Nightmare Frontier made its debute on the play list just ahead of its 1.0 release, though this marked a first real examination despite the game’s year long Early Access period. Initial expectations pointed toward a tactical RPG in the vein of Desperados or Wasteland. Those expectations lasted only a few minutes as they were miles off.
Beneath its western horror setting lies something entirely different: a roguelite extraction game where every expedition into the city’s nightmare-infested neighborhoods is a calculated risk. Each run asks players to choose their path, complete objectives, gather loot, and most importantly—survive long enough to escape. Failure comes at the price of losing all your collected loot. Though your crew and the loot you brought in do get out.
Combat quickly became the highlight of the experience. Battles unfold across compact maps where positioning is everything. Health pools are small, as is the damage dished out, and there are multiple objects across the maps that can be harmful or useful in your attack choices. As a run drags on down the never ending street, the growing influence of the Nightmare introduces escalating dangers that punish.
What initially appeared to be a straightforward tactics game gradually revealed itself as something closer to a tactical puzzle. Every encounter encouraged careful planning, creative use of abilities, and chaining together attacks to eliminate enemies before the Nightmares spiraled out of control. Use that un-do button.
By the end of the stream, the biggest surprise was not how different Nightmare Frontier was from expectations, it was how addictive that formula proved to be. One extraction naturally led to another, and another after that, with each run unlocking new possibilities and encouraging further experimentation. The depth and difficulty can force a need to do run after run to progress which may not be for everyone.
Nightmare Frontier is recorded as Very Alive.
The nightmares are spreading.
And there is no desire to wake up.
Pronouncement: Extremely alive.