Impaler is an indie roguelike FPS shooter that takes heavy inspiration from old-school arcade games like DOOM and Wolfenstein. Full of fast-paced action and gratuitous violence, its inspirations are also apparent in the game’s visuals, gameplay, and soundtrack. But in a saturated retro shooter market, is there enough to make Impaler stand on its own two feet? Let’s find out.
Tho start off, Impaler offers a well-rounded experience that doesn’t overstay its welcome. The entire game can be completed in an hour and, so far, I have played for over 4 hours. After beating the game, I was interested in the different tools that I could use to revisit the Skull King as well as the achievements for using such unique approaches. For most of my time with this game I used a controller but using the mouse and keyboard evoked the traditional interface that was mandatory by the video game giants that Impaler draws inspiration from and incorporates into. In Impaler, your character has access to two weapons to slay the demonic minions: an SMG gun and the titular Impaler, a unique spike summoner to impale enemies or jump around and heal some of your health with.
As I stared at Impaler’s victory screen for the first time, feeling satisfied that I had beaten Skull King, the aptly named final boss, I immediately began looking forward to my next playthrough. I was ready to jump back in as Impaler‘s silent protagonist and fight my way through the demonic landscape on a quest to once again defeat the Skull King.
After relishing a second victory, I started over once more. Like many roguelike games, it is not about the destination but rather the blood-soaked journey. In my next attempt, I began to think of new and interesting ways to defeat the Skull King’s minions. I first tried “Only Spikes”, and then I tried “The Weakest Gun Possible” and, after that, I had one brief attempt at “Only Boost Pads.” The flying minions made that final run short-lived, quickly dropping my health to zero and I was left as a pixelated explosion of blood and flying pieces of viscera.
If you can’t get enough of Impaler’s synth-based music like me, Catton Arthus, the composer for Impaler, made the entire OST available here. I encourage you to check out for more audio excellence. Additionally, if you enjoyed this game, be sure to check out our review for the much more meaty retro-inspired game Project Warlock II.
Overall, this is an enjoyable game by developer Apptivus and publisher Retrovibe and if you’re a fan of retro first-person shooters, it’s definitely worth the $2.99 on PC via Steam. I would personally buy the game for its replayability and the variety of play styles alone. Impaler was released on December 6, 2022, and Apptivus has already released an update based on fine-tuning the bloody experience for current and future players. Still aren’t sure if the game is for you? Check out the trailer below to see for yourself if you want to experience the eternal battle against the Skull King and his minions as you try to escape from damnation.
