The Citadel (v2.17.4)

A decaying stronghold packed with cultists, mutants, and mechanical horrors provides the arena for a relentlessly hostile retro shooter. The Citadel channels the speed, violence, and maze-like level design of 1990s PC FPS games, but its mood is more oppressive than nostalgic comfort food. You descend through a ruined fortress to kill a sleeping god before its influence consumes what remains of humanity. Expect filthy industrial corridors, surreal flesh-and-metal imagery, and a campaign that treats every room as a potential death trap.

Combat revolves around aggressive movement, quick weapon swaps, and learning which threats demand immediate attention. Six episodes contain thirty main stages alongside hidden levels, with each chapter building toward a major boss encounter. Fourteen firearms offer distinct roles and destructive alternate attacks, while limited-use special weapons act as emergency answers to overwhelming crowds or durable monsters. Weapons degrade through use, so the arsenal is not merely about grabbing the biggest gun; conserving equipment and adapting to whatever still functions becomes part of surviving. Unlimited continues keep the campaign accessible in structure, but the dense enemy placement, damaging hazards, and unforgiving firefights ensure that progress still has to be earned.

Its greatest strength is the way familiar boomer-shooter ingredients are made harsher and stranger through weapon durability, bleak atmosphere, and deliberately punishing encounters. Levels favor secrets, key hunting, ambushes, and compact combat arenas over modern cinematic spectacle, giving them a satisfying old-school rhythm. The visual style embraces low-poly grime and chunky effects rather than trying to imitate contemporary realism, which suits the nightmare-industrial setting well. Fans of DUSK, Quake, Blood, and other fast, difficult throwback shooters should find plenty to like, while newcomers should arrive prepared for frequent deaths, careful resource management, and a campaign that rarely lets them relax.