2025 is off to a great start with the recent anime FPS release of Beyond Citadel.
Made by Japanese developer Doekuramori, it aims to translate 90s anime into a classic FPS.
But does it hit the mark, or does it leave us hanging like many other boomer shooters?
Beyond Citadel
Doekuramori is an FPS enthusiast and indie developer from Japan. Back in 2020 he made The Citadel a brutal FPS that focuses on capturing a Marathon vibe.
Also, it clearly wanted to show off some anime aesthetic with its 90s-inspired style. But on January 2nd he dropped Beyond Citadel, the sequel to his first game on Steam.
Although it was not hitting the mainstream, many who played it very much enjoyed it. Not only for the nice visuals and being able to see their ‘feet’ mechanic. But for legitimately one of the most interesting gun-focused games around.
See Beyond Citadel shares a lot of mechanics from the first with some added touch-ups. You may notice the Steam page store mentions it has realistic gunplay. Others have described it as Tarkov in a Doom skin.
Although the game looks arcadey, the guns handle much like you would expect them to. When shooting, it’s not a case of just reloading for more bullets. But instead, depending on the gun, you may need to cock it back into action or readjust the barrel.
For example, the revolver starting gun has to be manually reloaded by pressing r for each bullet in the chamber. Also, left-clicking readies the hammer, so right-clicking turns it into a spaghetti western-style blaster of multiple rounds.
How about the shotgun? Although you can load up each round to 6, each one must be pumped. Also, the sniper actually lets you reload while aiming down the sights!
It might not sound interesting at first, but give the demo a try right now. Putting these realistic mechanics into a Doom shooter really spices things up.
Gunfights are more than just running out of bullets as you balance all these mechanical plates.
Doomaboo
But as well as interesting mechanics, the game offers a unique style. Now for some, I immediately know it’s going to turn you off. Or in most cases with those online, mostly on!
Beyond Citadel also takes heavy inspiration from 90s gory anime. Or more noticeably, Goru-type visuals are more popular in niche Japanese sects. Where some see a cool gungame with great mechanics and anime girls, some see degeneracy. Although both are not wrong, I think those looking for something new should give it a shot.
It’s been a while since an FPS has done something interesting for me, like Beyond Citadel. I am not going to scoff at anyone who immediately runs away once they see an anime girl lying eviscerated on the bloodstained floor. That’s fine.
But if you are the type of guy who enjoys 80s violence like Fist Of The North Star, try it. Also, if you are bored of FPS and want something new, give it a go.
So far, although it’s not changing the wheel for me, it has been pretty fun to blaze through. It’s already sitting at a very positive review on Steam.
