One of the most wonderful things about the recent surge of boomer shooters is seeing how different developers interpret what a retro FPS should be. Some like Amid Evil look to Heretic for inspiration, others like Dusk bounce off the Quake springboard. Then you get a game like Impaler, which combines a whole ton of influences. You’ve got bits of Doom, a hint of Rise of the Triad, the arena combat of Quake 3, and even a bit of Unreal Tournament’s verticality. Now a brand new update has hit the game, retitling it to Impaler Gold, and there’s loads to unpack.
In Impaler Gold you face off against waves of demons in glorious, bloody FPS game combat, but there’s a few twists. This is a roguelike too, with a repeatable structure that lets you power through levels to unlock new weapons and upgrades. The game’s arenas are also a weapon in the right hands – you’ll be moving constantly and using the terrain to your advantage, soaring high above the action to throw death down at your enemies before stomping them to a fine paste.
Of course, the star of the game is the titular Impaler weapon, with which you can spike enemies and rocket jump up into the skies – think the stake gun from Painkiller but dialed up, and then dialed up again.
Released back in 2022, Impaler has now gained the Gold affix, with a big update that will be introducing an entirely new game mode as well as an innovative level to go along with it. The Collectathon is a time-based challenge that takes place on a level that shifts as you play, throwing up new rewards and hazards as you mow down enemies. It doubles down on Impaler Gold’s movement, encouraging you to bob and weave across the shifting layout in order to increase your score on the online leaderboards. Those leaderboards will be reset ahead of this mode launching in a few weeks – so make sure you grab a screenshot of your score now.
This patch also comes with enhanced graphics for the entire game, new UI options, additional music tracks, and plenty more. The Impaler Gold update is out now for free and you can learn more over on the official announcement post.
This all coincides with a sale for the game, with Impaler Gold getting 33% off until Monday August 12, taking its price down to $3.66 / £2.87 from $5.48 / £4.29. Head over to Steam to check it out for yourself.
You can also take a look at something else with our guides to the very best roguelike games and indie games you can play, to help you spread your wings and find your next favorite game.
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