Game Review: Go Beyond the Strange With The Fantastic Co-Op Shooter ‘SWAPMEAT’
It’s your fresh new birthday, and it is up to you to explore strange, hostile alien worlds while trying to overcome the many threats that inhabit them. In One More Game’s SWAPMEAT, you’ll collect resources, run’n’gun, and swap out your squishy body for parts and pieces of your alien foes.
This might sound weird at first, but it is through this key gameplay mechanic that makes SWAPMEAT one of the most unique and exciting co-op third-person shooters that I’ve played thus far. You’ll be able to replace everything from head to toe with different parts that will give you an advantage to take out the hordes of grotesque creatures that stand between you and your mission to feed and save the galaxy.
I’ve been a fan of co-op games since I started playing video games, so when a game like SWAPMEAT comes along, it brings me great joy. Whether you decide to host your own game or hop into someone else’s lobby, I found the entire experience to be an enjoyable one.
Even though I have just under 35 hours with this highly polished game, I have experienced enough of it to understand why this game works so well. Every system in place is like a well-oiled machine. Each time I load up the game, I feel the goosebumps up my arms because my body knows exactly what sort of fun to expect.
Style and substance brings satisfaction in SWAPMEAT
My experience with SWAPMEAT actually goes back to September of last year when I submitted my interest to join the Steam playtest. I could tell straightaway by its style that this game was made for me. The way the game beckoned to me with its pulpy sci-fi aesthetic brought pure bliss.
The developers describe it as a roguelite, but after spending a lot of time with the game, I wish it had a bit more randomness to it. While it indeed has random elements, after running through the six planets and, at the time of writing this review, three boss fights in the game, everything does start to feel the same. Thankfully, with the wild amount of body part combinations and nine fully upgradable weapons, there is plenty to keep players engaged.
Although it was the look and premise that sold me on it, I started to fall in love with the game when I started my descent onto the first planet. There is a short tutorial to get you familiar with the basics, but after you’re unleashed onto your first couple of missions that is when SWAPMEAT really shines.
You’ll start off on your base station, the ROX-1, where you’ll manage your load-out. You can use your time on this station to adjust your appearance, manage your weaponry, and select which planetary system you’ll set off to next. In addition to all of this, you’ll be able to claim mission rewards and equip buffs that will help you out before you launch off to your next mission.
In many ways, SWAPMEAT reminds me of a combination of the popular games Helldivers 2 and Risk of Rain 2, two titles that have many echoes of the formula you’ll experience in this game. I also felt a strong connection with the sense of humor the writers had worked into this experience. There are some mild gross out humor moments, but nothing overtly disgusting or vulgar.
If this game was released in the mid-90’s, it would have perfectly fit in the same sense of humor that many of the Nickelodeon cartoons from that era. Every now and then, I would catch myself chuckling at the sound effects, the dialogue, and even the little blurbs that from the loading screens; the formula really works!
The meat of the game
I want to focus on the most compelling thing this game has to offer, and as it says in the title, it’s swapping meat. In SWAPMEAT, you can literally swap out your own head, torso, and legs with the bits of the aliens you destroy.
Do you want a head that can shoot out ice grenades? Switch it. Do you want a torso made of fleshy chunks that can hurdle slimy boulders? Swap it. Do you want bulky digitigrades that leave a trail of fire when you sprint? Swap out your puny legs! I haven’t counted out exactly how many combinations there are in SWAPMEAT, but between switching out all three body parts and the five different elements you’ll have access to, the amount starts to stack up.
Not only can you try out a new set of body parts on every planet you drop in on, there is also a generous leveling up system. The way you level up in the game is simple: destroy your enemies, complete objectives, and you’ll be racking up experience points in no time.
Once you reach the XP goal, you’ll level up and have the option of selecting one of three given power-up choices. These power-ups are not tiny incremental buffs, either. They are substantial and you’ll instantly feel their power whether they’re for damage for your weapons, abilities, meat parts, or the many other things that you can enhance.
One More Game did a fantastic job with this system to really make the players feel powerful. I know I’m biased when I say this, but I am always down for a game that can let me go on a power fantasy!
Multiplayer mayhem
Even though I only logged about five hours of solo play, most of my playtime with SWAPMEAT was by playing with others. Most of that time was opening up my game to allow anyone around the world to join in. My personal preference is that as long as you turn off public voice chat, as voice chat can quickly turn toxic, you’ll have an enjoyable experience.
I think in total, I may have experienced two or three times of intentional sabotaging of my game by others. For a mellower time, I would lock my lobby down to just friends and ended up playing with two of my loved ones instead. Regardless of how you choose to engage the multiplayer aspect, if this style of game is typical for you, you’re going to have a blast.
With four levels of difficulty, this game is friendly to both casual and seasoned players. I am an experienced player with games such as this, while several of the random players I would join forces with were not.
Something special that the team behind SWAPMEAT has been doing are community challenges. These challenges involve the community coming together to work on large-scale goals that every player can participate in. For example, the latest goals included doing a total of 1,500 nukes across everyone’s games, thus unlocking new cosmetics for every single player. That is only one example but these have been nice fun incentives to go out of the way to do.
Only a few of these have happened, so I’m not certain how many more will come, but with how popular they’ve been with the player base it’s safe to assume more are coming.
Final thoughts on One More Game’s SWAPMEAT
I adore SWAPMEAT and I wholeheartedly recommend anyone who is a fan of co-op multiplayer shooters to give it a try. The game recently hit 1.0 and while there are only six planets and three bosses to encounter, I feel confident that One More Game will add more in the future to ensure the longevity of this game.
There are so many fun moments that you won’t find anywhere else but here. One example of a hilarious moment is after finding “Mystery Meat”, the game’s equivalent of a special ability, I was granted a nuclear bomb. I had triggered the bomb on a primary directive to take out a mini boss, but I had not properly cleared the target area. I was caught off guard and ended up receiving a significant amount of damage, but I was not completely decimated. I ended up losing my head and because it destroyed an alien within the same area, I was immediately granted its head. I love this game!
If you’re down for frantic co-op action, then SWAPMEAT is for you. The controls are incredibly tight whether you play with a controller or choose to use a mouse and keyboard. With the game currently in its early stages it is short on planets to explore, there are still enough side objectives, resources to gather, and four difficulty levels to test the skills of even the most skilled players. I am confident that the developers will deliver more planets, bosses, and community challenges to whet the appetite of patient players.
If you’re ready to take the plunge into the weird, go check out SWAPMEAT today. The game is currently available for PC and can be purchased on Steam.
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