Unyielder feels like a boss-rush version of Doom Eternal and that’s rad

As a seasoned gamer with decades of gaming under my belt, let me tell you, PAX West never ceases to amaze me. But this year, something truly special caught my eye – Unyielder. The moment I laid eyes on it, I knew I had to play it. And boy, was I not disappointed!


The show floor is the great equalizer. It doesn’t matter how big your booth is, how well-known your game is, or how many setups you have. If you put something cool on the show floor at PAX West, people will line up to play it. And as I played Unyielder on one of the two setups on the show floor at PAX West, people started lining up behind me. It wasn’t because of me; my play was solid, but not incredible. It’s because Unyielder looks so damn cool. It’s the kind of game you see that makes you say “I want to play that.”

In simpler terms, Unyielder is similar to Doom Eternal but with more vibrant colors, a cyberpunk aesthetic, and a focus on boss battles – all wrapped up in a roguelike format. It might sound unusual, but give it a try, it’s quite engaging. The demo I played began by placing me in a large room filled with weapons and enhancements. I selected a revolver, powerful pistol, and rocket launcher for my arsenal, then picked temporary boosts such as enhanced burn damage, increased drop rates for heavy weapon ammo, or larger clip capacities at the expense of reload speed. Next, I was transported to the boss arena.

In my initial encounter, I faced an enemy resembling a robot spider that fired lasers and scattered missiles, necessitating continuous movement to dodge attacks. Fortunately, Unyielder offers various maneuvering options to help navigate tricky situations. You’ve got the ability to jump, dash twice, slide, and use a grappling hook – each one can be seamlessly combined with the others. Initially, it takes some getting used to, but once mastered, you’ll find yourself constantly moving, evading attacks and strategically positioning for counterattacks. At its peak, controlling Unyielder feels like an elegant dance between you and the bosses, harmoniously moving in sync with each other.

Later on, there’s the topic of Unyielder’s guns. Oh boy, do they have a great feel to them! Whether it’s the smooth and thrilling reload animations (the way the bolt flies on that rifle is simply amazing) or the powerful kick when you fire the rocket launcher and the thunderous sound of its impact, they really deliver. I didn’t manage to defeat the spiderbot boss during my first attempt, so for my second try, I decided to modify my equipment, opting for a shotgun, an explosive rifle, and a rocket launcher instead. It wasn’t that the other guns were bad; cocking the hammer on that revolver was a blast, and that other pistol had a satisfying firing feel. I just didn’t plan my gear selection effectively and needed a bit more punch and some additional versatility. But when I made the change? That spider bot met its match!

In approximately 30 seconds, I had to snatch ammunition and health, reload my weapons, and pick some upgrades dropped by the boss, all while a robot armed with a colossal hammer entered the battlefield. Now, let’s discuss an exciting feature of Unyielder: you can disrupt specific attacks during their initial animations using melee attacks or shots. If successful, this will stun the boss, making them vulnerable to counterattacks. Striking them while they’re stunned initiates a unique animation, inflicting massive damage, providing health and ammo, which are essential for keeping up in the fight.

After encountering that second boss, armed with a hammer, I must admit it proved to be quite a challenge compared to the first one. To survive, I had to keep moving and seize any opportunity to disrupt his attacks, allowing me to deliver those powerful blows, replenish my health, and ammo. It was a demanding task, but once I found my rhythm, he hardly managed to harm me. That’s when the audience started appearing.

Following his descent, my demonstration concluded. It seemed that there existed a hidden third boss, accessible only by achieving a specific score – a milestone I narrowly missed. Regrettably, there were merely two demo stations available, yet the glimpse I had was enough to understand that Trueworld Games were creating something extraordinary with Unyielder. I’d have another chance to battle that elusive third boss in the future. Many others recognized the potential of Unyielder and yearned for an opportunity to experience it, making it all the more impressive when a game can inspire such anticipation.

This preview is based on the demo provided by the publisher on the show floor at PAX West 2024.

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2024-09-09 16:28