Sublime, old-school boomer shooter Cultic doubles in size with Chapter Two DLC

If you love the slick, high-speed stylings of '90s blast-em-ups like Quake and Doom, you're extremely well served by modern offerings. Ultrakill, Dusk, Turbo Overkill, Mullet Madjack, Chop Goblins, Prodeus, even the likes of Warhammer 40k Boltgun - Steam is absolutely stacked with brilliant boomer shooters, and we're spoiled for choice. But among it all, Cultic stands as one of the finest newcomers around, and it just got a whole lot bigger. With even bigger maps than its first act, an expanded arsenal, and honed mechanics courtesy of a 2.0 update, Cultic Chapter Two is the ideal excuse to give it a go.

"Death is only the beginning. Crawl from your grave and gear up to fight your way through the ranks of a mysterious and twisted cult." So begins Cultic. It's not just one of the best FPS games to come out on Steam in the last decade, it's an eye-grabbing intertwining of the supernatural and traditional Western vibes. It's fast and lethal, with a style reminiscent of Monolith's 1997 classic Blood, but boasting a tremendous sense for set piece design that keeps you on your toes with constant pacing mix-ups.

That immense atmosphere means Cultic is slightly less reliant on pure mechanical satisfaction than some of its peers, but it's no slouch there either. The new Cultic 2.0 overhaul, deployed alongside this expansion, ramps up your defensive and offensive potential in turn. All of the Chapter One weapons return, alongside the interlude's Revolver and Semi-Auto Shotgun, and there are now 'temporary' tools such as mounted machine guns and bazookas to take advantage of.

The dodge has been made "faster and more potent," and using it to dart into an enemy will shoulder check them, pushing them backwards and interrupting their attacks. The tower shield, meanwhile, has been polished to make it easier to use, whether you're carrying it for protection as you zoom about, booting it into your foes to disrupt them, or taking advantage of the new ability to plant it in the ground as temporary static cover.

All this, and we haven't even got to the new expansion. It'll set you back $10, the same price as the base game, and takes place after the interlude as you step into the streets of New Grandewel. "Chapter Two may have started out with the goal of matching Chapter One's length," developer Jasozz writes, "but it sure didn't end that way." You're looking at 12 new maps, "all being even larger and more detailed than Chapter One."

The expansion also introduces three more survival maps that take some of the most memorable parts from the new levels and adapt them into a format better suited for wave after wave of enemy hordes. See how long you can survive and secure your spot on the leaderboard. "It has been one hell of a journey getting Chapter Two this far," Jasozz says of the DLC. "I want to sincerely thank Cultic's community and fans for their support and patience as it came together."

Cultic Chapter Two is out now on Steam, priced at $9.99 / £8.50. You can also buy it in a bundle with Chapter One for $19.98 / £17.00. Find it right here, or try the free demo if you're unsure.

Bring out Cultic's true beauty with the best gaming monitor to make sure you're getting those glorious high frame rates, or take a look back at the best classic PC games you can still play today.

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