Due Process

Due Process is a tactical multiplayer first-person shooter set in a cyberpunk dystopia, where two teams of five players—one attacking and one defending—compete on procedurally generated, hand-curated maps inspired by 1990s arcade light gun games like Time Crisis. Matches begin with a crucial planning phase for discussing strategies, gearing up, and drawing playbooks on the map, followed by rounds of high-stakes combat that demand precise teamwork and communication.

Due Process: Review

Introduction

In an era dominated by hyper-realistic battle royales and esports juggernauts like Counter-Strike 2 and Valorant, where map memorization often trumps genuine strategy, Due Process emerges as a defiant love letter to the golden age of tactical shooters. Developed by the indie studio Giant Enemy Crab and launched into Early Access on Steam in November 2020, this 5v5 multiplayer FPS harkens back to the tense, planning-heavy classics like SWAT 4, Rainbow Six, and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield. What sets it apart—and ensures its replayability—is its procedurally generated, hand-curated maps delivered weekly, forcing players to adapt rather than exploit rote knowledge. Due Process isn’t just a game; it’s a cyberpunk symphony of chaos and coordination, where “no plan survives first contact” becomes a mantra etched in pixelated blood. My thesis: In a genre bloated with spectacle, Due Process masterfully revives tactical purity through innovative proceduralism and unyielding emphasis on teamwork, cementing its place as a cult classic in the making, even if its Early Access status leaves room for polish.

Development History & Context

Giant Enemy Crab, a small American indie studio based in Seattle, kicked off Due Process‘s journey around 2014 with a bold vision: blend the deliberate tension of early tactical shooters with arcade flair and procedural innovation. Early prototypes, dubbed “Blockdude” by fans, surfaced via screenshots and videos from testers like Bluedrake42 and Node, showcasing blocky environments and randomized layouts. By 2015, artwork evoking Judge Dredd—hulking armored cops in a dystopian sprawl—hinted at the cyberpunk aesthetic, while PAX demos introduced drawing tools on planning screens.

The studio’s new Seattle office in 2016 marked a pivot, with concept art for tilesets like C-Store and videos of nascent gameplay gifs. 2017 brought cohesive rounds, and 2018 exploded with momentum: PAX East and West showcases revealed expanding tilesets (Factory, Killhouse), new weapons, and crucially, publisher Annapurna Interactive’s backing for funding and polish. A dedicated community manager amplified dev blogs, teasing alpha sign-ups and tester expansions.

Launched in Early Access on November 3, 2020 (with roots tracing to October 27 previews), Due Process embraced Unity for its procedural generation—maps auto-built from tilesets (Dome, Factory, Killhouse, C-Store, Bank) then hand-edited for flow. Built amid the tactical shooter drought post-Rainbow Six Vegas 2 (2008), it countered Rainbow Six Siege‘s esports bloat and CS:GO‘s spray patterns with anti-memorization tech. Community tools like Discord, Reddit (/r/dueprocess), and Trello roadmaps fueled “cadet” testing, embodying player-driven iteration. Tech constraints? Modest: GTX 760 minimum, emphasizing mics and SSDs for tight-knit squads. In 2021, updates added Kill Dome/Bank tilesets, reload animations, weapons (KR82M, Gruber-SD, BLK-TAR suppressor), and free cosmetic battlepasses. Still in beta as of 2025 sources, it’s a testament to sustainable indie dev in a live-service world.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

Due Process shuns single-player campaigns for pure PvP, yet weaves a sparse but evocative cyberpunk lore through faction asymmetry, loading screens, and ambient grit. Players embody two sides in a dystopian martial law nightmare: the Corporate Enforcers—sleek, high-tech PMC shock troops upholding indefinite corporate rule, armed with CQB-optimized gear for “speed, surprise, and violence of action.” They storm methodically or blitz the objective, echoing Judge Dredd‘s fascist lawbringers.

Opposing them: the Outlaws, rag-tag rebels wielding relic SMGs, rudimentary traps, and jury-rigged defenses. “Cunning is their strength,” scavenging drops and anticipating assaults in kill zones. This mirrors Shadowrun or 2000AD comics—Reddit lore threads speculate corporate overlords vs. undercity insurgents, with pixelated Judge Dredd alts fueling fan theories.

