Black Future '88 Review

By Kevin Mitchell  |  Posted: November 22, 2019

In a post-nuclear alternative 1988, you must climb to the top of Skymelt tower in under 18 minutes. If you don't, your heart explodes. As a roguelike, there's a good chance you won't even last that long, as Black Future '88 is an unforgiving procedurally generated romp. Duncan, the tower architect, has blocked out the sun with his nuclear bombs, ensuring that time has stopped, resulting in a retro-inspired cyberpunk dystopia forever stuck in the eighties. As you climb, the minutes tick down, and you'll need to weigh your options. Do you risk precious seconds exploring each floor for your ideal weapon, or do you rush to the top to beat the clock?

You begin with two primary weapons: a weaker one that doesn't require ammunition (ranged or melee), and a slightly more powerful one with limited uses. Along the way, you'll replace current weapons with new ones until you inevitably succumb to your wounds or your heart explodes after 18 minutes. There's no saved progression; instead, you work to unlock new weapons, buffs, or perks that have a chance of appearing in subsequent runs. You'll need to move fast to snag every bit of money, ammo, and health that drops from fallen foes. If you take too long, Skymelt absorbs the drops, making itself stronger. Leave too much on the ground, and environmental hazards, more capable foes, and hunters (basically mini-bosses) spawn to track you down.

Each floor in Skymelt comprises randomly generated interconnecting rooms. All enemies in the current room must be killed before you can move on. A skull icon shows which direction leads directly to the floor boss, but with multiple pathways available, you can explore at the cost of time. When every aspect of the game works against you, it maintains a breakneck pace. You'll likely make poor decisions trying to move through each room as quickly as possible (I know I have). Some of the most potent weapons even use time as ammunition. Although they can certainly come in handy, I rarely used them due to the risk of depleting precious minutes.

You'll gain buffs after defeating bosses, such as gaining an extra dash after killing an enemy or longer dashes that can heal you when used to go through bullets—particularly helpful as you climb higher and face increasing difficulty. Repair stations offer upgrades like increased firing speed or reduced explosive damage. Obelisks can be located to install curses, such as turning blood into ammo, dashing through walls, or becoming fireproof when your combo is high enough, all at the cost of time. Collected cash is spent in shops where you can buy ammo crates or new weapons. Fortunately, time pauses in these locations, preventing rushed decisions.

Initially, there are two playable characters: one that begins with a pistol and another with a formidable sword. Aiming in Black Future '88 happens automatically, focusing on the nearest foe within your line of sight. Things can be tricky when multiple enemies surround you, especially given the game's focus on verticality. Still, it generally does an excellent job of targeting your intended enemy. As you continue to level up after each death, you'll unlock the remaining three characters, along with a wealth of new upgrades and weaponry.

Simply Put

Black Future '88 is a thrilling roguelike that evolves into a side-scrolling bullet hell shooter the higher you climb. Once you reach the top, you begin again at a harder difficulty. The included assist mode and two-player local co-op add variety, but runs lack sufficient variation. There are plenty of unique weapons to unlock, and eventually, you'll find which ones suit your playstyle. For me, the teleporting pistol combined with self-healing dash-through-bullets was enough to conquer Skymelt.