WRITHE Review

If the 1997 sci-fi flick Starship Troopers taught us anything, it’s that the best way to deal with an infestation is with a ton of firepower. Mission Ctrl Studios, taking this movie’s message to heart, channels this frantic energy with their new FPS WRITHE. Should players take up arms against its grub horde, or is it a losing battle?

WRITHE Review

The moment players step foot into WRITHE’s three arenas is the moment you know exactly what’s going on. Double-wielding weapons with infinite ammo, it’s up to players to blast away any and all threats in a desperate attempt to survive.

Let’s cut to the chase: There’s no winning this war. Rather, the ultimate objective is to survive as long as possible, trying to prevent the Exerminator from being exterminated. Keep it together long enough, and players will be able to add their time and name to the global online leaderboards.

However, WRITHE does everything in its power to take down the player. Three different Wyrms exist: The Giant Sago Wyrm that serves as your basic fodder, the Fusewyrm that explodes on contact, and the Bullwurm that charges at the player and can take heavy fire.

Dealing with any one of these threats would be challenging enough as it is, but the game loves to throw many of these creatures at the player at once. As a result, the game can often fight dirty. It’s not uncommon to have multiple enemies on you at any given time, with even more enemies coming at you from behind.

As a result, we averaged around a little more than a minute for each level record. We tried different strategies – camping, running, strafing – but more often than not we were swarmed with more enemies than we knew what to do with. The game does allow for five hits, but this is often moot when a Fusewyrm takes away a good chunk of health with an explosion you didn’t see coming. WRITHE could do with a bit of balance, and though the top score on the leaderboards as of this writing clocks in at a respectable 387 seconds, the average player’s run will be far shorter than that.

Just be warned that there’s not much to WRITHE to speak of. Though the Rundown, Jungle, and Factory maps are unique enough, more should have been included to add some variety. The development team stated that two new maps will be included around Easter, but early adopters will have to deal with three maps for now. For those looking for some of the history behind this war, players can collect Gems on the battlefield to unlock bits of Lore at different tier levels. A “Museum of Unnatural History” has also been included to give some insight into each creature, the P.H.U.L.A. suit, and the weaponry of our hero.

Those looking for an arcade-like score chaser will certainly find what they’re looking for with WRITHE, but the lack of balance will be a deal-breaker for some. Hardened FPS vets looking to fight against the odds should take up arms, while the more green among us should approach with caution.

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