Posted on: September 30, 2024
whythecynic
Verified ownerGames: 805 Reviews: 2
Atmospheric, brutal, pulse-pounding fun
A few necessary disclaimers. First: this is a 4.5/5 game to me because it hasn't been patched since 2022 and tends to crash quite frequently. After going back and forth for a *long* time, I leaned towards just giving it 5/5. The gameplay is *that* good. Second: the gore in the game may be a little disturbing, in a "murdering Rei clones" kind of way. Third: the actual game version on GOG is 2.17.4, same as on Steam, even though it shows up as "1.0". In a nutshell: The Citadel is unbelievably fun. It doesn't just capture the essence of old-school shooters: it goes beyond them, bringing in modern concepts, fresh twists, and carnage on a massive scale, all the while maintaining a focus of vision that's difficult to describe. The closest comparison to make would be to Brutal Doom. They both feature unrelenting action and a surprising mechanical complexity that goes beyond the games they were inspired by. Instead of going wild with mechanics like Doom Eternal or Duke Nukem Forever, The Citadel shares much more in common with the focus on movement and gunplay that made Doom (2016) so much fun. It wears its inspirations on its sleeve. The colour palette will instantly be recognizable from RELICS (yes, that ancient 1986 game). It takes a lot of inspiration from classic Bungie games (yes, that Bungie), with some weapons and enemies reminiscent of Marathon, while the overarching plot is a throwback to Pathways Into Darkness. Then there are the obvious Doom and Wolfenstein comparisons, especially in the areas with claustrophobic corridors, and some of the secret levels. So it's a testament to The Citadel's vision that these references don't distract from the game's own unique identity. Fundamentally, it is about movement and shooting. It takes some time to get used to movement and momentum, but once you do, the game opens up. The learning curve is a little harsh, but once they click together, the game becomes nothing short of absolutely glorious to play.
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