When the 2016 Doom hit markets, it revitalized the franchise and made gamers realize how much we miss going fast. In the 90’s, it was common for characters in FPS games to move like a locomotive, but by the mid-2010’s, characters couldn’t sprint for more than five seconds before running out of breath.
Doom’s revival ushered in a new era of boomer shooters, games where it’s less about story and more about killing bad guys with big guns. Post Void takes the boomer shooter and runs with it, literally. It’s not about how high a body count you can amass, but about how fast you can beat levels. It’s a game where the slightest misstep sends you back to the title screen.
Post Void is now available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch.
Story – Mind Over Matter
Post Void’s story is almost non-existent. You play as a corpse with a glowing idol head and blast your way through 11 levels to reach enlightenment, or something like that. Aside from some opening text, there’s little context given to the murder and mayhem. Its trippy design and gameplay grab your attention, and it would be pointless to explain it.
The game drops you straight into the action with little room for explanation.
Post Void is as minimal as it gets. By keeping it simple, the player’s attention is never lost, their focus is always on the action. This is good because from the moment the game starts, it never stops. It’s like ecstasy, it assaults the mind and body and doesn’t let up until you quit playing.
Gameplay – The Need for Speed
Post Void is simple to grasp but difficult to master. The game’s 11 levels are broken into three acts and an epilogue. The goal is to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible while killing any enemies. There are no secrets, there are no boss fights. It’s just a corpse, his head, his gun, and a bunch of bad guys.
While Post Void draws inspiration from classic shooters, it also borrows elements from the roguelike genre. Every level is randomized and in between stages, you pick from one of three perks. This could be a new gun, extra health, or something wacky like bouncing bullets. Each act introduces new enemies like drones and suggestively designed monsters.
Get real good at Post Void, and you’ll be popping head shots like nobody’s business.
A quick trigger finger and spatial awareness are key to success, as is choosing the right perks. The shotgun makes quick work of incoming threats, while the mazelike level design tries misleading you in the wrong direction. The game may be short, but Post Void is relentless from start to finish.
Death Is Only the Beginning
Post Void kicks you in the dirty and forces you to eat it. The idol head your character carries is his health. The idol drains over time and when you take damage, while killing enemies refills it. Because the idol is constantly draining, you can’t stand around and need to be on the move. If you die, you start from scratch.
Its twitch-based action is shades of Hotline Miami, but whereas Hotline Miami allows no room for error, Post Void does. It’s tough but fair.
The idol drains fast, so don’t stand around and hope the bad guys come to you.
Post Void can be beaten in about 15 minutes. It’s short, but the “live, die, repeat” loop of the gameplay keeps you hooked. The roguelike mechanics provide depth to the game’s basic design. Each death whips you into shape and pushes you to better your skills. Making good use of the character’s jump and slide maneuvers will get you around levels faster.
With it being such a short experience, it does leave you craving more. There are only so many times you can replay the stages, try out the different abilities, and beat your own score. Post Void is like a drug. It gives you a high like no other, but once you come off that high, you’re left wanting more. More levels, more guns, more of everything.
Visuals and Sound – Sensory Overload
Post Void’s trippy presentation is colorful but bloody. Each kill peppers the walls and ceilings with blood, while well-placed headshots pop bad guys’ craniums like a balloon. The repeating corridors and rooms are like being caught in a nightmare, unable to escape. Also, the game’s psychosexual imagery is enough to give Freud a nosebleed.
The knife is great for close encounters, but terrible for picking off drones and other long-range enemies.
While the game looks nice, those with epilepsy issues should steer clear. The never-ending assault of flashing images and colors results in a headache or five. I love the aesthetic, but they could have dialed back on the audio-visual overload.
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- The Uzi rips apart bad guys at the cost of having intense recoil.
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- The glowing pool is the exit. The fun part is reaching the pool without dying.
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- Later levels introduce fake walls that you can shoot, which either open a new path or lead to a dead end.
Post Void was reviewed on PlayStation 4 with a review code provided by Evolve PR.
