Polygod is a first person shooter in name only. In reality it’s a murder machine that tests your nerve and your patience…and I love it.
Okay, so there’s shooting and, yes, it’s in first person, but this is a game where you’ll die and you’ll be doing it a lot. Like Dark Souls and the other rock hard games that have sprung up since, Polygod expects you to die.  You’re left with nothing but a single gun and some basic movement over a 3D plane full of drops, jumps and enemies and, well, that’s it.
Taking place over 7 different areas, the game constantly throws everything it has at you. It’s a little uneven in terms of difficulty, though, with a lull often punctuated with a couple of sections that will make you swear and pull your hair out but this is one of those games that will make you play over and over to get a good run. The developers know this and it’s clear that with a Speedrun element included they want you to keep trying.
Graphically, Polygod looks like it’s trying for a basic cel shaded art style which works in some areas (the mouse-trap like level is perfectly suited to this) but not others. What it does do, though, is enable the game to move fluidly and make it easy to spot enemies, not that this makes the game any easier.
All of this is fine for those looking for a challenge but the input delay on Switch does let the side down a little here and makes it more complicated than it should be to pass a level. It’s not a game-changer but it does grate a little at times.
Polygod will be an acquired taste, there’s no doubt about that, but when it does click with you it works and provides an interesting take on the shooter genre.
Polygod
Pros
- Fast and frantic
- Speedruns give it more re-playability
- Old school shooter elements are welcome
Cons
- The art style isn't for everyone
- Uneven difficulty
- Some input delay can lead to frustration
