HSS: Reload

HSS: Reload is a sci-fi roguelike shooter set in a futuristic world where players pilot a customizable mech across diverse environments like deserts, ice fields, and satellites. The game features real-time mech upgrades, anime-inspired visuals, and wave-based combat against swarms of monsters, with players gaining resources to enhance weapons, armor, and skills while battling unique bosses on procedurally generated maps.

HSS:Reload: Review

Introduction

In the saturated landscape of the roguelite genre, where countless titles vie for player attention through increasingly esoteric mechanics and meta-progression systems, HSS:Reload emerges as a visceral, unapologetic return to the genre’s core tenets. Developed by Smokingbear Studio and released on September 21, 2024, this Windows-exclusive title pitches itself as a potent amalgamation of Vampire Survivors’ addictive endless-horror gameplay and Crimsonland‘s weapon-centric carnage, all filtered through the lens of mecha sci-fi. At a modest $8.99, HSS:Reload promises “Crimsonland + Vampire Survivors endless killing” with giant robots battling alien swarms. Yet, its journey to market was fraught with controversy—banned twice on Steam before rebranding as HSS:Reload—imbuing its release with a narrative of resilience. This review argues that beyond its troubled development lies a mechanically robust, if narratively sparse, experience that honors its influences while carving a distinct identity through explosive customization and relentless intensity. It is a game of raw satisfaction, where the joy of watching your mech evolve into a continent-scarring war machine outweighs its narrative and technical shortcomings.

Development History & Context

Smokingbear Studio, an independent developer with a minimal public footprint, conceived HSS:Reload as a love letter to two foundational pillars of the modern indie action game: the wave-based survival loops of Vampire Survivors and the pure, weapon-focused mayhem of Crimsonland. Their vision, articulated in promotional materials, was clear: create a “very fast God’s perspective roguelike shooter” where players pilot mechs to “kill thousands of swarms,” upgrading their arsenals in real-time to become an “ultimate weapon.” Technologically, the game leverages the ubiquitous Unity engine, a pragmatic choice that enabled rapid development and cross-platform compatibility (with Mac and Linux versions in the works). The era of its release—2024—was dominated by the roguelite boom, a market overflowing with clones and imitators. Standing out required either radical innovation or exceptional polish; HSS:Reload opted for the latter, betting on the timeless appeal of giant robots and explosive progression.

However, the studio’s path was anything but smooth. Community discussions reveal a saga of publishing missteps: the original release was banned due to “sussy stuff” (likely fraudulent activity) from an initial publisher, while a second attempt under the original name was banned for policy violations. Smokingbear Studio’s persistence in rebranding to HSS:Reload and providing complimentary keys to early adopters salvaged their vision, demonstrating a commitment to players despite setbacks. This tumultuous context—coupled with the genre’s saturation—placed immense pressure on the final product to deliver mechanically. Did it succeed? The answer lies in its execution.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

HSS:Reload presents a narrative of breathtaking minimalism. The plot is distilled to a single, brutal premise: humanity’s mecha pilots face an overwhelming alien swarm across hostile frontiers—deserts, tundras, and even orbiting satellites. There are no cutscenes, no intricate lore, and no character arcs. Instead, narrative is conveyed through gameplay: the relentless tide of enemies, the escalating scale of bosses, and the quiet, cyclic promise of growth between runs. The characters—pilots Thief, Rita, Elysia, and Cecil—are archetypes rather than developed personas. Each mech-pilot pair (e.g., Thief piloting Thunder Strike) unlocks passive abilities as the pilot levels, with dialogue windows offering fleeting, personality-free snippets. These interactions serve solely as gateways for mechanical progression, not storytelling.

Thematically, the game excels in its simplicity. It is a meditation on survival through evolution: the mech is a metaphor for adaptation, growing stronger, faster, and deadlier with each kill. The alien swarm embodies an inexorable, mindless force, challenging players to overcome it through technology and strategy. The meta-progression systems reinforce this, framing each run as a step in humanity’s war of attrition. While this lacks the narrative depth of titles like Risk of Rain or Hades, it aligns perfectly with the genre’s ethos: meaning is derived from mechanical escalation, not exposition. The result is a potent, if stark, thematic core that prioritizes action over story—a deliberate choice that serves the game’s strengths.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

HSS:Reload’s genius lies in its meticulously layered progression, offering depth that belies its accessible top-down controls. The core loop is deceptively simple: pilot a mech, dodge waves of enemies, and auto-fire while collecting experience beads to level up. Yet, the systems built upon this foundation create staggering variety and replayability.

Mechs and Specialization: Four mechs are unlocked sequentially:
– Thunder Strike: Unlocked by default, its “Negative Particles” skill deploys forward-firing barrages based on accumulated charges.
– Abliterate IV: Unlocked by clearing with Thunder Strike, its “Carpet Bombing” rains missiles that scale with main-gun damage.
– Storm Caller: Unlocked by clearing with Abliterate IV, “Kinetic Cut” is a cooldown-free shockwave that propels the mech forward, pushing enemies and dealing damage.
– Hermes: Unlocked by clearing with Storm Caller, its “Ball Lightning” ability places deployable mines that detonate on weapon impact.
Each mech demands distinct strategies, from Thunder Strike’s charge management to Hermes’ tactical mine placement. Pilots like Rita or Elysia add minor passive buffs, but the mechs themselves define playstyles.

