Do you like being crushed by giant women wielding swords? If so, understandable - and boy have I got a game for you. Moros Protocol is a gritty sci-fi roguelite - think Dead Space meets Doom - with crunchy combat, a world that's quite literally oozing atmosphere, and a persistent annoyance in a mechsuit who's somehow thicker than a bowl of oatmeal after you’ve dumped in four extra scoops.

Hey folks, I’m Ash, and with Moros Protocol launching soon, I dove into the demo to see what it's really packing, and whether it's actually worth your time.

Video version of this article (~11 minutes)

How does it play?

So, how does it play? Honestly... way better than I expected. The combat in Moros Protocol is very weighty and deliberate. Once you start something, you're locked in. So if you begin feeding your pet gun in the middle of a boss combo, I hope you enjoy having your feet electrocuted because you ain't jumping until that reload is over! And you know what? I actually kind of like that. Being forced to plan ahead instead of just bunny-hopping around and blasting everything is a refreshing twist for a boomer-shooter.

Naturally, you’d expect the rest of Moros Protocol to be just as slow and methodical.. but nope! You sprint like Sonic after six espressos, and even your dodges are so fast I’d lose track of myself mid-fight. And judging by how confused the enemies looked, I think they had the same problem. Those poor things are barely able to shuffle around at the best of times, so asking them to keep up with the Flash feels borderline cruel.

I'm honestly torn on the whole super-speed thing. It’s fantastic when you’re exploring and want to zip across the map, but in combat it just feels... unfair. And look, I didn’t think I’d ever sympathize with mosquitoes, but here we are. I just think the fights would be a lot more intense if the enemies could actually box you in, instead of only catching me if I Wile E. Coyote’d myself straight into a wall.

Tearing enemies into pixelated giblets is quite fun

Treasures and booms

And speaking of walls - Moros Protocol has these weird wall mouths, or at least I hope they're mouths, that you can slice open to see if they’re hiding a secret path. Usually they just spew questionable fluids back at you, but sometimes they’ll reveal treasures - extra ammo, health, or even a slot machine that perfectly demonstrates why gambling never pays off... not that I’d know anything about that.

But what does pay off is scouring every arena for secrets. They’re not hard to spot, but they're also easy to miss if you’re rushing since they’re tucked away on ceilings, in crevices, or even behind jumping puzzles. Maybe this is how I discover I’m a kleptomaniac, but I love this kind of stuff. Having a reason to sniff around every corner for goodies just feels great, especially since space-money is so hard to come by. I guess some things never change.

A big reason why it’s so satisfying is that most secrets make you smash something to get the prize inside - like a gooey, meaty piñata. The sound and visuals when you crack a loot box are spot-on, scratching that caveman part of my brain that wants to hit things with a club. Which is why it stings so much that most of the environment isn’t destructible.

You can kick all sorts of stuff at enemies: plasma canisters, the classic explosive barrels, or evens alien goo-sacs - and every one of them goes off with a bang. If that then sets off a chain reaction, I’m basically in heaven. And yet, the levels just don't react to this kind of carnage. I don’t need fancy animations or physics simulations, but give me something - vaporize a crate, break a chair, just anything to sell the moment. Or in simple terms - caveman want smash!

So... is it the top or bottom?

Melee madness

Thankfully, the enemies crumple way better when you hit them with a giant bonk-stick. So much better, in fact, that I ended up roleplaying a space-barbarian even though I had access to plasma shotguns and futuristic SMGs. And honestly, how could I resist? It's just so satisfying to run around ambushing enemies with an axe to the face and then slinking back into the shadows - sort of like a sped-up version of a slasher villain.

And it's not just fun, the game actively rewards you for taking these risks. Smacking enemies with a tentacle-sword restores health and drops extra loot, so if you’re brave enough to wade into a swarm of mutated crewmen, you’ll come out richer and healthier. And because melee hits like a truck, even bosses can get humiliated with a few well-timed swings.

Even the starter sword is badass!

What about the pew-pews?

