Kvark is a Sovietcore boomer shooter that resembles Half Life set in early ’80s Czechoslovakia, and it has now become my preferred FPS this month.

After over a year of being available in early access, Kvark is now officially released.

Upon seeing Kvark for the first time, I couldn’t help but think of the Soviet Core boomer shooter Hrot, which I enjoyed just as much as PC Gamer’s Ted Litchfield. However, when I started to play it, I discovered something quite unique: A game in the style of a boomer shooter, without a doubt, but also a satirical interpretation of the dark outlook on life in a dirty Soviet satellite nation. However, the game’s atmosphere closely resembles the original Half-Life.

Instead of being a theoretical physicist who graduated from MIT, in Kvark you take on the role of a “valued employee” working in an underground facility where fatal workplace accidents happen almost every day. Starting your new job in a cell block may seem strange, but that will soon become the least of your concerns. Something has gone terribly awry, and it’s your responsibility to determine the issue and resolve it, or simply leave the situation—I’m uncertain of how it will ultimately turn out.

The fundamentals are quite simple: If it is in motion, take a shot. I’m not a professional in FPS games so I won’t go into detail about the gun battles, but the firearms pack a powerful punch and produce satisfyingly loud sounds, creating quite a gory scene: Limbs and heads explode, leaving red stains on walls and floors, and as much as I hate to admit it, shotgun decapitations can be oddly satisfying. It sort of is.

Kvark has already been available in early access on Steam for more than a year, and there are still some parts of it that seem a bit unpolished. The enemy AI is lacking – they just come straight at me in a convenient line, but their shots are surprisingly precise. The save system, which uses one-time checkpoint saves to track progress within a level, is what I find most irritating. Save points are scarce and widely spaced (in the levels I’ve completed), and since they activate only once, returning to a previous save point (as one level demands) will not safeguard your advancement.

Perun Creative’s CEO, Jiří Vašica, informed me that the game initially included a quicksave and load feature. “However, this made it very simple to ‘cheat’ by easily reloading and changing the outcome of a situation with prior knowledge.” This eliminated challenge in the game. We therefore chose to eliminate manual quicksaves and rely solely on the checkpoint save system.

Vašica mentioned that there is a possibility of increasing the frequency of save points in a post-launch update, potentially adjusting based on difficulty level, or implementing other changes in the system.

He mentioned that we only have to gather additional data from the players in order to balance the game further. At the moment, we are placing individuals according to internal quality assurance and input from players who have early access.

As a seasoned PC gamer, I strongly dislike checkpoint save systems in principle more than anything else. However, it’s a small complaint in the grand scheme of things, and ultimately, I am thoroughly enjoying my experience with Kvark. The feel before Glasnost is remarkable: certain places are really eerie (and yup, there are spiders, so be cautious) but overall, it is filled with a dark, sarcastic post-Soviet humor. Does it have a delicate touch? Rarely. Is it humorous? Hey, I’m having success with it.

My initial plan of only trying out a level or two has now turned into simply playing Kvark. I’m just starting the second of three chapters, and right away it seems more advanced and intricate than the first. Today marks the release of the third and final chapter in the 1.0 launch, which includes a substantial list of additional changes and additions that I am eagerly anticipating. I might restart to make sure I don’t miss anything.

Kvark can now be purchased on Steam for $20/£17/€20. For those who have been playing the early access version, the complete list of changes in the 1.0 release is provided.

Extra information

4 additional stages

Additional adversaries

Fresh armament

Extra backstory

Player’s reflections

Items gathered for their value or rarity.

Additional posters

Additional benefits

Increased number of engaging objects

Characteristics

• Additional localization has been added for Japanese, Chinese, German, Polish, and Russian languages (previously available in English and Czech).
• Included a feature for those with fear of spiders.
• Enhanced shader compilation method to utilize latest Unreal Engine PSO.
• Physics objects now possess moving shadows.
• Inventory is smaller in size and more aesthetically pleasing.
• Assorted enhancements to the user interface.
• Certain N puzzles will show improvement as the player progresses.
• Categorized bindings into groups
• Bindings have been repaired and enhanced.
• Cardboard box is dropped at random

Repairs

• Set hit animations to a specific position.
• Drones must avoid getting trapped in walls
• Sound – Background noise decreases when returning to the main screen.
• Enhanced drone mobility
• Audio – Settings – The ambient audio continues even when loading is in progress.
• Sound effect – headshot sound does not occur when using wrench to attack.
• Music ceases upon defeating the boss in Chapter 1, Level 5.
• Included absent reverb and ambient sounds in Chapter 2 Level 1.
• Audio – Conveyor belt continues to run when loading in C2L3.
• Covering pickups with material results in a gradual fade rather than a sudden appearance.
• Footsteps are applied to the geometry of the level.
• Not all levels are accessible in the level selection screen.
• The player should not be harmed by the elevator.
• Adversaries must not become trapped in C2L5 within the large cavern.
• The player is unable to become trapped in C2L2.
• And numerous additional minor repairs