“Sub Rosa is a multiplayer first-person shooter about tense deals, double-crosses, and the occasional high-speed car chase.”
A relatively new game on Steam, Sub Rosa was released on early access in late 2017 and has stayed fairly obscure to anyone other than the dedicated fanbase. I purchased the game for $20 and have put many hours into it. Sub Rosa is a game where three teams of players lie, cheat and steal their way to making the most money possible. When the game begins, you are thrust into a world of complete and total chaos. And the best part is, it’s only what you make it.
To begin with, I had played the early tests and was overwhelmed by the control of the player character and lack thereof. Your character is very capable of a variety of different interesting movement options thanks to the very well made custom physics engine. However, the control are extremely unique, and are difficult to grasp at first. For example, the driving mechanics are very floaty for a modern game, and almost feel like driving a tank on ice. Each character has an immense amount of momentum, and charging at others to knock them down is almost as effective as shooting them.
When I joined the most recent Beta test, 36Y, I was immediately recruited by a player driving through the desert who only claimed to be bring peace and love to the world. In a short drive, I had acquired a basic weapon and a meaning. We began to drive towards some action in the city, and within minutes, a fight had broken out. My friend and I recruited four apprentices from the survivors and soon had joined a corporation. The new group began their adventure in the new world. And that’s when my first game ended with a bullet to the face from one of my new apostles.
When I began my second game, on a train ride into the city no less, a man said some very wise words. “We are not criminals. We are businessmen. We wear suits, not ski masks.” And no more words needed to be said. Sub Rosa is not a game for everyone. Its slow pace and trust based gameplay are primary factors in how well a round turns out, and a lack of communication or willingness to play the game are usually the cause of rounds become nothing more than poorly controlling first person deathmatch. But even when you find a nice group of people, and everything works out, reenacting the ending to Reservoir Dogs is almost inevitable
Overall, I would give this game a 7/10, it was very enjoyable especially with friends, but sometimes solo play can be less rewarding.
If you have a day to burn, try making stupid deals with aggressive businessmen with only your word to back you up.