentioned above, spits you back to the insane asylum that serves as the hub, but through cleverly designed rooms, layouts will change-up and shift around in such a way as to create that sense of ‘no two runs being the same’ for each and every level you tackle.

Our Full Nightmare Reaper Review