Arms of God is the latest auto-shooter to hit a rather saturated genre. Its dark and gritty style isn’t for the faint of heart. Furthermore, the occasional imbalance in gameplay spikes makes it a tough cookie to crack. However, if you love the genre and you want something to sink your teeth into, this is an affordable indie option.
This dark auto-shooter was developed by Dark Jay Studio and published by Galaktus. It is a single-player and couch cooperative experience. I played it alone and enjoyed every hellish moment. I’m not sure how successful it’ll be as a cooperative title. When things go crazy, the screen becomes unbelievably cluttered. Consequently, it may be too busy to enjoy with a friend.
Arms of God doesn’t really focus on its plot.
This genre doesn’t require or rely on story-rich moments. Instead, it is the action that does all of the talking. Arms of God doesn’t break this mould with its brutal gameplay, unforgiving enemies, and large roster of huge bosses. Moreover, there are a handful of game modes to keep you entertained.
You play the role of a Templar who is tasked with fighting demonic forces. Armed with a weapon and a sacred crucifix, this demented being must avoid every projectile and survive 4 hellish acts. If you are successful in your task, you’ll defeat everything in your way and unlock additional game modes. Although these don’t add a massive layer of depth, they’ll be loved by genre aficionados.
Familiar tropes.
Arms of God uses many familiar mechanics. This isn’t a complaint, as I enjoyed the gentle learning curve. However, if you’ve played this genre to death, you may wish for something new. Effectively, every act comprises 15 levels. If you die, you’ll lose your progress and have to start again. Sadly, this happens more often than not, so your cathedral base is an important hub for your meta progression.
As you tackle each stage, you’ll earn resources. Moreover, you’ll discover new weapons, upgrades, and blessings. Each of the levels has special items to find. Chests, shrines, flags, and more offer gifts and temporary buffs. Additionally, you must combine weapons to create ridiculously powerful tools to tackle every foe.
None of these elements should surprise genre fans. However, they are nicely considered, and the action is balanced as a consequence. Furthermore, despite the occasional difficulty spike, things always felt within reach. Subsequently, this is a good starting point for anyone wishing to tackle the genre.
Base building and bosses.
Arms of God offers some minor base-building elements. As you complete each run, you’ll have enough resources to rebuild different elements. These can be used to permanently increase your stats. Alternatively, you can improve weapons, upgrades, and an array of blessings.
The permanent upgrades are essential. If you do not improve your character, you’ll never beat the array of bosses you face. Each of these gargantuan beasts will test you in different ways. Therefore, you must arm yourself with melee and ranged weapons if you wish to be successful.
Arms of God has a sinister edge.
Unlike its peers, this experience focuses solely on arena-based combat. There is no map to explore, and each act offers a new take on each compact location. This was a little repetitive, but thankfully, there is enough variation to keep things interesting. Where Arms of God becomes a little problematic is in the latter hectic stages. Things become tricky to observe, and this makes it horrible to observe on a smaller screen.
If you love sombre, aggressive, and heavy music, then you’ll adore the original soundtrack. The music takes inspiration from DOOM, and there is very little rest from the bass-heavy tracks. Each song is complemented by the fantasy sound effects and the noise of every bullet. In short, your ears will be feeling every moment.
Simple controls.
I couldn’t have hoped for easier controls. This auto-shooter asks you to focus on movement, dashing, and little else. This is a great approach as the never-ending wave of foes can be overwhelming. Despite the madness, this is a great title if you are new to the genre.
Arms of God is an addictive game that offers plenty of replay value. Some of the action is repetitive, but the different stage design, varied monsters, and additional game modes offer loads of longevity.
Arms of God is a nice indie experience.
I love this genre and will never tire of the core mechanics and its addictive ways. The action is sombre, challenging, and interesting. Although it can be a little overwhelming and repetitive, I loved every second. Accordingly, it’s great, and I recommend buying it here! Can you successfully fight the demonic hordes? Choose your hero, pick your weapons, and defeat every boss.
