Cthulhu’s Reach: Devil Reef is one of the easiest games for me to describe – and I don’t even have to do it myself, because the developers have already beaten me to the punch. Introduced as an “action roguelike co-op dungeon crawler set in a lovecraftian universe” on its very own Steam page, the game is refreshingly upfront about what it offers: it’s got retro-style pixel art, monsters and architecture inspired by Lovecraft’s iconic mythology, and relentless roguelike gameplay with all the basics you’d expect from the genre. Does it all work, though? You might be surprised, but… yes, kind of.
Guns blazing
Make no mistake: this isn’t a survival horror game. It may be drawing inspiration from the works of master terrifier H.P. Lovecraft, but it’s very much meant to be a fun, mostly light-hearted affair about shooting monsters and grabbing loot. In the opening, you’re plopped down onto a dark and dreary beach, from where you take a boat to the eldritch, procedurally-generated labyrinth that serves as the game’s main setting. Once there… it’s time to start blasting. If you’ve played a dungeon crawler or roguelike (any roguelike, really), you likely won’t find too many surprises here: you run around breaking crates and vases to pick up loot and ammo while searching for color-coded keys that open locked doors leading deeper into the complex, all the while fighting off various cosmic abominations roaming its ancient hallways. The money you collect can be spent on permanent weapon unlocks between levels, but this is the only thing that stays with you across runs: in classic roguelike fashion, dying means that all your cash and upgrades are lost. Starting from scratch every time can be repetitive, like in the case of most roguelikes, but thankfully, gameplay is speedy enough where you can build up progress at a fairly decent pace, and weapons already unlocked will be available to find in loot crates even on the earliest of stages.
Speaking of gameplay, the controls are actually pretty tight, and you even have a fancy dodge roll to rely on, along with a melee weapon and several available firearms. The weapons all have a fairly good feel to them and come with both pros and cons: the Tommy gun mows down groups of enemies with ease but runs out of ammo fast, the shotgun has an annoying spread and is weak from afar, but can be utterly devastating at close range, and even your basic melee weapon (an axe) has its uses, since it can hit multiple enemies at once – you just have to be careful not to stay in melee range for too long, otherwise you risk being overwhelmed. Also, using it costs stamina. Sadly, the axe is the only weapon that can’t be upgraded, which is a shame, because the game could’ve really benefited from giving players the ability to fully specialize in close quarters combat.
As a side note, the protagonist’s speed is high enough where you can comfortably outrun the majority of your enemies, meaning you can actually get through a level without killing most of the monsters roaming about. Provided you never stop running and time your dodges well, you can actually grab your keys, collect as much gold as possible, unlock every door and be on your merry way to the next zone without so much as firing your gun, which I personally found to be a viable – and rather cheeky – strategy to use.
The horde awakens
So, the core gameplay is fun, but what about the enemies? During the three hours I spent with the game, I ran into shambling, zombie-like Innsmouth residents, simple slimes, Deep Ones that fire magical projectiles at you, and fast, creepy-crawly monsters that are immune to gunfire and must be put down with a melee weapon. They each specialize in different things: the slimes can apply a slow debuff on you, the creepy-crawly monster can grab you and hold you in place, while the Deep Ones’ endless barrage of fast-moving projectiles force you into a defensive position of constant dodging. Which is all nice, although I would’ve appreciated some more variety.
That said, the game certainly knows how to introduce a bit of anarchy into the mix by occasionally throwing massive groups of enemies at you: just imagine a huge conga line of Innsmouth zombies, slimes and Deep Ones all slithering towards you by the dozen. The Deep Ones with their projectiles are especially dangerous, by the way – if you ever suffer the misfortune of encountering a larger congregation of them, prepare your dodge-reflexes for an authentic lovecraftian bullet hell experience. Long story short: on later levels, tensions can certainly run high, which I enjoyed.
The upgrade dilemma
I wished there was more to find and uncover in the labyrinths, though. Aside from picking up keys, there’s not much to do, and the upgrade altars you randomly come across only provide very milquetoast bonuses – increased crit chance, extra knockback and added elemental effects aren’t exactly things that get me excited, nor do they change the basic flow of gameplay in overly drastic ways. Honestly, the only upgrade I’ve seen with some semblance of personality is the one that lets you jump up into the air, then deliver a ground stomping attack to damage multiple foes at once. I feel like finding varied and interesting upgrades should be one of the highlights of the roguelike experience, as well as a much-needed source of dopamine – but here, you barely even have to think about which ones to pick, because none of them really stand out. Granted, the game does make attempts at spicing things up a bit. There are floor traps, but they’re easily avoidable; there are also explosive barrels, which can be used to strategically blow larger groups of enemies to smithereens, but you only come across them once in a blue moon. Even still, it stands testament to the addictive nature of the core gameplay loop that I kept wanting to go back for more runs even after multiple deaths and two crashes that completely wiped my progress. That has to count for something, you know?
Closing thoughts
To conclude, Cthulhu’s Reach: Devil Reef is a fun little roguelike. I think there’s some definite potential in the game, and the fundamentals it brings to the table are all enjoyable. It offers simple, Lovecraft-themed fun that can actually be rather challenging at times, but there’s still some room for improvement in terms of variety and overall polish, I feel. Here’s hoping the rest of the Early Access period can provide just that.
