Serious Sam: Shatterverse is a disappointing grind
The fast and frenetic gameplay of the Serious Sam series seems like the perfect fit for a roguelite, which is perhaps why Serious Sam: Shatterverse exists. Developed by Behaviour Interactive, the creator and publisher of Dead by Daylight, it’s just that: a roguelite first-person shooter set in the Serious Sam universe. It’s just a shame that it’s not all that much fun to play.
The story’s the same as ever: Mental is back, though this time, as Uber Mental, he poses a dimensional threat. And so, a number of Serious Sams from across various dimensions have been assembled to deal with the nefarious Uber Mental and his hordes. You’ll not have access to them all from the outset, though. Initially you’ll only be able to play as Retro Sam, and to unlock others such as Cartoon Sam and Alien Sam you’ll need to collect Catalyst Orbs, one of the game’s currencies.
The problem is, you’ll soon realise that Serious Sam: Shatterverse is quite the grind. Unlocking just one additional Sam will require you to finish a number of runs, and that’s if you don’t spend your heard-earned Catalyst Orbs on other things such as new weapons. Whereas some of the best roguelites make each run feel worthwhile, with you being able to unlock something that will add some variety to runs or help you achieve success, here, most runs simply feel unrewarding.
It doesn’t help that there’s not much in the way of randomisation. There are numerous zones here for you to work way through, each with a challenging boss awaiting you at the end. But if you play enough to find the same one served up to you multiple times, you’ll find that there’s little to keep them fresh and interesting. You’ll be constantly fighting against the same enemies and completing the same challenges, only you might have found some different weapons or perks along the way.
What’s more, the core gameplay here just feels a bit off. It simply doesn’t provide the same hit of adrenaline that the Serious Sam series typically does. Perhaps it’s because the hordes are smaller and the balance feels different. Or perhaps it’s simply because it’s not made by Croteam. Factor in some other issues, like audio levels being all over the place and the game not being optimised all that well for controller, and you have something that’s unfortunately rather disappointing.
Still, with some post-launch support, I could see Serious Sam: Shatterverse becoming more enjoyable to play. Adjusting the cost of some unlocks would be a good place to start, giving you access to some characters and weapons a little bit quicker. An additional layer of polish would be nice, too. Until then, you might want to jump in, especially if you have some like-minded friends to play it with, but don’t be surprised if the lack of variety quickly makes it feel rather repetitive.
Serious Sam: Shatterverse is available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
