RIPOUT is an upcoming online Co-Op horror FPS from 3D Realms where you have to fight your way through mutant-infested areas. It’s not the same as other FPS games though because you have your trusted Pet Gun.
The game will arrive in 2022 and is currently in Pre-Alpha. Luckily, we managed to test the demo and see check its gameplay.
I am not a fan of horror games but I still managed to play this game and here are my RIPOUT game impressions.
Visuals and Audio
I maxed out the RIPOUT graphics settings and I can say that the details are impressive. The shuttle’s design looks great and the interior is well-thought-out.
Once loaded into the mission area, the eerie and creepy feeling starts to creep in. The dark environment adds to the terror while hiding areas where mutants could appear. If you are not attentive, you will easily miss some of the mutants lurking in the shadows.
Moving on to the character designs, the reconfigurable monsters look great. Each stage or level has varying monster designs that will take you off guard.
Reconfigurable monsters here mean that there are smaller monsters that attach themselves to the larger ones to add different types of power-ups – either for attacking or defending. Visually, the varying monster design is a great addition to the game’s horror presentation.
I think audio is another one of the game’s strengths. The ambient music alone gives me shivers. It gets more terrifying when the jumpscares come in. The audio and music alone take the experience up a notch because it is immersive.
RIPOUT Gameplay Impressions
I played the game with my buddy because I wanted to test its Co-Op features. Did I mention that I am not a fan of horror games? Because yes, I do not want to play this game alone. Fortunately, we played together because the game is tough and I am a scaredy-cat.
The game starts off with a tutorial, of course. It’s easy to understand the controls but it lacks a little bit of depth. There was no mention of weapon selection or mission selection.
Once the tutorial is done. Start the game and you will be brought into the shuttle. This is where you will change your loadout and select your mission. As I’ve mentioned earlier, it was not included in the tutorial and you have to figure it out on your own.
The game is straightforward with missions that require you to activate terminals, etc. I think RIPOUT is really intended for Co-Op as some of the tasks are tough if you are alone.
The terminal activation for example takes around 5-10 seconds to finish. However, monsters will be swarming your area and you cannot move while activating a terminal. Having someone with you to shoot the monsters is the way to go.
Another challenging aspect of the game is the ammunition and healing items. It is easy to lose the whole magazine and looting more ammo is like finding a needle in a haystack.
There are common crates that provide heals and ammunition but if you are playing with a buddy or two, you will have to divide those loot into two or three. This makes heals and ammo really scarce.
So how tough are the monsters? Defeating them is doable but very challenging.
The difficulty scales as your progress. Hence, I mentioned that playing with two or three players would be ideal. Clearing hordes would be easier by having more players.
However, there is the problem of ammunition and heals. That’s another challenge when clearing levels. We even had a level where our assault rifle and pistol ran out of ammo and we have no way to kill an enemy. My buddy and I just ran as fast as we could back to the shuttle.
Then here comes the challenge of surprising mutants. You’ll never know what kind of skill they have. They might look the same from the outside but oh boy, they are out to surprise you.
Let’s also talk a little bit about the gunplay. There are three weapon choices – a DMR, an assault rifle, and a shotgun. The secondary would be a pistol and a small ax for melee. Then you also have your Pet Gun.
The most ideal weapon is the AR but it gets depleted quickly. The shotgun is fine if you want to get close and deal high damage while the DMR is okay, it is not the best one out there. Of course, you can pick it up if you want a challenge.
The problem with the weapons is the lack of auto-reload. It is not a major drawback but it is frustrating when the magazine runs out and you have to reload manually.
What about the Pet Gun?
I say it is an interesting part of the game and could be a game-changer when defeating enemies. You may throw it straight at the enemy and “absorb” their biotech. In turn, this will provide you with other skills to use.
For example, there is a small monster that provides you with a tentacle-like monster that has a high damage melee attack. Another one provides you with a laser blaster.
In concept, it is a good addition. However, there are instances where my Pet Gun does not work. It does not latch to the enemy nor did it grab their biotech.
Is it scary enough?
For someone who is not a fan of horror games but is a fan of FPS titles, I would say that RIPOUT is 70% FPS and 30% horror. There is not that much to be scared of besides the usual jumpscares like monsters appearing in front of you out of nowhere.
Besides the chilling music, spooky audio, and dark environment, I did not experience anything else that got my heart pumping. It’s more of a “there might be a jumpscare here, I’ll be prepared” kind of experience.
Tone down your expectation a little bit because as the game moves forward, it becomes more of a horde shooter.
Bugs are still present
The version I played is Pre-Alpha 0.104.01 and I encountered some bugs while playing the game.
In the first one, we had to reset the game because my buddy went out of the shuttle while the game is loading a mission. He fell off the map, literally.
For the second one, I opened the menu to adjust the settings and I could not close it after. I can shoot my gun and move around but there is a huge settings UI in front of me.
The third, the monster walked right into our shuttle. I could not rescue my teammate or finish the mission after.
Lastly, the Pet Gun does not work as intended. I would say, it worked 50-50. I’ll press F and nothing happens. But when it works, it’s a joy to use.
The developers are still working on the game so these bugs are expected. I have reported these bugs through the RIPOUT discord server and the devs quickly acknowledged it. I have high hopes that these bugs will be fixed soon as their response was swift.
Final Thoughts
RIPOUT is an interesting FPS game with a horror element added to it. It introduces a Pet Gun, that is fascinating to use.
But like what I have said earlier, tone down your expectation when it comes to the horror aspect. Think of it as a sprinkle on top of ice cream. It is there for the added crunch but it is not the main flavor.
Point is, RIPOUT is more of a horde shooter that still needs a lot of fixing before its final release. However, do take note that I played a pre-Alpha version. The horror aspect might be turned up several times by the developers when it comes to the final version.
RIPOUT Game Release Date
RIPOUT is coming this 2022. It has no definite release date yet and could launch by the fourth quarter of this year.
You may already add it to your wishlist on Steam.
Console players might wait a little bit more because there is no announcement yet of whether it will arrive on the Xbox Series X | S, PlayStation 4 or 5, or the Nintendo Switch.
What did you think of our RIPOUT game impressions? Are you looking forward to the co-op horror shooter? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
This impressions article is based on the PC version of RIPOUT. The key was provided by Renaissance PR.
