In a world of robots and advanced AI, one corporation has come to stand at the zenith of human power, of human civilization itself. However, in their efforts to invent the ultimate weapon, they may have also created their ultimate downfall. Welcome to Simulakros, the Sci-Fi action shooter by Sirio Games, published by PID Games.

Drones Taken to the Next Level

In Simulakros, you play a mysterious thief who has “repossessed” one of the ultimate weapons that the CORP has created – the Simulakros unit. Your motivations aren’t fully clear as of yet. All we have to go on regarding the plot of Simulakros is the demo, which is available now on Steam. However, while you can pilot the Simulakros, you don’t have full access to all of its abilities. Not until another rebel, this unnamed hacker, decides to lend you a hand.

While the demo of Simulakros only covers the opening and tutorial, it’s a pretty great sneak peek at how the game plays. The aesthetics and camera style are very reminiscent of Mass Effect. The way that the hallways are built, with a lot of square and rectangle shapes in blue-greys, highlighted by bright neon lights just screams Mass Effect. Even the guns and armors’ plate-like designs feel very similar. Together with the third-person over-the-shoulder perspective, it genuinely feels like you’re playing a Bioware game within the universe.

The mechanics, however, are much more complex. Simulakros runs like a roguelike, with randomly generated levels and randomized power-ups you can gain as you run through the levels. Every run of the game will end up different than the last, granting a large amount of replayability. You also have a number of useful abilities that differ between the three different playable units you unlock. The Sharpshooter excels at long-distance combat and uses time manipulation to let you line up that perfect headshot. Rupture runs headlong into close-range combat, teleporting behind enemies before unleashing his shotguns on them. Barrage, meanwhile, is flexible in both roles while wielding explosive energy powers. 

While Simulakros won’t fully release until October 2024, you can Wishlist the game on Steam. Give the demo a try and experience it for yourself!