There's a complex science to differentiating between first-person shooter games. The movement shooter is the antithesis of the military simulation, and you can't be any farther away from a boomer shooter than a battle royale. A slurry of subgenre archetypes, tags and "gameplay feels" serve as the building blocks for FPS taxonomy, creating a tried-and-true system to organize new games.
That's why it's all the more thrilling when a new experience resists being cleanly categorized. Yes, developer Pigeons at Play's Mycopunk was obviously inspired by Deep Rock Galactic. You're dropping onto the surface of a dangerous planet to solve a megacorp's problems, air out hordes of enemies, collect some shiny loot and extract with your friends.
But Mycopunk is also a grab bag of the greatest mechanics from FPS subgenres across the spectrum, combining team-based hero abilities, dynamic movement mechanics and impactful gunplay with classic co-op horde shooter action to great effect. There's a lot to love in this game, no matter which shooters usually appeal to you.
From dusty shroomfields to green overgreen research facilities, Mycopunk is popping with color no matter where you land. Pigeons at Play/Devolver Digital
Strap in, drop down and get ready to be a wage slave
If you're familiar with Deep Rock Galactic, you'll quickly acclimate to life on New Atlas.
You're trading in your pickaxe, beard and short stature for a metal chassis as one of the Saxon Corporation's robotic employees. The megacorporation has vested interests (and many expensive assets) down on the planet's surface, but a mysterious threat has taken over the company's research facilities -- a fungal growth sprawling across planets that you'll need to exterminate, one gun-toting mushroom at a time.
You're expendable, you're paid pennies on the dollar and Saxon is too busy violently suppressing the Galactic Union of Workers to send you reinforcements. That means it's up to you, your robot buddies and your handler Roachard (a talking roach-man) to clean up this problem alone.
Thankfully, every class brings distinct abilities (and personalities) to the battlefield in order to take down the sentient spores.
The most basic FPS character, the Wrangler, is a washed-up cowboy bot with a jump dash and a lasso, which can be used to yank in enemies or grapple out of danger. The Bruiser is an ex-security bot who loves gambling and tanking damage for the team, using his hefty frame to dish out melee retaliation. The Scrapper and Glider are the best team players, creating extra mobility and providing crucial healing for their allies to help them out in a pinch.
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