You possibly can most likely guess what my expectations have been for Bears in Area. I will provide you with a clue: there have been two of them they usually each function within the title. So I used to be stunned when, about an hour in, I used to be embroiled in a robotic homicide investigation. Having spent 60 minutes blasting the plasma-brained automatons that comprise the sport’s fundamental enemies, abruptly I used to be amongst their ranks. Transported to a paper-strewn police station, I used to be requested to select a suspect in a perp lineup from behind a glass window.
Earlier than you begin considering Bears in Area is a stealth sequel to Return of the Obra Dinn, I ought to level out its strategy to deduction is barely much less refined than Lucas Pope’s traditional thriller. The detective on the case states outright he’ll belief no matter resolution I make as a result of I seem like I’ve a very good eye. After 30 livid seconds of deliberation, I choose the robotic with a cowboy hat and moustache, based mostly on the precept that moustache = villain. The detective concurs, shouting “time to course of this lot”. Moments later, an enormous piston slams via the identification room, wiping out each robotic within the lineup.
Honey, I blew up the robotic
This was the primary time I laughed out loud taking part in Bears in Area, and it was removed from the final. I picked up this farcical FPS primarily to fill a spot in my gunplay calendar. The boomer shooter brigade has been brief on ammo recently, having seemingly run out of ’90s classics to spiritually succeed, and we’re nonetheless a month out from Doom: The Darkish Ages, the large FPS of 2025. Bears in Area, I figured, would ship no less than two issues related to my pursuits. I did not count on to find probably the most underrated shooter on Steam.
Admittedly, Bears in Area takes a minute to search out its ft (or paws, as could also be extra applicable right here). You play as Maxwell Atoms, a ‘spacetronaut’ aboard the SS Ursine, whose DNA is by accident merged with a bear’s when the ship is attacked by the Bearmada Alliance. After a botched try to flee by way of hyperquickness (assume warp velocity, however with a good sillier identify), you as an alternative abscond by way of escape pod to a close-by planet populated fully by Robby the Robotic’s deranged offspring.
Every part in these early levels, from the taking pictures to the humour, is a bit limp, whereas among the artistic decisions take a second to regulate to. For instance, I do not know what you’d think about a speaking bear seems like, however I doubt it is an aged girl from New York who has a stoma as a result of she’s been smoking since she was 5 years outdated. However that is the voice Broadside Video games chooses on your bear companion/alter ego Beartana, who presents ethical help in your journey, in addition to hints and useful ‘bear info’, similar to their famed skill to double-jump and sprint in midair.
However via sheer brute power, Bears in Area ultimately induced me to crack a smile. It throws so many jokes at you that some are certain to land, and the hit charge will increase the deeper you delve into the sport. Beartana’s weird characterisation begins to repay, assuming the function of a barely disenchanted aunt who is aware of Max is a little bit of a failnephew however loves him anyway. What primarily lifts the humour, although, is how Bears in Area synthesises its jokes with that traditional FPS-staple: secrets and techniques.
Every degree is stuffed with hidden areas, however in contrast to most shooters, Bears in Area goes out of its approach that can assist you discover them. That is as a result of these secrets and techniques are primarily comedy sketches the developer desires you to see. The identification parade is one in every of these, however one other entails a completely playable recreation of basketcube (assume basketball, however with extra proper angles) the place groups of AI bots push and shove each other as they shoot squares on the court docket. There’s additionally one the place you choose up a seventh celebration invitation off a lifeless bot referred to as Trevor, earlier than you finally stumble into the celebration itself on the finish of the extent.
There could be as many as a dozen secrets and techniques in a degree of Bears in Area, and whereas not all of them are this concerned, a lot of them are. And that is all sandwiched in between the gags and bizarre locations you encounter alongside the sport’s principal path, which features a jaunt via a literal arms manufacturing facility, a scene the place you turn into a human kaiju stomping tiny robots beneath your ft, and an ad-hoc recreation present the place it is advisable to discover the pink key for a speaking head with a far stricter definition of “pink” than ordinary.
Smarter than the common bear
But whereas the humour is what units Bears in Area aside, it is also a dependably first rate shooter. Once more, it takes some time to point out its potential, because the retrofuturist laser pistol you begin off with is a bit weedy. However your arsenal expands shortly, and as with the secrets and techniques, demonstrates some fairly wild concepts. Weapons embody a throwable propeller hat that may carry smaller enemies into the air, the aforementioned basket dice, which bounces round knocking a number of enemies over earlier than it explodes, and the anvil launcher, which is an elastic band that shoots post-it-note-sized anvils. This initially looks like a joke weapon, and I suppose it finally is. It simply so occurs that the joke is fully in your enemies.
With regards to enemies, they’re all bizarre, rickety cartoon robots. They may simply make for underwhelming cannon fodder, however the way in which a shotgun blast bursts them into an enormous puddle of oil lends Bears in Area the tactile gratification all shooters want. There’s additionally a satisfying selection to your foes, starting from cigar-chomping turret bots that blast out clouds of inexperienced orbs, to stout mechanical pugilists who roll in the direction of you with iron fists raised. When Bears in Area locations a half-dozen bot varieties into an area, it may be surprisingly difficult. You will bounce and weave via torrents of projectiles, juggling your weapons to skinny their ranks.
Bears in Area undoubtedly has its flaws. The extent design lacks the intricacy of different indie shooters like Nightfall or Prodeus, and the voice appearing appears to be largely carried out by the identical Australian man placing on completely different voices, which is generally charming, however undermines among the humour.
Nonetheless, what more and more impressed me as I performed was the generosity on present. The degrees may not be geometrically complicated, however they’re all prolonged and filled with puzzles, boss battles, and all of the aforementioned secrets and techniques. There are 23 completely different weapons, not together with the upgrades you possibly can earn for sure firearms, remodeling how they perform. Oh, and you may flip right into a bear. That is alleged to be one of many principal promoting factors of Bears in Area, as implied by the primary third of its title, however the entire recreation is so bizarre and stunning that I forgot to say it up till now.
On the time of writing, Bears in Area has lower than 300 Steam opinions. Whereas opinions should not a exact metric of copies bought, they do observe pretty constantly, and this quantity would recommend Bears in Area has not bought effectively. Frankly, I believe that is prison. The place so many extra profitable indie shooters ape video games like Doom or are impressed by Quake, Bears in Area appears beholden solely unto its personal, bizarre self. And whereas I really like all these shooters with one foot previously, we must always not neglect to rejoice video games that aspire to be new and distinctive. And Bears in Area is nothing if not singular.
