Helldivers 2 can get pretty scary at times, but it’s fundamentally an action-first game. The same could largely be said of its original, top-down progenitor, although the vision-limiting perspective of the first game made it much tougher to know when you were running directly into even more trouble than you were leaving behind. Putting an even more spooky twist on proceedings and reminiscent of Valve classic Alien Swarm is new roguelike game Ammo and Oxygen, and a free demo just launched on Steam.
Ammo and Oxygen injects a little more survival horror into the top-down shooter format to create a roguelike game where careful resource management is key to survival and every bullet counts. Along with your health and ammunition, you’ll also have to carefully monitor spare oxygen tanks and batteries for your flashlight, swapping them out at the last possible moment as the last drops drain away to conserve your supplies.
With even the smallest enemy capable of dealing serious damage if you’re caught unawares, you’ll need to stay alert to avoid sudden death. Likewise, dealing with enemies using quiet melee attacks, or avoiding confrontation altogether, may prove a much better option in the long-term than a quick-fix grenade that draws more dangerous threats towards your location.
That said, there are quite a wide range of weapons and equipment to stock up on, including all the standard assortment of pistols, assault rifles, and shotguns, along with more advanced fare such as grenade launchers, katanas, sound absorption kits, and energy shields. Between runs, you’ll have the chance to upgrade core stats such as your movement speed and battery consumption rate to help you out on future attempts.
While you can attempt to survive alone, you can also play in co-op with up to four players total. Currently, there’s only support for local co-op, although you can use the Steam remote play feature to join your friends online if you like. When the darkness of night falls, after all, you’ll likely be glad of anyone friendly to watch your back.
Ammo and Oxygen is set to launch on Steam in 2024. A free demo is available to play now, featuring the first environment, Sandy Canyon. Simply head over to Steam to download the demo, or add the full game to your wishlist to keep track of when it launches.
Love a good fright? The best horror games are the place to get them. Alternatively, have a look through even more of the biggest and best upcoming PC games in 2024 and beyond to see what’s on our radar.
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