Beacon is a game made with a lot of detail and love. I think the combination of engaging story, innovative design and intense combat make Beacon a stellar example of why this game is one of the best roguelites out currently.

Upon starting the game, you (Freja) have already died. Actually, you’ve died many times, and you will die many more. Throughout each level, you will read notes from previous clones, find remnants of Freja’s past before the crash and discover new weapons, passives, grenades, and auxiliary skills. But more importantly, you find DNA and DNA mods that you can use for your next run. What’s especially cool about DNA is that you have a chance for them to mutate and give you incredible abilities. In my current run, my head mutated into an enflamed skull, giving me the ability to life steal while on fire and summon little minions upon critical hit. My feet morphed into ice crystals and instead of dodging, I dash leaving crystals in my path.

Throughout the game, notes from previous Frejas can be found. One thing that stands out in this game is the writing. The description of past versions of Freja’s hopes and fears, reminiscing upon finding pieces of her old life scattered around the world, even the descriptions of new guns and abilities are not only detailed but almost poetic at times. There are TL;DR versions of abilities and weapons, but I usually read the descriptions since they provide additional lore, something I rarely do in roguelites. And I think feeling that connection to Freja’s character just makes the world so much more fun to explore and fight through.

The combat is excellent, partly due to the many weapons and skills you unlock throughout each run but the fighting itself is super satisfying and fun. And the visuals are stunning. Some backtracking can get a bit annoying, but it helps being on a really interesting alien planet.

I could gush about this game more, but I really need to find my beacon.

10/10 would accidentally fall to my death again

Beacon is a game made with a lot of detail and love. I think the combination of engaging story, innovative design and intense combat make Beacon a stellar example of why this game is one of the best roguelites out currently. Upon starting the game, you (Freja) have already died. Actually, you’ve died many times, and you will die many more. Throughout each level, you will read notes from previous clones, find remnants of Freja’s past before the crash and discover new weapons, passives, grenades, and auxiliary skills. But more importantly, you find DNA and DNA mods that you can use for your next run. What’s especially cool about DNA is that you have a chance for them to mutate and give you incredible abilities. In my current run, my head mutated into an enflamed skull, giving me the ability to life steal while on fire and summon little minions upon critical hit. My feet morphed into ice crystals and instead of dodging, I dash leaving crystals in my path. Throughout the game, notes from previous Frejas can be found. One thing that stands out in this game is the writing. The description of past versions of Freja’s hopes and fears, reminiscing upon finding pieces of her old life scattered around the world, even the descriptions of new guns and abilities are not only detailed but almost poetic at times. There are TL;DR versions of abilities and weapons, but I usually read the descriptions since they provide additional lore, something I rarely do in roguelites. And I think feeling that connection to Freja’s character just makes the world so much more fun to explore and fight through. The combat is excellent, partly due to the many weapons and skills you unlock throughout each run but the fighting itself is super satisfying and fun. And the visuals are stunning. Some backtracking can get a bit annoying, but it helps being on a really interesting alien planet. I could gush about this game more, but I really need to find my beacon. 10/10 would accidentally fall to my death again