Deepward is a brand-new FPS roguelite on Steam that looks like it belongs in the Resident Evil 4 universe, but its fast-paced gameplay will remind many fans of Doom. Developed by indie studio Echofall Games, Deepward is set to launch on Steam in Q1 2027, but fans of Resident Evil 4 and Doom-like games can try it early with a free demo.
As seen in the trailers, one of Deepward‘s main maps resembles Salazar’s Castle from Resident Evil 4, and some enemies have a similar feel. More specifically, Deepward features zombie-like cultists who look a lot like the Zealots in Resident Evil 4 and can also use basic weapons. However, unlike Leon S. Kennedy, who takes a more tactical approach to fighting the infected, Deepward‘s protagonists prefer to treat their enemies the same way Doom Guy treats demons.
What to Expect from Deepward’s Gameplay
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- Genre: FPS, Zombie, Boomer Shooter, Horror
- Developer: Echofall Games
- Release Date: Q1 2027
Deepward features a roster of six heroes, each with unique abilities, stats, and weapons. For each run, players select three characters to build a squad that best fits their playstyle. Interestingly, Deepward lets players switch between characters seamlessly during combat, making the mechanic feel more like swapping builds. Beyond that, the gameplay loop mostly involves entering new zones and clearing out hordes of hostile zombies with either long-range firearms or melee weapons.
Like some other Doom-inspired games, Deepward apparently doesn’t want players to slow down or take a more tactical approach to killing enemies. To encourage nonstop action, Deepward introduces a “sanity meter” that remains stable only when players slaughter monsters. According to the developer, the feature can affect what players see if neglected, which will push them to keep shooting at enemies. Echofall Games also warns, “Hero death is permanent,” urging players to be more cautious about how they assemble and manage their squad.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Easy (5)Medium (7)Hard (10)
Deepward introduces a “sanity meter” that remains stable only when players slaughter monsters.
Deepward has already reached some impressive milestones on Steam. According to Echofall Games, the game has surpassed 10,000 wishlists on the platform, a solid achievement for a small indie title. Deepward has also received positive feedback online, with some content creators calling it a high-potential first-person boomer shooter. The free demo has also earned mostly favorable reviews, though the number of player ratings remains fairly limited at the time of writing.
Echofall Games has continued to work on Deepward, adding new features and polishing the existing demo. On September 20, for example, the developer released a new patch that introduced several intriguing features, including the ability to shoot off enemies’ limbs and three new difficulty modes. It remains to be seen how fans of fast-paced zombie shooters will react to Deepward when it launches in 2027. For now, gamers can wishlist the upcoming title on Steam and follow the developer’s devlogs on the official Deepward website to keep up with its development.
- Released
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March 24, 2023
- ESRB
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M for Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
