Delta Squad review for PS4, Xbox One, Switch

Platform: PS4
Also on: Xbox One, Switch, PC
Publisher: Ratalaika Games
Developer: Eskema Games
Medium: Digital
Players: 1-4
Online: No
ESRB: T

Words cannot convey just how inessential Delta Squad is. Not only is it a completely forgettable, thoroughly uninspired top-down shooter, it?s also a sequel — for some reason — to last year?s FullBlast, which itself was a completely forgettable, thoroughly uninspired shmup. I?m not saying every game needs to have a reason for being, but I played through FullBlast last year, and I can?t say that there?s ever been a single moment in the past year where I even remembered its existence, let alone found myself wondering what had become of those anonymous spaceship pilots.

Of course, I?d be completely and utterly indifferent to Delta Squad even if it wasn?t an inconsequential sequel to a game that you almost certainly didn?t play (nor, really, that you had any reason to play). It?s just that generic. It?s a top-down shooter with nothing in the way of personality or style, where you run around a map shooting at zombies and evil soldiers, all to stop some evil general. I mean, kudos to the game for even putting together a modicum of plot, but who cares about any of this?

What?s more, Delta Squad is designed to be played as part of — you guessed it — a four-player squad, and it?s pretty much impossible to do anything solo. You have limited lives and firepower, and even if individual enemies aren?t much — beyond the tanks and turret guns, which will kill you pretty quickly if you don?t avoid them — collectively they?re almost sure to overpower you eventually if you?re on your own. I suppose the game deserves some credit for trying to revive couch co-op, but I can?t imagine why you?d want to waste friends? time on something as thoroughly shrug-inducing as this.

But again, there?s no way the presence of three friends — or even AI — would make Delta Squad stand out, or even make it worth playing. It?s a dull way to spend a couple of hours, it doesn?t do anything even remotely interesting, and not even the promise of a patented Ratalaika Easy Platinum should be enough to make you want to play this for even a single second.

Ratalaika Games provided us with a Delta Squad PS4 code for review purposes.

Grade: D