Bite-sized Review:
Rogue Genesia

By Chris Picone, 08 August 2024

Rogue Genesia is "yet another" Vampire Survivors clone. Kidding! It is a survivors-like and has all the hallmarks but Ouadi Huard have really put a lot of thought into how to take the genre to the next level by focusing on roguelike elements - and have succeeded.  It's awesome. 

Aesthetics

Rogue Genesia looks fantastic.  They've kept the kind of simplistic, "retro" look, but delivered in glorious modern high definition pixels.  The monsters look awesome, everything's animated, and the weapons and special effects are really splashy. There's a range of avatars and skins to try out, and in between each level you're brought to a sort of world map to choose your path and next reward or challenge. 

Gameplay

Rogue Genesia features tiered roguelike campaigns.  Each level plays out like a normal survivors-like levels.  You know what I mean - an endless wave of enemies that gradually increase in strength which you cut down with your autofiring weapons. Collect the gems they drop when they die, level up, upgrade your weapons or stats.  Rogue Genesia is very understated compared to many of its competitors; levels come thick and fast but the upgrades are usually small incremental improvements that stack up.  And because there are so many, you can adjust your play style as you go.  Likewise the enemy swarms aren't anywhere as ridiculous as the huge swarms faced in games like Vampire Survivors but they tend to be a bit tougher so you'll actually need to dash around and position yourself to make the most of your weapon ranges.  Where Rogue Genesia really differs, though, is that instead of every run lasting thirty minutes (or whatever), every level comes with its own mission:  Sometimes it's kill x enemies or x champions, or survive for x minutes, and there are usually bonus missions for extra rewards. Between each mission you pick your next step along the path to the boss; regular levels, swarm levels, champion levels, of course there are shops to spend the coins you collect along the way, and there are even special missions and random events.  It's a nice twist on the genre and I found the shorter levels but more purposeful levels to be a much nicer way to play. Especially as an adult with a busy life because you can save and exit between any level. 

Verdict

Survivors-like fans will love Rogue Genesia, I'm sure.  However, I expect the hybrid approach will likely also attract roguelike shooter fans.   Personally, I loved it. Rogue Genesia has quickly become one of my favourite survivors-likes, rising well above the chaff.

Links: 

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2067920/Rogue_Genesia/