Brutalism, mutants and avatar bodies in new old-school shooter TREMEN

Another promising indie shooter for classic FPS fans has emerged on the horizon. TREMEN from Red Meat Entertainment offers a combination of modern graphics with gameplay inspired by Quake 2, Return to Castle Wolfenstein and Soldier of Fortune – this will be a linear campaign without procedural generation or roguelike elements.

The game's setting is built on a grim backstory – humanity attempted to improve itself, but the experiment failed. Instead of superhumans, mutants appeared, enslaving ordinary people and turning them into a food source. The player takes on the role of a boy living in a hidden bunker with his father. The father is connected to a system that allows him to control robots and turn dead bodies into avatars – these are what the player controls on the surface. Five avatars per level – that's your lives.

The hub location immediately sets the tone – father, son and controlled robot exist in a dark brutalist environment filled with small details that bring the world to life. The upgrade system works through collecting scrap metal on levels and subsequent weapon improvements – no roguelike loops, just honest progression.

The demo version, which will soon become publicly available, includes a tutorial, hub and two missions in junkyards. The bestiary already shows impressive variety in this small slice – swift attackers, shooters, tanks, acrobats, minigun carriers and dominatrixes with electroshock. Enemy design is a separate reason for admiration, each looking like a horror movie poster.

The demo's arsenal includes fists, two pistols, a shotgun, two assault rifles and an energy rifle. The visual style of weapons matches the environment – brutal, memorable and perfectly fitting the concrete hell aesthetic.

Among the shortcomings, some weapon effects overload the screen and obstruct view during combat, there are rough edges with collisions, and sound balance needs work – individual sounds are too loud and sometimes "crackle". However, for a first demo of an indie game, this is expected.

The full version of TREMEN promises 24 levels across six different environments, 20 enemy types, 10 upgradeable weapon types and an original heavy metal soundtrack by Closed Grip. The release date hasn't been announced yet, but there's a Steam page.