Rebel Engine | A Robot Revolution Preview

Rebel Engine by Seven Leaf Clover can be described as a stylized momentum-shooter that demands the player enter a sort of flow-state. A quick-paced, hack ‘n-slash first-person shooter.

With incredible speed, an arsenal of potential tools and an incredible amount of combinations are at your disposal. As the protagonist, Asimov, we are dispensing a myriad of mortal ordinances from a number of weapons and that is where the core of the gameplay is found.

Beginning with your left hand, you have an array of guns and ranged weaponry to dispense with prejudice. What is interesting about Rebel Engines’ ranged combat is that the aim-assist is VERY strong. This is by design so that the player does not have to spend any time placing accurate shots, or potentially being deterred from progressing because of fast-paced shooting skills. These weapons will dispatch heaps of your enemies, but it is the right hand that has more to master.

On your right hand, you can have a melee weapon such as a chainsaw, sword, whip or just a knuckle sandwich! These melee attacks are important when it comes to dictating the combat. Depending on which melee weapon you are using, Asimov is able to quickly close the gap with enemies, either bashing them for damage, or knocking them into the air with ‘launcher’ attacks. These ‘crowd control’ types of attacks dictate combat, initiate stylish combos, and provide the moment-to-moment tempo in the heat of battle.

The most interesting ability, however, is the ability to procure an enemy's weapons or shield by literally picking them up. You can snatch one up similar to a sock puppet and fire their weapon as you chain strikes and dodge through danger. Despite the serious nature of any revenge tale, these cartoonish tactics and an enticing aesthetic are the main features of Rebel Engine.

Old FPS speed meets a cartoonish, light-hearted aesthetic; Rebel Engine pays homage to its inspirations. I can see elements of so-called ‘Boomer Shooters’ as well as hyper-stylized examples like Anger Foot or Mullet Mad Jack. In some ways, these games all derive from extreme style-focused shooters of the mid 2000s, namely BulletStorm. Although those games ultimately differ greatly, Rebel Engine shares a focus on a unique, visually grabbing artstyle and fluid, high-speed action.

A digital preview event conducted a live Q&A. A few notable questions were answered.

There was curiosity about the variety of enemy types that would be found across the game, to which the developers answered by showing a shield enemy. The enemies are varied in order to provide the player with an assortment of tools and tactics.

The developers were then asked directly whether the game would have a console release in the future. The answer is that there are currently no plans to bring the game to consoles. However, if Rebel Engine sells well, it seems highly possible that a console release could be reassessed in the future. In any case, Rebel Engine is available now on Steam.