Nowhere is this duality better reflected than in the procedural level design. Oh and it isn’t just the trigger-based weapons that get all the glory either melee weapons meanwhile, turn out to have a surprising use beyond their usual bludgeoning/stabbing vocation, as these useful tools are able to deflect projectiles back at the enemy and can be quite effective in the hands of a player with great timing and poise.Īs much as Nuclear Throne would appear to encourage players to favour a reckless approach to its twin-stick shooter beats, so too does the game also seek to promote a more tactical, patient perspective as well. In short, killing stuff in Nuclear Throne doesn’t just look good, it feels good too. In addition to their bespoke effectiveness, each weapon acquits itself quite admirably in the audiovisual stakes too with satisfying heft and a screen-shaking thrum accompanying every barrage let loose from their barrels.
Naturally, these mutations can be progressively stacked throughout the game, allowing for some truly potent end-game mutants, however some mutations can also exacerbate or nullify the effect of others, thus permitting the sort of creative latitude for experimenting with mutation combinations that ends up being both substantial in scope and irresistibly compelling. The range of these mutations available are brilliantly varied and can really shift the dynamic of Nuclear Throne, encompassing everything from increased health and improved ammo drops, through to enemy debuffing effects such as slowing down their attacks or reducing their health. Once a sufficient amount of the glinting trinkets has been collected and our mutant is levelled up, one perk from a quartet may be chosen after the level has been finished. Here, players can scoop up shiny green rads during each level which can be collected from laying waste to your radioactive foes or by busting open green-hued caches. One such masterfully handled fundamental is the perk system or rather, the mutation dynamic that Nuclear Throne embraces as its take on it. Indeed, as with just about everything else about the game, the difficulty curve in Nuclear Throne is meticulously well-tuned, and such aforementioned thrills come thick and fast as early on with forgiving enemy types that are far less durable and shoot their volleys much slower, allowing new players ample time to get to grips with the game’s fundamentals without frustration.
The question over what the Nuclear Throne actually is, or why one would even want to get there, remains perennially opaque and yet, such things don’t matter because Vlambeer’s latest is far more concerned with distracting the player with ragged, moment to moment thrills to even care. In addition to a passive ability such as faster movement or higher health, each mutant is also able to trigger a unique special ability that further separates them from their grotesque brethren, while the amusingly named ‘Throne Butt’ skill effectively makes those triggered abilities even more potent than they were before. Starting with a duo of default mutants named Fish and Crystal, it soon becomes apparent that there are some pretty meaningful differences between the various selections.
A roguelike, twin-stick shooter that recalls aesthetics from the arcade scene of the late 1980’s, Nuclear Throne is every bit a homage to the coin-guzzlers of yesteryear as much as it is a card-carrying member of the nu-indie scene.įrom the start players have the choice of which mutant they wish to play as, with only two available from the off, the rest are unlocked through a neatly incentivised scheme of achieving progression-based milestones. In keeping with Vlambeer’s penchant for the clever engineering of simplicity before deeper sophistications manifest themselves, Nuclear Throne starts out in easy to grasp fashion – the player has to pick a radioactive monster before charging out into the scorched earth of a post-apocalyptic, procedurally generated landscape, laying waste to all in an effort to reach the titular Nuclear Throne.
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