Fans of 90s retro-shooters have an interesting new addition to the genre with the official release of Prodeus, a game that is an homage to the era itself rather than to any one particular FPS. Developer Bounding Box Software wears its influences on its sleeve, with obvious nods to Doom,Wolfenstein, Quake, and more, but at no point does Prodeus ever commit to any one game to clone.
Instead, it simply tries to insert itself into the same playing field as those other games, giving its players something unique in the process. As such, while some tactics that worked in 90s shooters will translate here, some new tricks will need to be learned to conquer the many levels across this boomer shooter's alien hellscape. Here are the essential tips for starting out.
10 Don't Stop Moving
Taking a cue from Doom - both old and new - Prodeus requires players to fight on the move, Enemies are plentiful and accurate, and standing still or even behind cover will invite several of them to land a hit or four. This run-and-gun style can make aiming a bit trickier, but guns are powerful enough for that to be a minor inconvenience, and the power of modern gaming gear means the visuals can keep pace with the frantic gameplay.
Levels are also designed with this constant movement in mind. Every combat arena will feature plenty of obstacles to dash behind, platforms to jump up to or duck under, and varying elevations to separate the enemy horde into smaller, more manageable groups. Players should use all of it to their advantage.
9 Don't Get Cocky
Prodeus has a fantastic opening level. It does a great job of teaching all the game's basics (of which there aren't many), throwing the player into unarmed combat, and then giving them a gun so they can dive right into the meat of the game experience. The whole thing takes about five minutes, but it gives an excellent first impression.
One thing the opening level is not is overly difficult. This can give players a false sense of confidence, one that will quickly be crushed by the rapidly escalating difficulty of the ensuing levels. In other words, be ready to learn more and learn fast as the game progresses, and definitely don't expect fist attacks to remain as viable throughout the game as they are in its introduction.
8 Decide Between Sprites And Models
Something that immediately stands out about Prodeus is its art style. A cross between old-school 16-bit graphics and modern lighting and effects, it's a surprisingly convincing combination of artistic ideas that would seemingly clash on paper, yet works wonderfully in practice.
However, players may need to tinker with the game's settings to make the visuals feel just right. This will primarily be due to the game's enemies, which have both 16-bit sprites and 3D models that can be implemented. For some, the 3D models will look wrong in the game's pixilated environments. For others, the sprites will be distracting due to their low resolution. Prodeus makes it easy to switch between the two, so try both and select whichever feels most natural.
7 Experiment With Guns
There are a lot of guns available in Prodeus. Right off the bat players will be provided with a Pistol, followed by a Shotgun, Plasma Rifle, and dual-wield SMGs. The arsenal will only expand from there, encompassing energy weapons, rocket launchers, and many more.
Each gun also comes equipped with an alt-fire to complement its standard ammunition. Both the standard- and alt-fires are essential to survival as the game progresses. Players should never be afraid to try out new guns as soon as they're available, as ammo is rarely restricted and knowing which guns best suit their playstyle will make it easier to choose their next tool of destruction during the heat of battle.
6 Save Up Some Ore Fragments
Throughout the game's levels, players will come across Ore Fragments, a resource that will allow them to unlock new weapons when they find a shop later on. Ore Fragments don't take long to accumulate, and when the first shop finally appears, players should have enough to pick up the Shotgun, and retro shooter fans may be inclined to do so.
It is prudent, however, to save up a bit more Ore Fragments and buy the Plasma Rifle first instead. The main reason is that the Shotgun, the Pistol, and the SMGs use the same ammo type, whereas the Plasma Rifle uses Plasma ammo. For the sake of versatility alone, saving up a bit more and getting the Plasma Rifle first will avoid any situations where players accidentally burn through all their ammo, while having a stockpile of Plasma ammo that is sitting there useless.
5 Backtrack Often
While the game features numerous levels, each one won't take players too long to complete. Usually, they can expect anywhere from five to 15 minutes from start to end, but that's just for clearing their way through the enemies to the finish line. There is lots more to find at the fringes of each area.
On the level select screen, each level will display its total number of secrets, as well as how many the player has discovered so far. Rarely will the first run through a level end with all of these secrets being found. Therefore, players should be prepared to double back frequently and collect any secrets they may have missed along the way.
4 Get Used To The Auto-Map
Prodeus' auto-map is exceptional. It's probably better than necessary, to be honest. The game's level design is of a high-enough quality that players won't need to frequently rely on the area map to find their way forward. It becomes extremely useful when hunting for secrets though, and that's where familiarity will come in handy.
The extremely detailed, 3D-rendering of each stage is not only easy to navigate from above, but Prodeus actually allows players to take a "drone's-eye" view of the map by flying down into each corridor and exploring without the need for jumping or the hindrance of enemies getting in the way. With all these tools comes a bit of a learning curve, so it's worth spending some extra time getting used to all the options available on the map screen.
3 Play With Headphones
This isn't so much of a tactical tip as it is a tip for appreciating the underlying aspects of Prodeus' design. The game's audio is top-notch throughout. Guns are punchy and satisfying, unloading lead with satisfying reports or sending out air-sizzling lasers with a familiar "charge-and-fire" effect. Similarly, each enemy type has its own vocalizations, and more importantly, they all blow apart in a glorious, splattering mess.
Then there's the soundtrack. Taking a cue from Doom, heavy guitar riffs and bass drums drive the pace of play. Unlike Doom, however, the heavy metal in Prodeus is less experimental and more traditional, adding more to the feeling of being an epic killing machine than to the sense of foreboding evil that envelops its more well-known boomer shooter cousin.
2 Turn On Minimal HUD
As a descriptor, "Minimal HUD" does a disservice to what this setting actually provides to the player. Right from the beginning of the game, the main character is wearing what is essentially a super suit, and it is presented by overlaying a visor effect as part of the HUD. This effect does little beyond obstructing the player's view of the battlefield.
Turning on the "Minimal HUD" setting does nothing more than remove that "visor" effect. Health, ammo, and guns are all still displayed clearly, as is the crosshair. All the setting will do is make it easier to see the moment-to-moment gameplay, which is almost essential given how fast some fights play out.
1 Complete Trial Missions
As they push forward through the level select screen, players will notice the occasional "Trial" level popping up off the beaten path. They may seem inconsequential, but they are worth playing for a variety of reasons.
For one, completing a Trial will reward Ore Fragments, leading to more weapon unlocks, which is always a good thing. Second, they allow for practicing with a particular weapon in an enclosed area that's designed specifically for its use, increasing players' comfort level with that gun outside the main levels. And third, the Trials are awesome. They're very well-designed, and each one puts its own spin on the game's combat systems while providing unique ways to wipe out enemies that aren't found on other levels.
Prodeus was released on September 23rd, 2022, and is available on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC, and macOS, with a Nintendo Switch release planned in the near future.