There is something about the fusion of one-hit kills, zany weapons, rapid fire repetition, and scoreboards that creates an utterly addictive loop. The Hotline Miami series is near-and-dear to my heart. The more recent release Ape Out also vibes with me on a deep level. These games get stuck in your brain. They take over every thought as you think about how to become better and better at the flow of combat and chase the best run possible.
Bloodroots is executing that addictive, obsessive loop in a masterful way. After my demo of the game’s first act at PAX East, I cannot get it out of my head. It almost feels unfair to the other games I’ve seen at the show since I played Bloodroots first. I just want to keep playing and climb the leaderboard. I have a long way to go to climb to the top, but I know with enough practice, I can get there. It’s jussssst out of reach.