Do you enjoy roguelike games like Risk of Rain 2? Then you might enjoy Gatekeeper by Gravity Lagoon!
Gatekeeper is an isometric co-op roguelike that is a little faster-paced compared to Risk of Rain 2. It’s not hard to miss just how much the latter has inspired it from the art style alone, but some things separate this one from Risk of Rain 2.
First off, it’s isometric and has a fixed camera angle. Next thing to note is that there are side missions to complete on each stage before you can progress. Not like the void in Risk of Rain 2, however. For example, in one mission, you activate something and guide it to a different location while fighting off enemies. There’s also the upgrade system, where you gain in-game currency to make items show up or stop them from being an option. And it’s all set individually, so you don’t have to worry about blocking an item that a different player might need. Moreover, instead of resetting your coin after every stage, you get to keep what you haven’t spent and use it in the rest area that you arrive at. This triggers between stages. Super convenient!
But its vibe is giving a lot of the elements that Risk of Rain 2 and other roguelikes have. The movement is smooth, the objectives are clear, and the UI is pleasing. There’s enough of a variation between the characters and their playstyles that I can just switch to a different one to make the game feel fresh again. And when you play this in co-op with friends, having strategies in timing heals, revives, and dodges can very well be the thing that saves your run… or it might just be what kills it.
At the moment, though, they don’t really have a lot of maps and only a limited number of enemies. It’s fun to play around with the builds and see how that changes things up, but I can see how this might bore someone after several runs. I have personally taken my time with it. My friends and I play maybe 3 or 4 runs, and then we move on to a different game. But it’s a nice game to have in rotation, and a full run is less time-consuming compared to other games!
One complaint I have is that they recently announced a paid DLC. It’s not out yet, but this seems like a questionable choice considering the lack of maps in rotation. I just feel like it’s “unearned”. But it’s also important to note that this is an indie game studio, so they do need a way to fund their company.
Despite all of that, Gatekeeper has a lot of replayability, especially if you play with other people. All of you could cycle through individual builds and playstyles, and then figure out team compositions. And once you’ve mastered that, play on greater difficulties.
It is priced at around 10 USD on Steam and, unfortunately, there’s no friend pass. So if you’re playing with friends, all of you would need to purchase it individually.
All in all, I’m hoping that Gatekeeper gets a little bit more interesting. Maybe the developers could add some free maps into the rotation, or maybe add some items that could change the run completely, make it or break it. Its current state feels like a linear progression, which is fun, but I understand why some would find it boring and a bit of a grind. Maybe a sprinkle of some cursed items or something would make it flavorful?
One thing’s for sure:
I’m not gatekeeping Gatekeeper.
