Selaco

Welcome to the last vestibule of humanity, the only hope of the surviving earthlings and one of the most thoughtful, fast-paced and entertaining FPS games in a long time. Which, given the game's Early Access status, makes Selaco even more exceptional and something all action-thirsty gamers should take a closer look at.

Equal parts Alien and Doom and with a good dose of inspiration taken from Fear, Selaco offers a blissfully polished experience. In the role of the hottie Dawn, you try to fend off an alien attack on the facility bearing the game's name. Something that primarily happens by serving evil quick death with the many guns you have access to.

Enemies bearing a distinctive yet inhuman appearance are pulverised before your eyes. Guts and rainbow colours spraying everywhere, each well-aimed shot with the game's shotgun blaster causing the intruders to explode like balloons filled with confetti. You hear the surviving enemies shouting to each other from the positions where they have taken cover, while the remains of their comrades decorate the walls, floors and ceilings of the room.

Each confrontation can be likened to a well-orchestrated inferno, distilled chaos at its most beautiful, with your opponents actively conversing with each other. They flee in panic, seem to plan their moves, seek cover, comment on your weapons and much more.

Selaco's destructible environments and the overly animated and lively enemies that even long after their death can be seen crawling bleeding through the rooms, are just some of what contributes so incredibly to the game's atmosphere. Yes, Selaco may be another boomer shooter, a nostalgic, well-spiced FPS with a twinkle in its eye and where the two-dimensional attackers are as much a farce as a real threat.

But to dismiss Selaco on that premise alone would be almost criminal. Because beneath its well-polished, retro-inspired exterior bubbles what could almost be described as a form of secret sauce. And it's more than just the way the world feels grounded, the many pods and their upgrades, all of which feel balanced, well thought out, and comfortable to use.

Because even the two-dimensional enemies feel strangely grounded in a way I haven't experienced since Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun. Each penetrating shot has a glorious volume and weight that's hard to describe, tactile and brutal, full of power. Often to the point that enemies fly across the room as you fill them with lead. It's an incredible feeling, which is only enhanced by the extremely satisfying interaction that the world around offers.

Every battle is simply an unrivalled spectacle with the effects and violence turned up to eleven, which is heightened even more by the unexpectedly clever enemies. Because although they hardly offer Fear-like interactions, the resemblance is striking and if you squint a little, it's hard not to be convinced. There's more going on under the hood than you might first be willing to admit.

It's actually impressive how much Selaco actually has to offer this early in Early Access, and not least how well polished and finished everything feels. Even something as small as how nicely balanced everything is in terms of pacing, with both platform jumping and puzzles interspersed between the intense and engaging action parts.

They are also thankfully restrained in their complexity when it comes to these quieter parts and there was never a moment that felt frustrating. No hopeless puzzles or overly maliciously designed jumps.

That said, however, it should be mentioned that Selaco can be punishing. Because while the many weapons you have are effective at dishing out death, the same can be said for the resistance, and even on normal difficulty I died frequently. More so than in many other of the many FPS I've played in recent years, so getting into the habit of using quicksave is a hot tip from the coach.

It's almost hard to do Selaco justice with words, and even at this early stage the game is packed with content. Which certainly makes you dream of what's to come when they finally leave Early Access sometime next year. In truth, Selaco's only real shortcoming right now is its relatively short length, which is certainly also reflected in the price tag.

After all, for an investment of £20 you get one of the most well-lubricated, explosive retro-scented jaw-droppers in years, with gameplay that will make your hair stand on end. Selaco is brilliant, deliciously chaotic and blends the best of the genre's most iconic games into a sweet, fragrant and hyper-violent stew that's impossible not to love.