Paranautical Activity

 Xbox One
Paranautical Activity Image
Metascore
48

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
3.8

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 8 Ratings

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  • Summary: Paranautical Activity combines the classic FPS action of games like Doom and Quake, with the randomness and difficulty of modern roguelikes like Binding of Isaac and Spelunky.

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 10
  3. Negative: 4 out of 10
  1. MondoXbox
    Apr 29, 2016
    78
    An interesting FPS/roguelike hybrid, with a frantic and addictive gameplay and lots of contents. It's got some balancing issues and sometimes you feel luck counts more than skills, but for old school FPS lovers it's surely an advised buy.
  2. IGN Spain
    May 1, 2016
    60
    An interesting roguelike FPS, which is hard and beautiful but with loose controls and awful sound.
  3. Windows Central
    May 25, 2016
    60
    What started as a mostly unpleasant experience, turned into one of the most fiendishly fun yet difficult games I've played in a very long time. When I got over my bad case of Gamers Ego, I learned to roll with the punches the game dealt me and tried harder. I discovered little exploits I could use to take down some harder monsters a bit easier. I learned how to use weapons properly and which items stack with each other to make powerful builds.
  4. Pure Xbox
    May 4, 2016
    50
    The soundtrack is the highlight of this mixed bag of good ideas and poor implementation and when all is said and done, it's a shame that the gameplay and visuals cannot live up to the scene set by the music.
  5. XBLA Fans
    Jun 2, 2016
    40
    Though the gameplay itself is fun, the lack of any balance to the difficulty at early stages of the game — even on the easiest difficulty — is maddening.
  6. XboxAddict
    Jul 13, 2016
    35
    It’s simply too unforgiving to keep your attention. Menu issues, lack of story, and difficulty aside, it feels like the Xbox One port was almost an afterthought and done on a whim, resulting in a forgettable experience.
  7. ICXM
    Apr 28, 2016
    30
    Apart from the graphics and premise of shooting aquatic paranormal creatures, there really isn’t much here. This is a shame because the concept is so unique that it just feels like a wasted opportunity.

See all 10 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 0 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 4
  3. Negative: 1 out of 4
  1. AchieveAddicts
    May 6, 2016
    7
    Paranautical Activity is a rougelike first-person shooter that I could best describe as a mix of Minecraft-style characters with a roomParanautical Activity is a rougelike first-person shooter that I could best describe as a mix of Minecraft-style characters with a room structure like The Binding of Isaac. It was originally developed by Code Avarice but later sold to Digerati.

    The Good

    When I first started playing Paranutical Activity, I really didn't know what to expect. The first thing I noticed were the Minecraftian graphics. I have to admit, at first I was really apprehensive that I was going to like them, but they grew on me quickly. The game spends no time dicking around and throws you right in the action which is exactly what I wanted. It was very easy to get accustomed to the controls and how everything worked even though that was basically no guidance at all. The map and the general layout of the HUD was done well also.

    I liked finding the shops on each floor, it kind of reminded me out the shops in the original Zelda games.

    The bosses are really random and often bizarre

    The Bad

    The music got really obnoxious after a short time. Thankfully the settings menu is very simple.

    The dungeons are randomized, but they don't really change that much.

    The Achievements

    I played Paranutical Activity for 9 hours and 16 minutes and managed to unlock 6 out of 45 of the achievements for a total of 120/1000 Gamerscore.

    Final Verdict

    Overall I had a good time playing Paranutical Activity and I think it's reasonably priced at $9.99    … Expand
  2. LifeisXbox
    Apr 29, 2016
    7
    Over the past months we had a few roguelike games on Xbox One, while Paranautical Activity doesn't bring anything original, it is a fun andOver the past months we had a few roguelike games on Xbox One, while Paranautical Activity doesn't bring anything original, it is a fun and challenging game. It has a few flaws but nothing major, so it's surely a worthy purchase if you love the genre.… Expand
  4. AceoHearts
    Apr 29, 2016
    6
    Code Avarice has developed a new game and released it on to XB1 with the help of Digerati. Previously available on Steam, ParanauticalCode Avarice has developed a new game and released it on to XB1 with the help of Digerati. Previously available on Steam, Paranautical Activity blasts it's way onto the XB1 console, Wii U, and will hopefully soon be released on PS4. This first person shooter with rogue-like dungeons will instantly invoke thoughts of the original Doom and Quake.
    Paranautical Activity is a very fast paced tribute to the first person shooters. Not much is explained about the story before you start - or even while you play the game. When you 1st start up the game only Classic mode is unlocked, so you will start there and pick one of the four starting characters - David Bowie, DY-NO-MITE, Gorton, or The Tank. Each character has a different set of attributes, and weapons, so choose wisely. Once you have picked your hero you are placed in an elevator, the doors open on the 1st floor and you are off.
    Blast your way through room after room of enemies, looking for the next elevator. Demons, sharks, tenchi, ships, whales, skulls and maybe even a few Nazis. There are over 40 different enemies to encounter. Each room you enter must be cleared of bad guys before the doors will re-open. Scout the level looking for upgrades (there are 100 items in the game), the Gift Shop, and of course the monsterous boss who is guarding the elevator to the next floor. Work your way up to the 8th floor to find out what has been waiting for you.
    The controls are pretty stock for a FPS. Left stick controls movement and right stick controls your aim. The right trigger shoots your primary weapon while the left trigger is your jump. Right bumper or the B button will allow you to toss bombs - as long as you have them in your inventory. Left bumper or Y will allow you to switch between your primary and secondary weapons, as long as your character has a secondary. David Bowie starts with just a crossbow.
    Paranautical Activity has a killer dub step sound track that pulses with the action on screen. The music keeps pace with the frantic action as you are blasting and through demonic sea creatures. The graphics are very reminiscent of early 3-D first person shooters with a dash of blocky Minecraft tossed in. One of the first things I noticed was how dark the game was. Many of the rooms are not that well lit, which makes picking out the enemies difficult at times. There is no option to increase the brightness, so you are left in dimly lit rooms with fast moving monsters on many occasions. This is amplified on levels where the only light comes from floating jellyfish that can easily be taken out with a stray shot.
    There are 45 achievements to be earned in the XB1 version, and very few will come easily. To earn your 1,000 gamerscore you will have to beat the game with each of the characters, defeat Normal and Hardcore mode, use every item, kill all the bosses, speed run the game, and more. This is not going to be a quick and easy completion to say the least. You will have to have patience and skill to master this game.    … Expand
  5. StanleyPain
    Sep 22, 2016
    1
    I got this when it was still an early access kind of thing on Steam as I thought it was a cool idea and wanted to support it. When I askedI got this when it was still an early access kind of thing on Steam as I thought it was a cool idea and wanted to support it. When I asked about the possibility of controller support (there was none in the first few months of the game's life cycle) the dev told me to "go f**k myself." The thin-skinned babyman that mostly developed this game went on to make a name for himself on the Steam forums by basically just acting like an idiot any time even the most minor criticism of the game was made. And, in the end, the game was never improved beyond just the barest minimum it needed to get a full release. Don't support these devs or their crap games.… Expand

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