CRYEP

I came into CRYEP expecting a janky throwback and got something that is, at minimum, earnest about what it wants to be. The pitch is simple: take the run-and-gun intensity of classic Contra, bolt on roguelite structure, set it in a sci-fi parallel universe circa the year 3318 where cybernetically enhanced humans are fighting alien invaders, and wrap the whole thing in a 2D side-scrolling shell. On paper that combination has legs. In practice it is uneven, but not without genuine moments that justify the premise. The core loop is a straightforward side-scrolling shooter with platforming sections that demand patience rather than speed. You clear aliens off each map, manage two weapon types, and navigate environmental puzzles that require dragging keystones to specific points to unlock exits. Miss a step on the puzzle side and the game quietly backs you into a corner and makes you restart. That particular mechanic is either satisfying or infuriating depending on your headspace. Controls are reportedly responsive and the game's own community suggests a gamepad over mouse and keyboard for the best feel, which tracks for anything trying to channel 16-bit arcade energy. Wall climbing is your main movement tech, normal double jumps are off the table, so map traversal has a ceiling you will bump into early. Where CRYEP earns real goodwill is the local multiplayer modes. Up to six players can run the VS and co-op maps on a single machine, which is a legitimate selling point for anyone still doing couch sessions. Eight maps for single-player and co-op runs, plus ten for VS mode, gives the local crowd something to chew on. The boss design shows care, with a difficulty curve that communicates what you are doing wrong rather than just punishing you blindly. Enemy variety across the maps is solid enough that repeat runs do not feel completely identical. The problems are hard to ignore, though. The "Massively Multiplayer" tag on the store page is a stretch by any reasonable definition. Online PvP was listed as a planned feature at launch, years ago, and the player population is essentially invisible right now. If you are coming in expecting active online lobbies, lower your expectations to the floor. The weapon selection is lean with only two types in the base game and further additions apparently still on the roadmap. For a shooter fan, two weapon types is the kind of thing that limits build variety before it even becomes a conversation. Post-launch updates have been inconsistent, and the game carries the honest scars of an Early Access project that never fully grew into its ambitions. At its current price tier, CRYEP makes more sense as a couch co-op curio than a serious solo roguelite. If you have a couple of friends willing to pile onto one keyboard (or a few controllers), the local six-player chaos mode is a legit fun time for an evening. Solo? The content is thin, the online is a ghost town, and games like Dead Cells or Rogue Legacy exist at comparable or lower prices with vastly more depth. Go in with calibrated expectations and you will not feel burned. Go in expecting a polished Contra spiritual successor and you will be out inside two hours.

Fred · Scout Team

Shooters

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