Chimera Custom XG Early Access Preview | Fun to Play, Hard to Recommend to Everyone
Frantic Bullet Hell Combat That Shines Brightest in the Early Hours
EDITIORIALS
Woody Wood
6/29/20265 min read
Roguelikes are a staple in the Indie space. Vampire Crawlers, Slay The Spire 2, Cult of the Lamb, Cinderia. The genre is filled with amazing offerings that are all available for under $30.
Chimera Custom XG is another new entry into the genre with a bullet hell spin. Developed by Volok for PC, it offers intense 2D combat against swarms of enemies. There’s no pretense of a story or world-building here. Just short bursts of adrenaline as you cut down an alien army with your genetically modified soldier.
Truth be told, Chimera has all the ingredients to be a great pickup – even in early access – except for one thing.
Chaotic Combat and Bullets Galore
Every fight in Chimera quickly turns into controlled chaos. Enemies swarm from every direction shooting all sorts of projectiles that keep you on the move. The variety of enemies isn’t overwhelming, but it doesn’t need to be because your focus is on surviving the onslaught.
Your toolkit is fairly straightforward. You have a primary weapon, a secondary weapon, grenades, and a melee attack to take enemies out. Your character can double jump and stick to walls to get around. You can dodge any attack at the press of a button as long as you have stamina left. The game also includes 4 animal (i.e. ultimate) powers that operate on a cooldown.
You’ll absolutely need to master everything you have at your disposal to make it anywhere in Chimera. The multi-level arenas make vertical movement just as important as offense. You have to think about cover and positioning to escape the flurry of bullets coming your way.
All these options make combat feel deep and addictive, but it takes a minute to get the hang of it. I spent several tries on the first two rooms when I started playing. Expect a big learning curve if you’re not used to playing 2D this type of game.
I feel that the aiming control using the right joystick contributed to my slow start, too. I found it sluggish compared to Chainstaff, my most recent 2D shooter. The reticle’s slow movement made it hard to switch between targets on opposite sides of the screen. I got used to it eventually, but I should’ve been able to tweak it in the settings.
It wasn’t a deal breaker, however. My ten-year-old daughter and I played the game together, and we were hooked almost immediately by the up-tempo run and gun action. It was simple and challenging, and it was enough to keep us coming back.
Plenty of Build Variety...Until There Isn't
Like most roguelikes, Chimera Custom XG keeps every run fresh by rewarding you with random upgrades. After clearing an arena, you'll visit one of several shops offering buffs, genetic modifications, new weapons, or weapon components.
At first, it seemed like there were a lot of ways to build. Unfortunately, that feeling went away for me once I started understanding how the game works.
After around ten hours of playtime, I already found myself chasing the same handful of upgrades every run because they were simply too valuable to ignore.
Health upgrades were my highest priority since taking damage was practically unavoidable during the later fights. The shield animal power also did some heavy lifting, often saving me from situations that would otherwise end a run.
The same thing happened with weapons. The Trace Rifle was noticeably better than any other primary or secondary weapon thanks to its high rate of fire, damage output, magazine size, and homing bullets. From there, I naturally gravitated toward upgrades that boosted its damage and energy regeneration.
The only way to heal in Chimera is by using a med pack or picking up very rare health drops. That made the genetic mutation that converted melee damage into health incredibly important to my survival. My runs were noticeably shorter without it.
Instead of adapting to whatever the game threw my way, I gradually found myself trying to recreate the same successful build each time. That's usually a sign that some balancing is needed, and it contributes to an early feeling of repetitiveness.
Built for Avid Roguelike Fans
Ironically, boss fights ended up being some of the easiest parts of Chimera. Fighting a single target is much more manageable than surviving waves full of enemies.
Regular arena fights are where Chimera is at its best. Enemies spawn from every direction, some teleport directly beside you, others throw grenades or pin you down with suppressing fire. It creates those "oh shit" moments where you somehow stay alive despite everything coming at you.
Beating these levels makes for really exciting highs, but it sets you up for some discouraging lows when you lose.
Every failed run sends you back to the very beginning, so the further you go, the more daunting it is to start over and push even further. You do earn GB to unlock permanent upgrades between runs that help you improve, but that progression is slow and the gains are small.
Replaying the first two bosses every run started to feel draining after I mastered the early game. I understand that's part of the appeal for hardcore roguelike fans, but I think Chimera would benefit from some sort of checkpoint or skip feature.
The game’s level of challenge is the point, and it loses a lot of its appeal when certain parts of it start to feel time-consuming and easy.
Worth It For the Right Player
The problem this creates is that some players will get way more value from Chimera than others.
If you click with the game’s combat, there’s a good amount of playtime to be had for your $20. Even more so if you have friends to play co-op with through Steam.
You’re getting a well developed game to boot. The presentation is solid, the art is clean, the visual and sound effects are convincing, the techno soundtrack complements the action, and I didn’t encounter any major bugs or performance issues during my time with the game.
If you end up struggling with Chimera’s combat on the other hand, you’re in for a very repetitive experience as you replay the same levels over and over again.
Now, the game is still in Early Access, so the full version may feel like a better-rounded experience. For now, Chimera is much more likely to appeal to players who enjoy traditional Roguelike gameplay.
Verdict
Chimera Custom XG nails the part that matters most – it's fun to play. The frantic bullet hell combat creates enough memorable moments to keep diving back in.
Unfortunately, it’s held back by a classic Roguelike issue. It feels drawn out the further you make it because you repeat the same fights and build options every time you restart.
The good news is that the foundation is there. The game is easy to recommend to Roguelike fans, and the game’s bullet hell format offers a tough challenge that’s fun to conquer.
Everyone else may want to wait for the full release to see whether the extra cooking time smooths out some of its rougher edges.
Life is a Game Magazine was supplied a copy of Chimera Custom XG for this preview
