We are Doomed Review – Tiny Laser, Big Explosions (PS4)

Unlike so many other similar titles, the top-down shooter We are Doomed forces players to get pretty cozy with their enemies. There are no missiles to shoot the assumed alien invaders, and there are no long-ranged machines guns. Nope, instead players are stuck with a short, little laser that barely can make its way across one-third of the screen. If that makes We Are Doomed sound like a difficult game, that’s because it is a difficult game.

Wave After Wave

The colorful, retro shooter has two game modes — Wave mode and Endless mode. Wave mode, as the name suggests, features 30 increasingly difficult waves of enemies. Some enemies come in huge flocks and will swarm the player, others shoot things at the player, and still others just wander around the screen. Asteroids and other obstacles will spawn in certain levels, adding a whole other level of difficulty. 

At the same time, every 10 levels, a boss-like alien will be introduced. They are difficult to destroy, and afterwards will be added into the normal alien swarms that stream in on every stage. Thankfully, defeating a boss also unlocks a new starting point. Players have three lives, and when they are lost, they are forced to start back either the first wave the first wave after a boss. Starting at, say, stage 11 will save you some time, but you also will have missed out on all the points you can wrack up from killing enemies in the first 10 stages, meaning your leaderboards score will be lower.

Yeah, There’s a Superlaser

Wracking up points also can give players a powerful upgrade. After collecting a certain number of little cubes dropped by enemies, players will be able to activate a “SUPERLASER” by pressing either R1 or R2, which essentially just makes your normal laser longer and wider. The upgrade only lasts several seconds, meaning players should be strategic about when to actually activate the powerful upgrade.

Besides the Wave mode, there is also an Endless mode, which essentially pits players against an unlimited amount of aliens in an effort to see who can last the longest. While the enemies are the same in this mode and the Wave mode, Endless mode is pretty fun when you just want to play a quick game. Both modes are addicting, and I found myself constantly trying to go back in Wave mode to get past just a few more stages. However, because the two modes feature the same enemies and essentially has players doing the same thing — killing aliens with a short laser — We Are Doomed loses its appeal fairly quickly. Sure, the funky soundtrack and the beautiful visuals, which are filled with color and a retro feel, might have you coming back for more once in a while, but there really isn’t enough here for extended playthroughs.

If you are looking for a game to fire up every now and then for some quick, addicting gameplay, you probably should check out We are Doomed. Giving players only a tiny laser to kill bad guys with puts a unique and interesting spin on the typical top-down shooter model, and beautiful visuals offer a nice retro feel. For $9.99, it will make a nice addition to your PlayStation 4 game collection.

 Review copy was provided by the publisher. For information on scoring, please read our Review Policy here.