If Sci-Fi horror is your usual bag, and the dark corners of the cosmos are your preferred playground, boy does Pet Project Games have the first-person shooter for you. Ripout is a fast-paced co-op FPS full of intense interstellar action, and with a *checks notes* living Pet Gun. Yeah. That’s a thing.
In Ripout, players take on the role of one of the last sentient weapon soldiers. You crawl and battle your way through a slew of abandoned spacecraft, uncovering the deep lore either alone, or online in 3 player co-op PVE. Each craft is a quick 15-20 minute mission that you can traverse with two of your pals after a hard day at work to unlock wicked new weapons designs, skins, and a whole boatload of cool equipment.
Each map is littered with strange mutant enemies whose freaky alien bodies are able to morph and change drastically, combining and reconfiguring in the dark light of these abhorrent vessels. All that genetically incongruent weirdness is down to something called Cell Corruption which, of course, humanity had a hand in designing. Their work is now running rampant, messing with the very fabric of existence, and it’s up to you to stop it.
As a player, your mission is to survive this cosmic hellscape, find the mysterious Sanctuary (wherever and whatever that is), and “Unravel the fate of humanity” as you plunder hollow shells that tell the story of its intergalactic remnants.
Meanwhile, you’ll find yourself growing attached to your little Pet Gun companion, with whom you “share an unbreakable bond, forged in relentless combat.” It’s nice to have a friend that doubles as a dangerous addition to your weapon loadout. Your many-legged creepy-crawly can be deployed to acquire more powerful weapons, and deal with enemies while you sit back and unload your clip into them while they’re distracted by what’s essentially a Half-Life headcrab.
Most importantly of all, you can pet the gun.
I’m making references to Half-Life here and the similarities are clear, but there’s a distinct Dead Space vibe to the game as a whole. It’s the combination of that gritty, barely-lit Sci-Fi aesthetic combined with smooth, Destiny style combat is what keeps the game exciting moment-to moment as you traverse these derelict space-dungeons. It’s a game with combat that feels tight, chaotic, and oh so visceral. And with monsters that look like they’ve crawled straight out of Doom Eternal, you can expect some epic battles with the most cosmically grotesque beasties you’ve seen in a while.
Most importantly of all, you can pet the gun.
When you’re not giving your weird headcrab gun a little tickle in your downtime, Ripout has a host of maps to keep you amused. Each one is procedurally generated, so every single playthrough is going to be completely different depending. You could find yourself scouring a Derelict Cleaner called the “Comfortable Tequila”, as they did in a recent livestream. All the while, you’ll be faced with all manner of messed up mutants, including hopping, technologically enhanced frog like creatures; beefy, tripod dudes with extra limbs; and little critters that hop onto their brethren to turn them into exploding enemies.
There’s options to customise your character to suit whatever playstyle takes your fancy, too. Top that with randomised maps, and there are countless different ways to experience the game on each and every playthrough.
Right now the game is in early access, and Pet Project Games is currently offering a juicy discount for those who need a Pet Gun in their lives. You can get 40% off Ripout until April 19, that’s $14.99/£12.59 as opposed to its usual price of $24.99/£20.99. Just head on over to the Ripout Steam page to grab the game at the discounted price.