Ruin Raiders is an action-packed tactical roguelike, where players are tasked with gathering certain materials and completing hard hitting battles in order to progress. At first, this seems like an easy game to pass the time with. It’s a simple idea with new mechanics to ensure you have to run the same level time and time again. But with such a repetitive nature you’d think the developers would implement some sort of refreshment to each level. Stopping players from feeling like they are playing the same level over and over. Unfortunately, Ruin Raiders doesn’t quite manage that.
Roguelike games are renowned for making players crawl through levels repeatedly, whether that’s to gather materials or kill a certain number of enemies. But with most games falling into this genre, maps are different in design to keep the gameplay fresh. Sadly, Ruin Raiders began to feel stagnant after a few runs. Levels are different, that’s a given. You aren’t literally walking around the same map until you complete the games, but there are few changes made between maps. So it really does begin to feel like dejavu. Each level is made up of the same components which are across the whole board of roguelikes.
Over and over again
You are responsible for controlling teams of explorers, trekking through the ruins of what was once civilization. The cartoonish style of characters and environments is fun and engaging, and it reminded me of Starfox in terms of character design. There’s a very strong futuristic feel to the game, which is aided by the desolate dungeon crawling. It definitely looks the part, but gameplay definitely lets the side down when it comes to taking the game as a package deal. At first, engaging in battle is new and fun. But turn based combat which never really changes no matter how far you get in-game, feels like a broken record.
There is a lot needed before you begin to feel like you are making any sort of progress. Blueprints to upgrade your base can be found whilst exploring new places, but they are few and very far between. It’s more frustrating than boring as you can see how much potential Ruin Raiders has, but the repetition really makes it lose its charm. Treasure chests litter every few rooms, but hardly ever contain things you need. The main material you search for is Entium, the one thing responsible for crafting items and upgrades. But good luck crafting these without blueprints, basically taking us back to square one.
Final thoughts
My main issue with this title is the lack of drive. There isn’t enough to keep you coming back unless you really respect the grind. If you are willing to put the time into Ruin Raiders, it would be a genuinely enjoyable game. But it takes so long to get the ball rolling and I found myself getting tired before really getting anywhere. It’s a shame, as certain mechanics could be amazing, and the game definitely holds potential. It’s just a shame that it feels so repetitive and for what?
