Darkenstein 3D is a free, retro-inspired, first-person shooter love letter to the classic '90s shooters.

The enemies are varied and challenging, the levels are expansive with many secrets, and the weapon selection is satisfying. The chunky sprites work perfectly for the game's tone. The sound effects are equally atmospheric, framed with the metal riff soundtrack. There's lots of achievements, levels to explore, and big bosses to take down.

Gameplay-wise, a few bugs forced me to restart certain levels. It was also frustrating having to restart from the start of the level after losing all my lives (tip: quit the game on your last life and when restarting the game, you'll have 3 lives from your last checkpoint).

The game ran well on the Steam Deck, but it took me a few attempts to get into the game due to some early release bugs. However, by the time I reached level 4 I was committed.

For free, you really can't go wrong with Darkenstein 3D. It's fast, fun, gory, chaotic, and captured the spirit of old-school shooters while still feeling fresh. So if you're a fan of retro FPS games and gothic horror, you'll find a lot to enjoy here!