It’s funny how 2026 keeps introducing me to games that were not even on my radar a week ago and Armatus is the latest example. What started as casual curiosity quickly turned into eight hours of “one more run” until I looked up and realized I had completely lost track of time.
Armatus is a third-person shooter with roguelike elements, and the more I played it, the more I started seeing hints of Returnal and Hades in its DNA. But this is not some derivative project trying to copy homework. It feels inspired, not imitative. Even in this small demo slice, what Counterplay Games, that previously worked on Godfall, has built already feels confident.
What exactly is Armatus?
The world is bleak and circling collapse. Demons overrun ruined landscapes. Faith and divine purpose hang heavy in the background. You step into the armor of an unnamed warrior dropped into hostile biomes to push back against relentless horrors. You are not just fighting to survive. You are fighting in service of something greater, even if the full scope of that story is still a mystery in this demo.
At its core, Armatus lives and dies by its gameplay loop, and thankfully that loop is addictive. Each run begins simply. Dodge, jump, melee, all tied to cooldowns. You choose one of four weapon archetypes: Assault Rifle, Submachine Gun, Single Shot Rifle, or Shotgun. On paper, it sounds straightforward. In motion, it is anything but.
Combat ramps up quickly. Early encounters ease you in, but the calm does not last. Before long, you are juggling cooldown timers, dodging waves of incoming attacks, weaving between enemies, and wishing your abilities would refresh just a second faster. It gets frantic, and fast, but never unreadable. The arenas are large enough to reposition and recover, which keeps the chaos tense instead of overwhelming.
As you push deeper into each biome, the build variety opens up. After clearing rooms, you choose branching paths that reward you with bonuses. Some increase raw weapon damage, while others grant entirely new abilities. Currency collected during runs can be spent on upgrades like shield enhancements or additional perks. Every choice shapes your run in subtle ways.
When the RNG lines up, the power spikes feel incredible. During one run, I picked up an ability that froze enemies in place. I later upgraded it to extend the duration of that ability, and stacked bonus damage while enemies were immobilized, then again by giving me unlimited ammo throughout the duration. By the end of that run, entire waves were being locked down before they react. That stacking synergy is where Armatus really captures the build-crafting magic that keeps roguelike fans hooked.
Kill, Die, Repeat, Succeed
Like any strong roguelike, death resets your temporary power gains. You clear rooms, survive event encounters, protect objectives, and eventually face the biome boss. If you fall, you start over. Thus, the familiar circle that I’m sure that fans of the genre are familiar with.
The boss encounter in the demo was a highlight. It was not something I could brute force on my first attempt. I had to learn attack patterns, adapt to mechanics, and manage cooldowns carefully. My first run ended quickly, but I learned and my next few runs were much better. That immediate sense of growth, even within a small demo, is a promising sign.
There appear to be elements of longer-term progression, though the demo does not fully showcase how deep those systems go. What I can say is that even without seeing the complete meta structure, the core loop alone was strong enough to keep pulling me back.
Pick A Gun, Any Gun
Weapons are tiered from one to four, with higher tiers offering stronger perks and better modifiers. Alternate fire options like flamethrowers, ricochet shots, grenade launchers, or sonic blasts also roll randomly. One run might hand you a serviceable loadout that demands careful positioning. The next might gift you a monster weapon that carries you halfway through the biome.
More importantly, the guns feel good. The sound design has weight. Muzzle flashes and smoke effects sell the impact without overdoing it. There is a satisfying rhythm to firing, repositioning, and re-engaging. Variety means nothing if the weapons lack punch, and Armatus avoids that trap.
What I Think About Armatus So Far
Armatus may not have been on my radar a week ago, but it absolutely is now. Having eight hours in a limited demo that only has about 30 minutes of gameplay is not normal behavior. That only happens when the core loop is firing on all cylinders, it definitely it here. The combat is tight, the build synergies are genuinely satisfying, and the difficulty lands right between punishing and fair. If this is what a small slice looks like, the full release could be something special.
The Armatus demo launches on Steam on February 20, 2026, however the release date for Armatus has yet to be revealed.
