Teleglitch: Die More Edition is an enhanced version of Teleglitch from indie developers T3P and publisher Paradox Interactive. The game first saw release at the end of 2012 but the developers have been hard at work to expand the game. The new Die More Edition features enhancements such as bonus levels, more items and weapons and even tougher AI. If you bought the original release you should automatically get upgraded.
Teleglitch is a roguelike top-down shooter that features retro pixel graphics. The game is set in the future on a planet at the edge of habitable space. This planet is home to a secret research facility that specialises in necrotic tissue reactivation. The AI in charge of the facility has gone rogue, killed the staff and repurposed them as necrotic combat units.
You play as the lone survivor of the incident who must escape the facility. To do this you must fight through the zombie hordes to reach the teleporter at the end of each level. If you are successful you can reach the master teleporter to escape back to Earth.
You always start your nightmare in a room armed with a knife and 9mm pistol. However each time things are slightly different as the level maps are randomly generated. This means unlimited replayability as you never know what is around the next corner. Corridors are claustrophobic but even in the more open spaces you never feel safe. The maps are large so you must carefully explore and keep your wits about you as the facility is full of dangerous enemies out to kill you.
Enemies are fast moving and unpredictable. They also stay out of your field of vision to surprise you. It can be tough to take down a single enemy and when you’re faced with large swarms it’s hard not to panic. If you do panic it leads to wasted bullets and those explosives you planned for the enemies can end up killing you if you’re not careful. The randomness really adds to the tension and leaves you feeling uneasy. This is made worse by the fact that death is permanent and ammunition is in short supply.
As you progress you’ll pickup new items and weapons which can be combined to craft new things. For example, sticking explosives together gives you a bigger bomb. You might electrify your knife to make a shockblade. Or stick a microchip in a tube to make a rudimentary detector to show you where enemies might spawn. The crafting system is full of surprises as it’s all trial and error. Pressing the C key shows you what you can make with the items in your inventory. You’re always faced with the dilemma of whether to craft something or keep the items incase they are more useful later on.
The further you get into the game the harder it gets with larger groups of enemies as well as much tougher ones too. The difficulty is punishing and your initial time with the game will be spent on the first level or two. As you learn more about how to play you’ll gradually push further into the game and every couple of levels unlocks the ability to begin further in.
Graphically the game looks very basic from the screenshots but it fits the game perfectly. In motion it looks fantastic and we love the way you can only see what is in your characters field of vision. The sound is also quite basic but it’s fine for this kind of game.
Teleglitch: Die More Edition is a fantastic game that will frustrate and delight you in equal measure. The game features endless hours of replayability thanks to the random levels with plenty of secrets to be found too. It’s not for everyone but if, like us, you enjoy difficult games and retro styled graphics then we think you’ll love it too.
Teleglitch: Die More Edition is available now from the official Teleglitch website for £8.99.
