Skarab is a new retro-inspired FPS that pays homage to the 90s DOS classics like Powerslave: Exhumed and is out now on Steam. The game has been developed and published by DOSMan Games, which describes itself as “a micro-studio making bite-sized boomer shooters.” We played through the first few levels for this first impressions post, and the bottom line is that Skarab is excellent value, only costing £2.50, which provides a fun experience that will please retro fans who enjoy a bit of mindless carnage.

At its heart, Skarab is a simple game that drops any complicated mechanics or weaponry in favour of straightforward exploration, aim, shoot and survive. The story is also quintessentially 90s, as our hero needs to rescue the princess while sending Anubis back to the afterlife. As you would expect, the story has minimal impact on the actual gameplay and is simply a device to set the Egyptian scene for the game. In a fun play on the homage-style, each level has a fun secret to discover, finding DOSMan, who will reward players with lots of extra health and ammo. DOSMan is basically Doom Guy, and finding him brings back memories of running along walls in Doom, looking for secret passages and rooms.

Controlling Skarab may require reacquainting yourself with a mouse and keyboard, as the game felt more stable on the control front that way, but that just adds to the retro feel. Although we felt using the mouse and keyboard was best, Skarab does play fine with a controller, but it appeared a bit sluggish when doing so. This may be something that improves with a patch, but taking a quick look and changing the axis sensitivity options did improve using a controller. Apart from deciding on which control system to use, Skarab really only has a few other buttons, including attacking, activating doors, crouching and switching weapons. As we mentioned earlier, this one strips all the complexities of modern gaming away to provide a pure experience that focuses on your skills rather than lots of mechanics.

There is a lot of variety in the design of Skarab that helps keep the simple gameplay loop fresh. From exploring the Great Pyramids to surviving an onslaught in a village, each level has a theme and is distinct from the last. It’s similar for each enemy type as well, different tactics are required to beat each one and experimenting with the different weapon types is key to beating them. The gameplay loop is what you would expect from a game like this: kill enemies, find keys by exploring, open the next door or level and survive. And survival is this game’s main hook, as it gets quite tough trying to stay alive and hoping to reach a room with some vital health vials. This all adds to the fun, and considering each death means going back to the start of the current level, there is good value on offer here.

Overall, Skarab is a fun, simple, well-designed boomer shooter that ticks every box needed to be a 90s FPS. There isn’t any complicated mechanics to distract from the action, and there is enough variety in the level design and enemy types to keep players interested until the end. The graphics look straight out of a DOS title, and the music is catchy and well-produced for a game at this price point. Skarab is the perfect game for those looking for a quick blast over a weekend or for those who may not have the time to commit to a longer title. Anyone with a fondness for Doom, Powerslave, Heretic and the like will also enjoy this trip down boomer shooter lane.