The Superfluous

The Superfluous is a side-scrolling sci-fi platformer about a squad sent to destroy an asteroid on a collision course with Earth. You explore its caves with jet packs, fight enemies, mine and blast through destructible terrain, and try to reach the asteroid’s center to plant a bomb. Levels are randomly generated and grow harder as you progress; defeating a boss unlocks the next biome.

The mission

The year is 2121. Scientists discover BAR-101, an asteroid half the size of the moon, heading toward Earth. It is expected to hit in 1,000 years, so most people consider the danger unimportant. The government funds a shuttle mission to place a Zero-Point-Energy bomb at the asteroid’s center and destroy it.

You command the crew of the UWN Superfluous, which has cloning technology to replace crew members who die. The mission is complicated by BAR-101’s caves and hostile inhabitants, and its funding was cut while the crew slept in cryo-sleep. The story also touches on bureaucracy, the military and sci-fi culture.

Lead your squad

You take several squad mates with different weapons and tools into the caves. You can balance the team with miners, healers, heavy weapons and explosives. As squad members kill enemies and clear cave sectors, they gain XP and levels, receiving a random perk at each level. Perks are lost on death, but you can change them for gold at the base.

Characters have individual permadeath: a fallen crew member is cloned back at level 0 and can be used on other missions. Upgrades you buy and checkpoints you reach are saved. If a mission fails, you lose all loot, so you must choose whether to leave the dungeon with what you have or continue to the next level.

Explore BAR-101

The asteroid contains three biomes, each with its own hazards and enemies:

• Dark Cave: Fight bats, slimes and four-legged spiders among gray rocks and fireflies.
• The Underwater: Move more slowly through a pocket of water, facing rocket fish, swordfish, methane gas bubbles and crabs.
• Lava Zone: Avoid overheating your EXO suit, which takes damage if you stay on the ground too long. Splitting Fire Slimes, fire-spitting spiders, falling rocks and flame-shooting fissures add to the danger.

You can mine or blast through terrain to collect gems, make shortcuts or gain an advantage over enemies.

Resources and upgrades

Loot comes as gold and gems. Gold buys new crew DNA profiles to unlock characters and lets you reroll perks. Gems upgrade your gear, increase the number of squad members and raise characters’ starting health, among other uses. The ship’s research lab is where you upgrade equipment.

Local multiplayer

You can play the campaign in local co-op with a friend. Arena Mode supports up to four players in local multiplayer, where you challenge up to three friends.