Well, this will be a short one – sorry, guys. The year is 2120. An alien race called the ‘Murkors’ have invaded every corner of the earth with their unrivaled power and… rubber duck hats. The resistance holds out to prevent the extinction of humanity, but not for long. It’s up to you as a defender of Earth to level up and take on the murkor hordes… before the sun sets.

Sounds like a great premise, right? I thought the same. The game even comes with a catchy summary:

“No run is ever the same in this action-packed, adrenaline-fueled roguelite shooter. Start in a new location every time you play, complete randomized quests, strengthen yourself with items you collect, and take on gigantic bosses at the end of each level.” 

Gameplay:

So I played Die After Sunset and believe that although it has potential, there are areas that require improvement. While the game is still in Early Access, it would have been better not to release it on the Nintendo Switch in its current state. The graphics could use some work as they were of low quality and pixelated. The gameplay felt somewhat unpolished, and there were several game-breaking bugs and issues with enemy spawns. However, I found that dodging improved with upgrades and that the game became more enjoyable as I progressed.

One area that could use some work is the shooting mechanics, which require more precision than expected from a third-person shooter. The projectiles, rather than hitscan, can make it difficult to shoot and move simultaneously. Additionally, the upgrades could use some balancing, as there were almost non-stop elemental resistances, which became frustrating. Furthermore, the current system for consumables fell off. It would be more enjoyable to tie consumables to event rewards, making progression more fun and less frustrating.

While the game’s current state feels like a poor imitation of Fortnite, with some tweaks and improvements, Die After Sunset could become a much better experience. And yes, I know, we received a key for an early access game on Nintendo Switch. However, I noticed that there are some game-breaking bugs in the game. The controller play feels strange, it seems like there is aim repulsion instead of aim assist. Therefore, I would recommend playing the game with a keyboard and mouse for now.

Conclusion

So, to conclude. Don’t pick up Die After Sunset in its current state, and stick to the PC version. The visual representation does not do the game justice for the moment and should be avoided for now. I feel there are better roguelites out there to fill the need for this genre.

3/10

Tested on the Nintendo Switch.