Assemble your crew and suit up to rid the galaxy of a deadly planet-wide fungal catastrophe. Devolver Digital and Pigeons at Play present to us their latest creation, ‘Mycopunk’. A first-person, unsophisticated, co-op shooter that delivers a feeling quite similar to Deep Rock Galactic with its witty punchlines and unique look.

Hired by megacorp, Saxon, a highly successful space travel company, you are part of the New Atlas Hazard Crew. A ragtag group of robot rejects tasked with unearthing the mysteries behind a planet-wide fungal calamity. Working as a team, you and your friends can pick between 4 characters known as Wrangler, Bruiser, Scrapper and my personal favourite, Glider.

Starting simply, controls are super easy to get the hang of in this action shooter. The odd “Q” or “F” for abilities paired with traditional movement and shooting keys bestows a quick way to launch yourself into the action and take on those fungal foes. As stated in our preview, where we covered the demo version, Mycopunk doesn’t give you seconds between waves to gather your breath. On the easier levels, you get some time here and there.

However, once you start the intense levels, it amps up. Fierce is all I can say. You don’t have time between waves to gather yourself, as the action is packed and fast-paced, making for an incredible time with friends as you fight through multiple hordes to complete the mission and extract.

Choosing which character was the hardest decision I had to make, as I was trying to pick what I thought would be the best for the team. After playing with each character, I found the one that suited me most was Glider.

Glider is a fast and agile healer that launches rocket salvos that either heal your teammates or damage enemies after locking on, and allows you to fly around to avoid being surrounded or cornered by those dastardly fungi.

There are heaps of upgrades and customisations that you can do for your character, weapons and grenades, allowing you to make a unique build to suit your playstyle. Unlike in the demo, each character now has a skill tree with more upgrades than before.

These upgrades include increasing your rocket salvo healing or extending your wingsuit duration, among others. While we can all agree sessions with friends are fun, you can also launch missions solo or join other people’s sessions to join in the action or test your skills solo.

While there is heaps of fun to be had with friends, the content gets stale at times. There aren’t many enemy types, but I’m sure this will be fixed in future updates, so I’m not too concerned about it, as the fast-paced action makes up for it.

The unique and unsophisticated look of Mycopunk is striking. Bold, energetic colours are plastered throughout the game. Whether you’re in the middle of a fight or fooling around on your ship, there is sure to be picturesque scenery for every occasion.

For example, there is a section of your ship that has a vast viewing platform that lets you look out and admire the various stars and radiant colours throughout the galaxy. In contrast, the use of pastel colours is also very noticeable; it’s hard to deny that the scenery in the game is very striking for how chaotic run and gun this title can be.

Paired with an excellent look, there is a smooth and relaxing soundtrack on the ship that picks up intensity as you launch into battle. The upbeat tempo enhances the action-packed experience, as you fight for your life against the hordes of fungi, but then, when you return to your ship, it transitions back to a relaxing tone as you gather your thoughts. It really complements the whole experience.

Overall, I had a blast jamming Mycopunk with my friends, eradicating the galaxy of those viral beings. Incredible views, action-packed gameplay, and a plethora of upgrades and customisation made this title stand out to me amongst various other big title games. It’s a unique take on a co-op shooter that offers a refreshing feel in today’s market, which I’m sure fans of Deep Rock Galactic will love to explore.

Written by: Larry