Genetic Disaster Review

The Basics:

Take a bit of Enter the Gungeon (without the clever bullet-shaped characters), add in a splash of Binding of Isaac, mix, and serve. This is a top down, 2D twin-stick shooter, where you assume the role of one of a handful of armored critters who are exploring a dungeon infested with robotic enemies, none of which are happy to have you there. Along the way, you'll find new guns, and there is a nice amount of variety, from your standard pistols, to Uzis, shotguns and much stranger fare, like a short-range goop gun that fires projectiles in a good sized spread. Mutators can grant bonuses or detriments to the players or to the entire play-field, like the one that has icicles raining down from the sky every few seconds, tearing you (and everyone) up and making the room even more hectic and dangerous.

The Story & Flow

You and up to three other heavily-armed and armored mutant freaks wander through the dungeons, blasting away at everything in sight, and trying to stay alive, while outdoing your trigger happy pals for kills and loot. You rampage your way through, seeking out bigger and badder guns, the ammo required to fuel them, and of course, gold to buy more heavy ordnance. The game gets tougher the more buddies you have to fight by your side, and you can upgrade your hero as you progress, making you a more efficient creature in your quest to kick ass and stay alive. Each unique character has their own special abilities, some of which work much better than others, but there is a good amount of variety as you search for the character that suits you best. 

For couch co-op it's a fun enough time, but this is clearly an unfinished game, and unfortunately, it shows. There is a lot of crashing, and the combat seems a bit unbalanced. There is also not a lot of handholding, which is fine given the genre, but sometimes it is unclear of where to go or how to go about defeating a given boss, and there are some rough audio bits and bugs which make the game feel unpolished.  

Controls

Keyboard/mouse or controller (much preferred). Native XBONE controller support, but the mouse and keyboard is where it's at.

Graphics & Sound

The graphics are fun, goofy and cheerful. Some levels skew towards a Victorian design, while others are almost steam-punkish. The character designs are interesting and varied, and characters almost bob and bounce across the screen as you unload your every which way. The characters themselves are pleasantly bizarre, and varied. The enemy types come in a good amount of goofy forms, even if it is tough to appreciate them when there are missiles and machine gun fire spraying across the screen.

The sound isn't exceptional, but it fits the game and tone. The music is bubbly and easy on the ears, and the guns sound right, if a bit generic.