RIFTSTORM is an “extraction-lite” top-down shooter set in a universe where you play as special agents who, apparently, travel across time and space to defeat mythical enemies and cosmic threats. As an elite strike force, the gameplay loop revolves around you getting a mission from your HUB, heading out to complete the mission either solo or in co-op, and then extracting, collecting per-level roguelike augments along the way to change up your playstyle.
At least, those are all of the things RIFTSTORM claims to be. If I’m being honest, I had a different impression while playing, to the point where I felt like some of these features are deceptively advertised.
The gameplay loop of RIFTSTORM is exactly as follows.
Starting in the hub world, and assuming you’ve completed the game’s tutorials, you choose to take on some objectives from the game’s super-computer quest giver. These objectives require you to do things like complete a certain level or defeat a certain number of enemies, which you do by selecting and going on a series of missions that take you to different levels. These missions have you completing a series of objectives while fighting off hordes of enemies and collecting roguelike power-ups along the way.
Those power-ups, by the way, are definitely the most fun part of the game. There aren’t too many of them in the current build, but mutating your firearms into crazy killing machines is pretty fun. I loved getting the ability to split my rocket launcher’s projectiles on hit, allowing me to basically clear an entire room with one shot.
As you complete these missions, you gather crafting materials and weapon caches you can open back at the hub for permanent loot. Levels end after you complete all objectives, defeat the boss, and gather at the so-called extraction point to return to the hub area. There, you sort your loot, craft new gear, and repeat the process.
If you’re someone who has played a lot of extraction shooters, at least the modern definition of the term, you might be wondering where the extraction gameplay is in that description. The answer is that there isn’t any.
RIFTSTORM doesn’t actually qualify as an extraction shooter. The game has no extraction elements besides the fact that leaving a level is called “extracting.” There is no risk-reward factor for staying behind past the point of safety to get more loot, no ticking clock, and really nothing that qualifies as extraction-like gameplay. I would say that the game is more of a mission-based ARPG or roguelike. This wouldn’t be so necessary to point out if the game wasn’t advertised so heavily with the extraction tagline, making it seem almost like it’s trying to reel in players from a specific genre who wouldn’t find what they were looking for here anyway.
As an action roguelike, RIFTSTORM is okay. There are a decent number of guns to find, which vary slightly in playstyle, and the power-ups can be really fun once you get a good build going. In its current Early Access state, I would definitely say the game needs more content, like additional guns and more power-ups, because the current selection feels a bit bare-bones.
What I really didn’t love about the game is just how much you have to grind to unlock things. The game has an abundance of different crafting materials that are used to unlock everything, including new characters. To unlock some of those characters, you also need to be on the lookout for special missions that reward their unique crafting components.
While I understand that having things to unlock keeps players invested, RIFTSTORM‘s grind is, in a word, tedious. It takes a long time, and the fact that you have to grind to unlock characters means there is a non-zero chance you’ll spend most of that time playing a character you aren’t really interested in or invested in, hoping to unlock the one you actually want.
On a more subjective note, I really didn’t understand what style RIFTSTORM was going for.
The game makes it clear in its opening cutscene that your organization, and the threat it is fighting, have been around forever. It suggests that the Black Plague and even the First World War were actually battles fought against this evil threat, and it shows pictures of operators across time. This “operating across time” motif seems to continue throughout the game, as you have the ability to unlock old-school firearms that have been bolstered and reimagined with new technological elements attached to them.
But then you get into the actual game, and it’s all just sort of generic sci-fi. All of the operators look like cool near-future agents, with the exception of one, my favorite, who carries an ancient grimoire alongside her sleek modern-day suit. All the game’s levels also appear to take place within the same sci-fi facility where the game starts. Nothing ever suggests you’re exploring “impossible doorways to a limitless universe of wonders,” as the game’s description implies. It feels like an underexplored aspect the game wants to convince you exists when, in practice, it really doesn’t.
RIFTSTORM isn’t a terrible game. In its current Early Access build, it could scratch an itch and provide some fun roguelite gameplay for a small group of players. However, I feel like the game doesn’t have much to offer right now, and it even misrepresents what it is to attract a potential audience. If you’re interested in the game, I suggest waiting to see where it goes during Early Access before buying.
Pros:
- Roguelike gameplay makes some exciting weapon power fantasies
- Co-op gameplay works well for groups of friends
- Some interesting character concepts
- The game is built for long-term replayability, even if it can get a bit repetitive
- Solid feeling shooting mechanics, with each weapon feeling distinct
Cons:
- “Extraction” mechanics are absent and feel falsely advertised
- Current weapon and power-up selection feels underwhelming
- Progression unlocks require a significant, and at times tedious, grind
- Levels lack variety and often feel visually repetitive
- The game’s overall setting and themes feel underutilized, or confusing in their presentation
Try Hard Guides was provided a Steam code for this PC Early Access Review of RIFTSTORM. Find more detailed looks at popular and upcoming titles on our Game Reviews page!
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