Themes probe power asymmetry in cyberpunk decay: corps as omnipotent oppressors vs. desperate anarchists, where planning symbolizes rebellion’s intellect over brute force. Dialogue is sparse (voicelines like barked orders), but planning-phase comms become narrative—squads scripting heists or sieges. No deep plot, but emergent stories shine: a flawless flank crumbling to a lone trap, or scavenged enemy gear turning tides. It’s thematic minimalism amplifying gameplay—dystopia not told, but lived through procedural chaos, critiquing surveillance states via endless, evolving raids.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

At its core, Due Process deconstructs tactical FPS loops into Planning > Execution > Adaptation, iterated over 6 rounds (3 attack, 3 defend, alternating in ranked).

Core Loops

Matches pit 5v5 on ~150 rotating maps from 5 tilesets, procedurally generated weekly via Steam updates. Pre-round: 2-minute planning phase—top-down map view for drawing “playbooks” (arrows, circles for flashes/smokes/breaches), gear selection from shared armory (guns, grenades, shields). Crucial: round economy—lost gear doesn’t respawn, forcing adaptation (e.g., burn C4 early? Pray for scavenges).

Execution unleashes ferocity: one-shot vulnerability demands cover, crossfire, and calls (“Suppress left!”). Attackers infiltrate central buildings; defenders fortify. UI shines—clean HUD, ping wheels, drop-loot pings—but flaws persist: grenade physics wonky, recoil too pull-down simple, animations stiff.

Combat & Progression

Asymmetric loadouts excel: Enforcers favor entry frags; Outlaws traps/flanks. Weapons (BLK-TAR, KR82M) feel punchy, with pixel TTK emphasizing positioning. No solo heroics—900-hour Steam reviewers praise squad reliance. Progression? Cosmetics via free battlepasses; no grindy metas.

Innovations: Proceduralism kills camping; voice mandatory. Flaws: Short timers (30-50s rounds), small maps limit scope, bugs (early physics). Ranked modes, Due Process League esports elevate it. UI/UX: Intuitive planning, but peek mechanics absent.

World-Building, Art & Sound

Set in a grungy cyberpunk sprawl—neon-drenched factories, banks, killhouses under martial haze—Due Process thrives on retro pixel art. Inspired by 90s light-gunners (Time Crisis, PS1-era Rainbow Six), low-res textures (pixelated models, chunky geometry) evoke CRT scanlines, clashing arcade pop with dystopian rot. Maps vary wildly: C-Store’s cluttered aisles, Kill Dome’s arenas, Bank’s vaults—procedural twists ensure freshness, curated for chokepoints/flow.

Atmosphere builds immersion: dim lighting spotlights blood splatters, destructible props add chaos. Sound design amplifies—crisp gunshots (muffled suppressors), ricochet pings, frantic footsteps under fire. Tense planning BGM swells to pounding techno-raids; voicelines (“Flank ’em!”) heighten urgency. No OST bombast, but functional: mics forge bonds. Collectively, it crafts claustrophobic paranoia, procedural variance breathing life into static shooter tropes.

Reception & Legacy

Launch reception split: Steam’s Very Positive (84% of 5,442 English reviews; 82/100 aggregate), praising tactics/community (“breath of fresh air” post-R6S). MobyGames outlier (1/5 from 1 vote), Metacritic users 8.2/10 laud potential despite bugs. CyberPowerPC (8.5/10) hailed revival; GamePressure notes ferocity.

Commercially modest ($9.99, bundles), but cult hit—tight Discord/Reddit fosters lifelong squads. Legacy: Due Process League seeds esports; influences procedural tacticals (Ready or Not nods). Evolves via updates (2021+ weapons/tiles), countering staleness. In history, it preserves SWAT/R6 DNA amid arcadification, inspiring indies against AAA bloat.

Conclusion

Due Process masterfully fuses procedural ingenuity with tactical rigor, delivering addictive 5v5 chaos where plans shatter spectacularly, demanding voices over aim. Giant Enemy Crab’s decade-long odyssey—from 2014 prototypes to weekly maps—yields a cyberpunk gem flawed by jank but elevated by community. Amid shooter fatigue, it carves a niche: not flawless, but enduring. Verdict: Essential for tacticians—a modern classic in waiting, 9/10. Hop in Early Access; history favors the coordinated.