Haste

Developer: Landfall
Release: Apr 1st 2025
Platforms:
Action
Adventure
Indie
Racing
Addictive
Fluid
Charming
Repetitive
Underdeveloped
Haste Poster

" Exhilarating action-adventure racing with smooth controls and momentum, but repetitive levels "

Haste Review

Haste delivers a thrilling core gameplay loop centered around high-speed momentum-based running, which many players find incredibly satisfying and unique. The sensation of speed and the fluidity of movement are consistently praised, making the game addictive for fans of fast-paced platformers. The game features a roguelite structure with procedurally generated levels, boss fights, and item-based upgrades, although these elements receive mixed feedback.

Despite its strong foundation, Haste struggles with repetitive level design and limited variety. The game currently offers only three main level themes and a small roster of bosses, which are recycled throughout the campaign, leading to player fatigue. The story and dialogue are often described as confusing, underdeveloped, or awkwardly presented, detracting from immersion. Additionally, some players find the roguelite progression and item synergies shallow and the difficulty curve uneven, with occasional unfair spikes and frustrating boss encounters.

Technical performance is generally solid, but some bugs and UI jank are reported. While the soundtrack and art style receive positive remarks, many feel the game is unfinished or undercooked and would benefit from more content, polish, and refinement in its roguelite systems and narrative.

Highlights

Players widely praise the core gameplay mechanics of Haste, highlighting the exhilarating sense of speed, smooth controls, and momentum-based movement as the game's strongest points. The running and jumping feel intuitive and rewarding, especially when chaining perfect landings to maintain velocity.

The art direction and character design are often described as charming and visually appealing, with cute and unique characters. The soundtrack is noted for enhancing the flow state and urgency, featuring memorable tracks that complement the gameplay.

Some appreciate the roguelite elements and procedural level generation for adding unpredictability and replayability, while the bosses add moments of challenge, albeit limited in variety.

Criticisms

Common criticisms focus on the lack of content variety, with only three level themes and a handful of bosses reused repeatedly, making the experience feel stale after a few hours. The procedural generation sometimes creates unfair or frustrating scenarios that disrupt the game's pacing.

The story and dialogue are frequently described as confusing, poorly written, or awkwardly delivered, with characters and plot points that lack clarity and cohesion. Many players find the narrative unengaging or unnecessary.

The roguelite progression and item system are seen as shallow, with limited meaningful synergies or build diversity. The difficulty can spike unpredictably, and some boss fights, especially the final one, are criticized for being tedious or poorly designed.

Some technical issues such as UI jank, bugs, and crashes are reported, impacting the overall experience.

Pros

  • Core gameplay offers exhilarating speed and satisfying momentum-based movement.
  • Smooth controls and rewarding perfect landing mechanic enhance flow state.
  • Art direction and character design are charming and visually appealing.
  • Soundtrack effectively complements gameplay and maintains urgency.
  • Procedural level generation adds unpredictability and replay value.
  • Boss fights provide challenge and break up the running segments.
  • Options to adjust difficulty help accommodate different skill levels.

Cons

  • Only three main level themes lead to repetitive gameplay experience.
  • Limited boss variety with recycled encounters throughout the campaign.
  • Procedural generation can create unfair or frustrating level layouts.
  • Story and dialogue are confusing, poorly written, and awkwardly presented.
  • Roguelite progression and item synergies feel shallow and underdeveloped.
  • Difficulty spikes unpredictably, causing frustration for some players.
  • Final boss fight is considered boring and poorly designed.

Rating Criteria

Story
Difficulty
Graphics
Duration
Stability
Worth the Price
Capsule image

Run fast, soar through the air, and master your landings as you speed through procedural worlds to outrun the end of the universe!

Release Date Apr 1st 2025
Publisher Landfall
Developer Landfall
Platforms

User Reviews

Very Positive (4,289)
93% Positive 7% Negative