Exophobia

On the other end of a spectrum from Conscript, maybe you just want to shoot some fools without an attached moral dilemma. Exophobia (now available digitally for PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch, with physical versions coming later in August) is a pixel-art throwback shooter where you pop aliens like they’re bags of jam.

You’re the lone survivor after your starship crashes on an uncharted planet. What’s left of the ship is a maze of wrecked machines, lethal traps, hostile aliens, and mutated experiments, while all you’ve got is a salvaged plasma gun.

Exophobia bills itself as a Metroidvania, but has more in common with boomer shooters and immersive sims, as well as roguelikes’ cheerful acceptance of your imminent death. Imagine a Doom game with an open map like System Shock 2’s, without any signposts or hints to speak of and the difficulty turned all the way up, and you’re close to the Exophobia experience. It’s a quick burst of frustrated adrenaline for anyone who wants a challenging shoot-’em-up.