We've been keeping a very close eye on Carmageddon: Rogue Shift over the past few months, hoping that this "brutal roguelite" could live up to the hype and give us something special to look forward to when it releases on February 6th.
The first reviews have just started going live for the game today, and they're a bit all over the place! Some are clearly impressed by it, while others are giving it quite low ratings.
So, let's take a look at what some of the reviews are saying about Carmageddon: Rogue Shift so far:
The Outerhaven (4/5)
"At a price tag of $39.99, Carmageddon: Rogue Shift is reasonably priced for what it offers, which is a fun, repeatable experience with great graphics and detail. If you’re looking for a new battle racer to add to your collection, I don’t think that you can go wrong here!"
The Xbox Hub (4/5)
"Carmageddon: Rogue Shift is unapologetically a roguelite, and with that comes the usual repetition and grind. But that grind feels purposeful, layered with smart systems that reward racing, persistence, experimentation and the odd bit of skill. With a strong setting, varied vehicles, weapons and perks, some meaningful progression and rock-solid performance, Rogue Shift succeeds in modernising Carmageddon; and it does so without losing its soul."
XboxEra (7.5/10)
"Carmageddon: Rogue Shift is a mechanically satisfying destruction-based racer, offering high-octane and chaotic races combining bold weapons, lots of zombies and lots of crunching metal. Its roguelite twist offers high risk scenarios where you’ll have to think twice about excessively daring moves, but it also feels like something introduced partly to mitigate the game’s limited depth and variety."
GameSpew (7/10)
"Carmageddon is back, reborn as a roguelike racer with heaps of car combat. The core gameplay is fun, but Carmageddon: Rogue Shift is ultimately let down by its near non-existent event variety."
Traxion GG (5/10)
"While it won’t appeal to everyone, a roguelite racing game is an interesting idea with rewarding, if repetitive, progression, and we commend 34BigThings for trying to reinvent the series. But beyond that, the visuals and moment-to-moment gameplay are generic, while the core driving and destruction leave a lot to be desired."
Insider Gaming (5/10)
"Carmageddon: Rogue Shift tries to take the popular vehicle-combat formula and bring it to a different genre. At times, it works and can be fun. Unfortunately, frustrating driving controls, response issues, lackluster AI, and repetitive race types and boss fights hold this game back in ways that’ll disappoint long-time fans."
It's way too early for Carmageddon: Rogue Shift to have an average rating on Metacritic, but if the reviews keep looking like this, we assume it'll settle somewhere around the 65-75 mark when all's said and done.
Perhaps not the best start, then, but if you look past the two 5/10 scores, the rest are pretty positive! You can make your own mind up when the game launches for Xbox Series X and S at a price of £39.99 / $39.99 this Friday, February 6th.