A lot of stomach for jank needed, but deep in here is a promising attempt at a translation of the Steam-beloved Sword of the Stars: The Pit into a real-time FPS. It works well enough, but also very early in early access.

'Electric inflicts electric with electric.'

I found the fun. Eventually.

The Pit Infinity doesn't give the best first impression to an outsider. It makes infinitely more sense in the light of it being an attempt at an almost direct translation of the Steam-beloved 2D, turn-based roguelike Sword of the Stars: The Pit into a real-time FPS. The engineer, scout and assault classes, RNG/numerical skill-based opening of doors and containers, the enemy types, inventory and items, the labyrinthian floor layouts, and even the room furnishing designs are all given the 3D treatment.

There are two immediate questions. What can you say of a game so so early in its early access life? And does this FPS conversion produce a coherent experience in itself given how mechanically true to its spiritual predecessor it appears?

As to the former, the most immediate issues from such an early reveal are in its presentation. Textures look placeholder, all floors as you progress indistinguishable, and animations can appear awkward or simply be non-extant (no weapon switch animation). BUT I do like the detail in animations for using the various containers and keypads, and the enemies and their designs are consistently fun to discover. Voice acting doesn't grate, if not repeating a tincture too much, and makes a fine attempt at humour. As it stands, some stomach for jank is simply a requisite for entry. That initial long long loading screen on launch, the ever-present danger of random crashes, grenades not throwing, and I'm sure an assortment of other things I didn't encounter. If you're interested in entering the pit now, I suppose it should be as someone wanting to help a small developer out with a game in progress.

Where they keep the gunge/slime for children's TV shows.

I think you could certainly ask what the minimum representation of a game should be in an early access release. This certainly feels earlier in progress that most others I've encountered, but that also enables more fundamental changes via feedback, so for a developer with a following it's perhaps the right direction. With an update schedule established and the promise of more regular weekly fixes, there is the hope that this will develop much like Sword of the Stars: The Pit before it. I'll leave you with your own perspective on that.

Most importantly, what of the game you'll play now? Combat dice rolls give way to traditional FPS antics, and everything else stays put - as bizarre as repeatedly failing a skill check on a door keypad again and again in a world of System Shock immersive sims can be (you can, in its defence, find floor keys and multitools). It's an approach to a roguelike FPS that does end up differentiating itself. Titles like Strafe, Immortal Redneck, Mothergunship, just to name a few, tend more towards FPS bullet hell principles in design. Surprisingly, much of what worked in 2D like waiting timers whilst opening anything (leaving you exposed to surprise attacks) and an emphasis on conservation of ammo, come out relatively unscathed. This makes for a considerately slower, more considered experience wherein run and gun combat feels discouraged or at least deemphasised. The kind of things such FPSs might forego so as to concentrate on their shooting dynamics - like inventory management, skill checks, hunger meters, and purely stat-based levelling up are all up front.

What organic matter would that be? Room's spotless.

Some of the best, most 'Doom' like qualities an FPS can have these days, in my eyes, include a real sense of dynamism and an ability to avoid all damage primarily through a rejection of hitscan weapons. AND YET there's something quite engaging in a modern rejection of this. Combat can feel almost close to its 2D counterpart in how slow you move effectively emulating you being rooted to the spot and weathering all attacks as you dish out your own. If you want to avoid damage? You run. Investigating a floor for items, therefore, is about negating the war of attrition on your health from every encounter and balancing that with an immediate trip to the next floor if you've found the leaving elevator. It feels like the game has turned its back on all convention and bizarrely found its own centre of gravity.

Treating it as a tough survival experience - as far to the limit of 30 floors as possible - I found my engagement with it. It's a shame the thirty floors feel a vague, early access-constricted meta aim for now, but updates will come. It can be a ruthless challenge, offering as it does many an opportunity for progressing poisoning and disease, getting overwhelmed by mere handfuls of enemies, and becoming ammo-hungry whilst being bettered by every skill check you face.

What I didn't expect at all after my initial impressions was that I'd end up seeing some coherency in the game's design and actually relish my attempts at 'beating the pit.' I'm reasonably excited by the prospect of a fully-polished (especially crash-exorcised) Pit of Doom that doubles down on its mission of seemingly converting a hardcore 2D roguelike into an FPS as close as at all possible. It's bizarre, but wonderful to have these Devs charting this space. If they follow through with their intended update schedule, Pit of Doom could maybe, just maybe be one to watch - if not something to jump on board with earlier to help direct the course of. Just be aware that the ride can currently be a very bumpy one.