Ketz: Galactic Overlords is an addicting sci-fantasy roguelike reminiscent of Halls of Torment. While its early access version still needs a bit of refinement, I can see myself enjoying this more and more as it gets updated over time. I definitely think it’s already worth looking into in its current state, though expect a few early access hiccups.
I received an early review copy from the developers and tried it out for a few hours. I’m liking what I’ve experienced so far, but a few things could still be improved. Let’s dive a little deeper!
Fast Games, Slow Ramp
Before anything else, know that my opinions are based on a pre-early access version. As we speak, the devs are still rolling out new features and fixes in preparation for their launch in around a week from when this is published. Case in point, they added some nice QoL the same day I’m writing this!
A typical run of Ketz, assuming it’s gonna be the same for every future map too, is just a little over 20 minutes. It’s shorter than the other bullet heaven roguelikes I’m used to, and that alone is a huge plus as it doesn’t feel like it drags on for too long.
There’s a diverse roster of characters right from the start, and each have their own distinct attack styles. While my version only had two usable heroes, there are already five shown in the character selection screen, and you can seemingly unlock them by just beating the first map.
All of the attacks and upgrades you get from the game’s varying deities, which is a system similar to Death Must Die‘s or Hades’ boon selection, feel impactful and feature flashy visuals. From periodic bursts of light beams to bouncing fireballs, there isn’t any shortage of “cool” abilities.
However, unlike others, such as the aforementioned Halls of Torment, this game feels like it ramps your character up rather slowly at the start. This has much to do with how the game expects you to collect and build around gear.
Your first couple of runs will be pretty rough because of this. You’ll need to find even just the lowest tier of items to get a massive spike in damage and survivability, which brings us to the next topic…
Solid But Grindy Meta-Progression
One thing that could use a bit of tuning are the meta-progression systems. More specifically, I’m talking about gear acquisition and upgrading, which feels way too grindy in its current state.
Farming Items
Equippable items drop from enemies or other interactable/breakable objects in the map, and they go to a shared inventory that carries over to your next life even if you die in a run. Sounds good, right?
Items seem to be the best way to increase your stats and raw damage output, but they’re not exactly common drops, and the hub area merchant refuses to sell you stuff at the very start. This leaves you “naked” and weak for quite a bit of time.
Now, even if you’ve managed to get a full set of low tier items, the war with RNGesus isn’t over yet. What about higher tier items?
Tinket’s Forge
In the hub area, you’ll find a forge that lets you upgrade items. However, this is done by feeding it six items of the same rarity. Not only that, but the type of item you get will depend on what you’ve inserted as well. See where this is going?
To guarantee that the upgraded item will be the same type (e.g. boots), then you’ll need six boots of the same rarity to feed the forge. You’re also not guaranteed to get the stat bonuses you desire, so you might have to go through the entire process again.
Taking into account the randomness involved in getting gear every run, the grind becomes hilariously tedious as you try to make your way to higher tier items.
I love the idea of whipping up builds in games like this and upgrading gear that benefits whatever powerful or silly setup I have in mind. Unfortunately, the game just makes it way too hard to do so, at least right now.
Loving the Vibes
Despite my issues with how you ramp up in the game, I’m still hooked due to how each run strikes a satisfying balance between challenge and power fantasy fulfillment. Even though I’ve already beaten the current “final boss” a couple of times, I still lost a few runs due to careless mistakes or just poor upgrade synergies.
The music’s pretty nice too. It’s full of dark synth tracks that completely fit the sci-fantasy vibe they’re going for. The way I just sit back and enjoy the soundtrack while clearing screens reminds me of how I’d jam out to Heretic Fork‘s music while a whole clusterf*** of particle effects cover the screen.
While Ketz: Galatic Overlords still has a lot of room for improvement, I think it has the potential to stand as a viable alternative to the other heavy hitters of the genre.
It’ll be in early access for around a year, supposedly, so they still have a lot of time to continue refining its systems and taking player feedback into consideration. If you love bullet heaven roguelikes, it’s totally worth trying out now, even if it’s still rough around the edges.