Review: POST VOID (Nintendo Switch)
If DOOM and Hotline Miami were mashed together to create a new game it would be POST VOID. It is an arcade-esque FPS developed by YCJY Games (Sea Salt). This PC port arrival on the Nintendo Switch throws you into a fast-paced hazy and highly saturated maze where violence is the answer.
The goal of the game is simple: reach the end of the void. There are 11 levels divided into three acts. They consist of running through mazes like a madman, void jumping and blasting bullets through malformed monsters. It can be difficult to make out their details because of how blindingly fast and shaky the visuals are (seriously, was that a humanoid shark waddling and evil blood-hungry Navis?). Taking your precious time to peek through each and every corner in search of a void or for that perfect moment to catch an enemy off guard will leave you out of time, luck and dead. Speed is superior above all else in POST VOID.
Nintendo doesn’t have the best reputation nor the largest library when it comes to FPS games, but it feels nice and natural to run and gun through this PC port on the Nintendo Switch. Some features common in most, if not all, modern FPS that are missing in POST VOID are not so nice. It lacks the option to customize the crosshair. The shaky, saturated and psychedelic-like visuals can make it difficult to see the tiny gray crosshair, so your accuracy might take a hit. If the seizure-inducing visuals make you sick, there is an accessibility feature to minimize the effects. It also isn’t possible to keep an eye out for how many bullets you have loaded into your gun.
You can choose one out of three upgrades after reaching the end of each level. Want to opt for a shotgun rather than a pistol? More shooting, less reloading? How about seeing the monsters’ heads explode right after their death? The decision is yours, but it also does not matter. The starter weapon and stats are enough to complete the game in one run. It all comes down to preference.
Any choice will do to protect your head, and no, not just the one on your shoulders. You carry an idol that resembles a statue’s head and operates as your health. Take damage or take too long to get through a level without killing and the liquid will drain out of the idol. Once it is empty, you will die and have to start over.
POST VOID is short yet offers plenty of replayability. There may only be 11 levels, but it takes a lot of skill and determination to make it through them all. There are no checkpoints or the ability to save, so if you die in the middle of level 11 you will be taken right back to square one. Demoralizing, but hey, POST VOID gets its inspiration from old-school arcades, so the unforgiving nature of the game is fitting. You also will not experience the same level twice as they are randomly generated, as are the upgrades you are dealt. Manage to make it to the end of the void and possibly end up on the leaderboard.
What is after the void anyway? There is little lore. The humanoid creature who you play as and experience the game through has a killer headache. His only hope is what he feels drawn to by the voids. Its offer of a “flower of hope”. Contradicting the creature’s actions, peace. The lack of lore leaves room for the players’ interpretation.
The banging OST suits your head-banging activities, but that one track for all levels is bound to give you a headache, too. In moments of silence, the illusion of you becoming hyperaware of sound such as shuffling your feet through a pile of leaves or nearing a void is a cool touch that adds to the experience of your senses being overstimulated.
POST VOID takes you on a nightmare-ish trip (wink) to a place where violence is the answer. This addicting and adrenaline-pumping game is a solid addition to Nintendo’s FPS library. It is short yet offers plenty of replayability as void jumping takes a lot of determination, skill and speed. It is a nod at shooters reminiscent of titles from the ‘80s and scratches that itch for something to play in bursts or put in the time to speed through in one go without the need to gamble all of your spare quarters.
POST VOID is available for purchase on the Nintendo eShop for $5.99.
Review: POST VOID (Nintendo Switch)
