Originally released in early 2018, 10tons’ Tesla vs Lovecraft did not exactly change the world, but I actually really enjoyed its fast-paced twin-stick shooter gameplay mixed with Lovecraftian imagery and a banger of a soundtrack. I would have never imagined that a game like that, which felt like your typical “one and done” concept, would ever get a sequel, much less would I have expected that said sequel would end up being one of the earliest releases for the brand new Playstation 5. Let’s see if Tesla Force manages to surpass its predecessor.

Our buddy Nikola is still fighting hordes of eldritch monsters just like in this game’s predecessor, but this invasion wasn’t caused by Lovecraft. In fact, you can play as him, as well as fictional versions of Marie Curie and Mary Shelley, each one with their specific stats, weaponry and playstyles. Tesla’s controls are identical to the ones featured in the 2018 game, in fact. It’s your standard twin-stick shooter control scheme, with the addition of an AoE blast, a teleporting dash, and the ability to command a mech for a few seconds if you find all of its pieces scattered on a level.

Truth be told, Tesla Force, as a whole, is stupidly similar to Tesla vs Lovecraft. The visuals are pretty much identical to its predecessor, with the exception of a few improvements in the lighting effects. Whether that was due to the improved horsepower of the PS5 or not is beyond me, though. This game doesn’t push any graphical or technical boundaries that couldn’t have been achieved with much less powerful hardware. It barely uses the gimmicks featured in the Dualsense, just adding a slight amount of resistance to the triggers, in a very non-immersive way. It actually makes your triggers feel somewhat faulty.

The thing is, Tesla vs Lovecraft was already a pretty good twin-stick shooter on its own, so more of the same isn’t exactly a bad thing. For instance, the gameplay is still fast-paced, the amount of enemies onscreen is still ludicrous, and the soundtrack is even heavier than before. Some new features were added as well, such as a few new weapons, the aforementioned extra characters, and some additional roguelite elements. This new progression system isn’t as impactful as the words “roguelite elements” may have suggested, though, as the game feels a bit easier than before. All in all, still a blast, especially if you play Tesla Force with friends.

If you’re looking for a launch window game to showcase what your big fat Playstation 5 is capable of, then Tesla Force is not the game for you. I seriously doubt there are many differences between the next-gen and current-gen versions of the game, as this PS5 port doesn’t exactly look much better than Tesla vs Lovecraft, nor does it take advantage of the capabilities of the Dualsense. With that being said, it’s still a really fun twin-stick shooter with good controls and a freaking fantastic soundtrack, an easy recommendation for fans of the genre, even if the game didn’t feel like a huge leap over its predecessor.

 

Graphics: 6.5 A few new interesting lighting effects and even more enemies onscreen, all while maintaining a rock solid framerate, but all in all, it’s graphically identical to Tesla vs Lovecraft.	Gameplay: 8.0 Fast-paced twin-stick shooter action that’s easier to learn and master than the gameplay loop from its predecessor. The upgrade system is neat, but nothing too revolutionary. The same can be said about playing as any of the other characters in the game.
Sound: 9.0 The lack of voice acting is disappointing, but the soundtrack hits so hard that I ended up ignoring that issue.	Fun Factor: 8.0 Tesla Force does not push any boundaries with the help of the PS5’s horsepower, but it’s still a very fun twin-stick shooter, even if it’s way too similar to its 2018 predecessor.
Final Verdict: 7.5

Tesla Force is available now on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X and PC

Reviewed on PS5.

A copy of Tesla Force was provided by the publisher.