Paradox Vector Review

Introduction
Another First Person Shooter game will be reviewed, a rare indie with an Mc Escher vibe. This first-person shooter has a small story but the story is better than I had expected, the story even has two different endings! The gameplay of Paradox Vector is really good. There are many glitches and bugs in Paradox Vector but that adds a lot of fun and a good vibe to the game. This adds a nostalgic trait to Paradox Vector which I can appreciate a lot.  You will find multiple weapons that you need to destroy the weird-looking robots and enemies in this game, get ready to be attacked by flying jellyfish and creepy crawlies!

Ammo is very scarce so you might need to backtrack now and then to recover health points and ammo. The good thing about Paradox Vector is that you have a hub split into three sections that lead to new dungeons. In each of these dungeons, you will find a new key that you will need to face off with the end-game boss and enter the final dungeon. When completing dungeons, you will find new skills and weapons that you might need in other dungeons that you have completed, this allows you to find new secret areas. This makes the game much bigger and more fun to play in.

What did I think before playing Paradox Vector?
I was asked on discord by the developer if I was interested in reviewing any of his games, Paradox Vector stood out for me of the selection of games that he has created.
The weird vibe is something to look out for, the graphics are really good but I was quickly lost in the trailer as the dungeons look very spacey.
The weapons look fun and the music took me back a few ages, this is definitely a game that you would love if you like older first-person shooter games!
The trailer gave me a really fun vibe and I was very excited to start playing the game, the game starts with a little intro to the story in Paradox Vector.
The developer told me there were multiple dungeons and loads of secrets to uncover, soon I discovered I could walk through the walls in Paradox Vector!

I rate Paradox Vector before playing with an 8.5.
The premise of this game is wonderful, a great first-person shooter that takes you back to ages gone by. The Mc Escher vibe adds a nice touch to the Paradox Vector.
The hub reminded me of a lot of Turok for some reason.

Story
You have time-traveled back into time to try and save your father’s reputation but instead, you travel back millions of years. You awaken to find yourself separated from your time machine and that you are imprisoned.
Can you break free and find your time machine?

I rate the story for Paradox Vector with a 7.0.
The story is much better than I had expected, there is even a secret ending that you will need for a good ending. The good ending might be hard to find if you try to rush through the game! Of course, Paradox vector is more about the gameplay but it is very neat that the developer added a story and a secret ending.

Gameplay
The gameplay of Paradox Vector is amazing, there are multiple difficulties to play but expect a challenge on normal. There are few ammo drops and few health drops. Luckily there are health upgrades that you can use to carry more health. It is a wise idea to replenish any ammo or health that you can in the hub after completing a dungeon. The hub is split into three sections, once you have collected a red key card you can access all the areas. There are ten dungeons in the game but the final dungeon is the point of no return.  You need to collect every triangle in the dungeons before the final dungeon opens, you can always return to dungeons with new skills or weapons that you have acquired. There are only two enemies in the game that I would give the boss description. The first boss will give you the option to replenish your ammo and health but the second boss does not.

The dungeons can get tricky, especially when trying to find the way but there is a map in every dungeon. The maps are usually hidden well but they are very useful. Some dungeons can give you impossible hallways with the blue keycard or even turn upside down! Every dungeon has a unique feeling and graphics, there is also usually a theme that they will use in a dungeon. One dungeon needs a lot of bombs but other dungeons require a lot of jumping. Don’t be freaked out when you walk through a door and look back to find a wall has appeared. The combat is very difficult as the enemies shoot fast and accurately, they also can deal immense damage to you in seconds. I missed the grenade in the game, the time bombs usually detonated too fast. If you think you run out of ammo too fast, you can try to find the bandoliers that give you the ability to hold more ammo for certain guns.

I rate the gameplay of Paradox Vector with an 8.0.
The gameplay is very good, the glitches and bugs are fun and do not break the game, this depends on your point of view. The glitches are great for speedrunners. I was able to meet the first boss within 15 minutes! Sadly, I was not strong enough to beat him but I did a full dungeon run and completed the game in two hours!

Sound and Graphics
The graphics are very well made, the Mc Escher vibe is a refreshing view from the standard first-person shooter graphics that you see in other games. The graphics might trick you while trying to find your way in a dungeon. All the dungeons have a different feel to them and they also look different, with the final dungeon having a very different aesthetic. The garden that resembles the hub sections also has annoying spike balls that attack you.

The soundtrack is very fun and takes me back to ages gone by very retro music. The sound effects are mediocre at best and might need a little polishing, the character saying ouch when you get hit is fun though.

I rate the Sound and Graphics in Paradox Vector with a 7.5.
The developer has worked really hard on making the graphics look different in each dungeon, I really appreciated the different feel that this game gives you!

What did I think of playing after Paradox Vector?
I had a lot of fun when playing Paradox Vector, I even replayed the game a few times. This game offers little replay value but nonetheless, it is fun to replay the game!
The enemies are fast and accurate and you might need to tune yourself to expect more of a challenge than in other first-person shooter games.
There is less enemy variety than I had hoped but the game makes up for that with having a connected hub and having to backtrack to old dungeons with new skills.
I liked the story but I hope the developer adds some more woosh to the entry of the game and a little boom to the end of the game, the text is fun as well but something cinematic would be nice.
The game lived up even more to my expectation than I had thought, the glitches and walking through walls make this game even more fun.
Want to get a rocket launcher in the beginning? Just walk through the fence but there are some walls that you cannot walkthrough.
I would recommend this game to anyone that loves first-person shooters and is looking for something new.

I rate Paradox Vector after playing with an 8.6
This is a simple first-person shooter but you can see that the developer has put a lot of effort into the game, the graphics are amazing. I wonder if the developer has put these glitches in on purpose or if they were an accident.
I got to admit, I love games where I can walk through the walls, I found out I could walk through the walls since this is something I try to do in every game. This obsession started on the N64, walking through walls was a thing that happened in too many games back then!

My personal rating
I had very much fun while playing Paradox Vector, the glitches that are in the game make the game even more entertaining!
There are many different dungeons to explore and they all grant you different skills or weapons, I always love first-person shooter games with a hub that connects the levels.
There is nothing wrong with mission-based first-person shooter games but something different is nice now and then.

My personal rating of Paradox Vector with an 8.0

Pros and Cons

Pros
– Paradox Vector has a very different vibe than most other first-person shooter games.
– There are many skills and weapons to unlock in the dungeons.
– The game challenges you when fighting the enemies.
– The dungeons are very tricky, you might get lost. You are going to need the map!
– The enemies that are present in the game are very well designed.
– There is a secret ending in Paradox Vector.
– The soundtracks are very good and it keeps you engaged and focused on the goal at hand, kicking some alien ass and chewing bubblegum but I am all out of bubblegum.
– You can walk through walls to create speed runs of Paradox Vector.

Cons
– The story in Paradox Vector might need some cinematic added to it for a better effect.
– There is not enough enemy variety in the game.
– The sound effects might need some more polishing.

This game took me by surprise with how much fun it is, there is little replay value but somehow I wanted to try the game a few more times after clearing the last dungeon. I tried different dungeons and finding more secrets.
The final rating for the Paradox Vector is …Drumroll…

7.9

Let me know what you think of the game in the comments.
I hope you liked reading this review, I hope to see you in the next review!