But what about the guns? What are we looking at there? Well, there's the usual mix of pistols and energy pew-pews, but also some much-spicier toys: a plasma double-barrel shotgun, and a gun that is almost certainly one end of an alien's digestive track. Which end? Well, that's between you and your nightmares. Either way, it does great damage, so... I hope you enjoy feeding your meat-gun!

The higher-tier guns feel great, especially the shotgun which has a good bit of punch to it. Though I can’t say the same for the pistols or most of the starter weapons. They’re just too piddly. It’s kinda hard to get excited about going 'pew... pew... pew' for three seconds straight when even the weakest melee weapon can split enemies in half with a single heavy attack.

Keep your gun well fed and it'll serve you well

Gearing up

I get it - it's a roguelite, so the early-game gear has to be weak to make the late-game toys feel like world-enders. But I feel like Moros Protocol might've turned the dial a little too far. The good news is that the augments pick up the slack. As you explore you’ll find upgrades for both yourself and your weapons, and they swing wildly between '+5 max HP' snooze-fests and effects so cool you’ll want to refocus your entire build around them.

Take one of my favorites for example: an augment that supercharges energy weapons... but only while you’re airborne. If you want those big chunky damage numbers, you need to hop around like a caffeinated rabbit - burning through stamina and leaving yourself wide open in the process. It’s fun, it’s risky, and it pushes you toward slower, heavier weapons that sync up with your jump timing. And, honestly? I love power that comes at a cost as those limitations keep the game fresh, even deep into a session.

Unfortunately, the permanent meta-progression doesn’t have the same sort of spark. Most of it boils down to uninspired junk like +1 stamina, +1 reload speed, or the legendary, unthinkable +2 health upgrade. They’re so tiny and forgettable it's like getting last year's calendar for Christmas... and yes, I'm still bitter about that. If the devs went for something more ambitious like selectable +/- style upgrades that make your runs easier, harder or just plain weirder - I think it would've elevate the whole roguelite aspect dramatically.

The combat is fun, so adding stuff to spice it up seems wise

Big sword, big personality

And speaking of drama, nobody does it better than Jocaste - one of the two bosses I ran into. She pops up at multiple points in the story, does something extremely suggestive, and then stabs you with a gigantic sword. And if that wasn't good enough, she also has a surprisingly fun early-game boss fight.

The fight’s hard enough that you actually have to use your whole kit to survive, but not so brutal that you’re just running around in circles and screaming. In one run I messed up and brought two energy weapons, ran out of ammo, and ended up having to axe her some questions - which, to my surprise, actually worked! Though, to be fair, she spends half the fight taunting you instead of killing you, so I can only imagine the rematch later is going to be a real highlight of the game. And honestly, I hope it is, because the whole 'giant sword, plasma cannon, energy wings' aesthetic gets my inner child all excited.

The story, sadly, has the opposite effect as it's just kinda boring. You’re basically an off-brand Doomguy who wakes up from cryo-sleep, realizes someone turned the ship into an all-you-can-eat meat buffet, and now you have to punch your way through hordes of mutants. And that's it. The demo teases some big reveals for later on, however, so maybe there is still light at the end of this tunnel.

But honestly, I found the whole cyber-dominatrix angle way more engaging. Jocaste just struts in, beats you up, calls you a loser, and then leaves - and you know what? It works. It’s unique, it’s memorable, and it makes you want payback - which is exactly what a good villain should do. She completely stole the show for me, so despite being on screen for around 5 minutes, I don't think I'll forget her any time soon - and I don't mean because of that.

Jocaste really does steal every scene she's in

Is it worth your time?

So, is Moros Protocol worth your time? Honestly, yeah - at least give the demo a spin. The story didn't grab me, and the meta-progression feels like it was shoehorned in last minute, but that hardly matters for an action-roguelite. Meanwhile the important stuff - the atmosphere, the combat and the sheer satisfaction of liquefying aliens via hammer to the head - all of that stuff is rock solid.

So if the full release doubles down on those strengths, and maybe gives Jocaste more chances to bully me, I think Moros Protocol could easily be a fun 15-20 hour ride.