Once upon a time, the parody action movie Serious Sam was at the height of its fame, setting the tone for crazy shooters and shaping a style that many studios later tried to replicate. Today, that era of “golden times” is in the past, but the franchise stubbornly refuses to disappear into oblivion. Periodically, she reminds of herself with the Serious Sam VR experiment.: The Last Hope, then carefully made HD remasters of the first parts, then the sudden launch of Serious Sam 3: BFE, which appeared just six years after the release of the second game. Each return causes a wave of nostalgia among fans, reminding them of the frenzied pace of gameplay and the signature atmosphere of chaos.

Today, the support of the legendary series is largely due to the American publisher Devolver Digital, a company that is often referred to in the gaming community as the modern benefactors of the indie scene. Founded in 2009, she relied on independent projects and did not lose: under her leadership, not only new parts of Serious Sam were born, but also such vivid gaming phenomena as Hotline Miami, Shadow Warrior and the philosophical adventure The Talos Principle. Thanks to Devolver Digital, iconic brands get a new lease of life, and players get a rare opportunity to return to their favorite universes in a modern version.

Against the background of these initiatives, Serious Sam’s Bogus Detour looks like a curious experiment and a kind of side branch of the franchise. This is a classic top-down shoot’em up, developed by the Swedish studio Crackshell, the very enthusiasts who gave the world the pixel hack’n’slash Hammerwatch. And most importantly, the project was created with the official blessing of Croteam, the authors of the original series. In the story, the planet is on the verge of disaster again, the enemies are eager for a fight, and Sam is always joking, barely managing to reload his weapon. Everything seems to be familiar — fast-paced action, a flurry of enemies and branded humor. But is it enough to rekindle that spark?

Serious Sam’s Bogus Detour Free Steam Account

Despite the fact that the storyline is formally present in the game, it rather serves as a backdrop for endless action. The script is extremely straightforward: You move between locations and methodically destroy waves of opponents. Before the start of each mission, a short text prologue appears, creating a minimal context for what is happening, and during the passage Sam often comments on events, makes fun of enemies or is heartily sarcastic — this helps maintain the signature atmosphere of the series and adds a little character to the fast-paced gameplay.

So, one of the inserts before the level tells that the next ship has safely gone to the bottom — a typical feed for the universe, where humor is juxtaposed with disasters. These mini-scenes act as a kind of transitions between stages, but do not overload the narrative, allowing the player to focus on the action.

In fact, we’re still looking at the same familiar action movie with cult mythology, tons of gunfire, and liters of virtual blood. Sam finds himself alone in the center of chaos again and, armed with an arsenal of various calibers, methodically cleans another planet from the invasion of alien creatures. In addition to enemies, there are other obstacles on the way regularly — closed doors that require passes. It is these access cards that become the main element of the classic level progression.

The gameplay is based on a cycle that fans of the series will recognize at a glance: looking for a way forward, hunting for the right color map, fighting off the mobs guarding it, and moving on. Sometimes bosses appear on the way, but in most cases they do not pose a serious threat — more like a short pause before another wave of enemies than a full-fledged test. Nevertheless, they add variety to the structure of the levels and maintain the pace of passage.

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Weapon arsenal and upgrade system

The boring plot here quickly fades into the background — it is abundantly overlaid by a rich selection of weapons and various kinds of “buns” that turn each level into a bright firework of chaos. It is the arsenal that sets the pace of gameplay and gives the very feeling of crazy action that fans come to the series for.

The main survival tool is a pair of Lara Croft—style pistols, a familiar classic that never fails. These barrels have endless ammunition, so when the rest of the ammunition is running out, you will inevitably have to choose between a double-barreled shotgun… and a heavy sledgehammer. The latter is perfect for close combat, when the enemy is already literally breathing down his back.

However, the real magic begins when you unlock the entire range of weapons. The game lavishes flamethrowers, rocket launchers, shotguns, rapid-fire assault rifles and much more on you. All of this can be worn at the same time, which turns each player into a personal walking meat grinder. The main thing is to monitor the consumption of ammunition so that by the time you meet the boss you don’t remain a helpless statistician waving pistols.

In order not to limit the player to just shooting, the developers have added a simple but exciting character leveling system. Any defeated enemy is a drop of experience, and each new level brings a special star that can be invested in a useful skill. Some stars are hidden right in the locations, and sometimes you have to literally look for them, exploring every corner — which adds excitement to the passage and stimulates the study of the map.

The list of skills starts with classic damage or defense bonuses, but gradually more unusual abilities are revealed. For example, the Risky Business skill increases the damage dealt by 25%, but also increases the damage received, turning the hero into a walking glass pact with fate. All skills are divided into three branches — “Battle”, “Survival” and “Weapons” — which makes the game style setting quite flexible. You can upgrade a slow but tenacious “tank” or assemble a furious berserker that destroys crowds of enemies, but falls from a couple of accurate hits. This variability makes each passage truly unique and gives room for experimentation.

Verdict

After the rapid development of the series, especially against the backdrop of the impressive Serious Sam 3: BFE and the successful experiment with virtual reality, Bogus Detour really feels like a step back. But this is only at first glance. If you are not chasing cutting-edge graphics, technological innovations and a cinematic plot, but appreciate the series’ frenzied rhythm, self-irony and recognizable style, the game will easily give you several hours of cheerful, frivolous and at the same time dynamic entertainment. Fans who remember the magic of The Second Encounter will most likely like this retro action game: the atmosphere is the same – a frivolous shell around a truly iron hero.

Dignities

• Intuitive gameplay without unnecessary difficulties;
• The return of a charismatic and beloved character;
• Spectacular bosses that add drive;
• An impressive set of weapons that are fun to use and experiment with.

Disadvantages

• Some monsters look so different that it’s hard to recognize them.;
• Tedious search for key cards, slowing down the pace of passage;
• The gameplay is sometimes monotonous;
• The plot exists rather “for show” and does not affect emotions.;
• The visual style is noticeably inferior to modern standards.

Serious Sam’s Bogus Detour System Requirements

How to play Serious Sam’s Bogus Detour for free on Steam via VpeSports

Sometimes you just want to exhale, turn on the game and be where everything is clear: you are Sam Stone, there is chaos in front of you, and ahead there are only explosions, absurdity and lots of fun. Serious Sam’s Bogus Detour is exactly how it works. She doesn’t ask if you’re ready. She just throws into the thick of things: robots, mutants, strange corridors that were clearly designed by people without a sense of self-preservation, and levels that resemble either a retro map or a psychedelic attraction. And all this under the corporate atmosphere of “if you get over it, you’re already doing well.”

You don’t have to perform any rituals to get to the pulp itself. You just log in to your profile on the website, and all the necessary information is already neatly laid out there: how to launch the game, what to click for the first time and where to look if you encounter Bogus Detour for the first time at all. We specifically made it so that the path from “I want to play” to “I’m already running and blowing everything up” was as short as possible.

When you get out of the next corridor where they tried to incinerate you and finish the race, we’ll really be interested to know how it went. Leave a review — it will get to moderation first, so don’t be alarmed if it doesn’t appear instantly. Sometimes it’s enough to slightly change the wording, and everything falls into place. And important profile information and notifications are sent directly to your email, so check it from time to time. There are detailed instructions here!

If you want to keep up to date with what is happening around the game, take a look at our Telegram channel. There is a small community there: we discuss updates, share news, look at patches, sometimes we argue about the best weapons and, of course, we give useful tips. If you have any questions, you can go to the detailed launch guide or just write to us in the chat — the real people at the other end will always prompt you.