Weapon Systems: A rich arsenal includes primary weapons (Standard Rifle, Sniper Rifle, Magnetic Rifle) and secondary pickups. Upgrades enhance damage, ammo, and unique traits: the Reflex Rifle’s bouncing projectiles or the Sniper Rifle’s unlimited penetration. The synergy between weapons creates emergent combos—e.g., pairing a Charge Gun with Hermes’ Ball Lightning for area denial.

Progression Triad:
– Real-Time Upgrades: Leveling grants three upgrade choices (refreshable up to six times/run), adding weapons, skills, or defenses.
– Boss Chips: Defeating bosses chips that enhance mech abilities (e.g., boosting Thunder Strike’s barrage count).
– Meta-Progression: Permanent “Advance System” upgrades (21 across attack/defense/assistance) and “Agile Chips” (5 out of 40 buffs/penalties, like “+50% damage but -25% speed”) enable deep build-crafting.

Maps and Challenges: Three distinct maps (Desert, Moon, Tundra) feature unique enemies and hazards (e.g., sandstorms in the Desert). Airdrops offer temporary buffs (e.g., “Killing Fields” to clear non-bosses, “Magnet” to absorb all XP). A 10-tier difficulty system scales enemy health, speed, and spawns, with each tier increasing rewards by 10%—culminating in a “Survival Challenge” for elite players.

Flaws: The sheer volume of upgrades can feel overwhelming, leading to imbalanced runs. Korean translations are notably poor, though English is functional. Performance issues (crashes, unoptimized damage numbers) are frequent, and some weapons feel underpowered. Yet, the core loop—killing, growing, and customizing—remains compulsively engaging.

World-Building, Art & Sound

HSS:Reload’s world is built on contrasts: desolate yet vibrant, alien yet familiar. The three maps—desolate dunes, icy tundras, and cratered moonscapes—are rendered in a striking anime/manga style, with vibrant colors contrasting against the bleakness of extermination. The mechs are standout designs: Thunder Strike’s sleek agility, Abliterate IV’s brute bulk, and Hermes’ crystalline elegance. Enemy design is equally inspired, from swarming arachnids to hulking, multi-limbed bosses that fill the screen with threatening presence.

Visual effects prioritize impact: explosions shower the screen with gore, painting terrain “in scarlet” as promised. Particle effects for weapons and abilities add clarity to chaos, making each kill feel tactile. The art direction excels at scale, emphasizing the mech’s power against the swarm’s overwhelming numbers.

Sound design, while less detailed in sources, is inferred to complement the visuals. The cacophony of gunfire, sizzling energy weapons, and insectoid shrieks would be crucial to the game’s tension. Special abilities have distinct audio cues, but the lack of a memorable soundtrack or voice acting (beyond stilted pilot lines) is a missed opportunity. Translation issues extend to audio, further diminishing immersion. Despite this, the art and core sound effects create a cohesive, high-octane atmosphere that sells the sci-fi carnage.

Reception & Legacy

At launch, HSS:Reload earned a “Mostly Positive” Steam rating (72% positive from 174 reviews). Players praised its “cool” combat, deep customization, and satisfying progression, with one noting: “It’s a cool game and I hope you continue to work on updates for it.” The troubled release history fostered community sympathy, and the studio’s decision to provide free keys to early buyers bolstered goodwill.

Critically, the game flew under the radar of major outlets, with Metacritic listing no critic reviews. User reviews were mixed: positives highlighted the “addictive” gameplay and “rich arsenal,” while negatives cited translation issues, performance problems, and a lack of innovation. A 6/10 review decried it as “painfully average,” criticizing the meta-progression’s “lack of testing.”

Legacies are still forming, but HSS:Reload occupies a niche as a cult favorite. It does not revolutionize the roguelite genre but refines its formula with mech-focused intensity. Its influence is likely to be indirect, inspiring smaller titles to embrace customization over narrative depth. The studio’s post-launch roadmap—promising new maps, mechs, and modes—could cement its status as a genre staple if updates deliver. For now, it stands as a testament to indie resilience: a flawed, fun, and ferociously replayable entry in one of gaming’s most crowded spaces.

Conclusion

HSS:Reload is a paradox: a game of remarkable mechanical depth and narrative simplicity. It succeeds not through innovation, but through mastery of genre fundamentals, delivering a brutally satisfying loop of growth, customization, and explosive combat. The mechas feel weighty yet agile, the weapon variety encourages experimentation, and the progression systems offer tangible rewards for persistence. Yet, its flaws—poor translations, performance hiccups, and a lack of narrative ambition—prevent it from ascending to greatness.

Compared to its inspirations, it lacks Vampire Survivors’ charm or Crimsonland’s tight level design, but it carves its own identity through the sheer spectacle of mech-on-bug warfare. Its place in history is assured: a cult hit that exemplifies the indie roguelite’s appeal in 2024. For players seeking unadulterated, customizable carnage, HSS:Reload is a recommended, if imperfect, triumph. Smokingbear Studio’s journey from banned to beloved mirrors the game’s core theme: evolution in the face of overwhelming odds. In a crowded genre, that alone is worth celebrating.