Post Void (PC) Review

MOVE OR DIE

Post Void is a spastic, psychedelic first person shooter from YCJY Games. While it plays as a distilled simplistic version of a lot of other genres and roguelike games, there is honestly nothing like Post Void. It’s obnoxious, it’s mean, and downright gives me a headache, but damn if I’m not champing at the bit to tell everyone about this game. 

The rules are simple, your life force is rapidly draining, and is visually represented by a clear idol head in your left hand. Speed is the name of the game because to replenish said life force, you need to kill enemies. So, you are left to run, slide, jump, dodge and shoot your way through 4 acts of procedurally generated adrenaline pumping mayhem. Death is just part of the process. The overall goal is to make it to a glowing bright white pool that acts as the level’s end goal. 

There are 4 weapons in the game: pistol, shotgun, uzi and knife. Each with their pros and cons, as well as perk upgrades at the end of each level. These range from exploding bullets to a compass pointing to the end of the level but you can choose from three options so the RNG isn’t necessarily too harsh. Considering there are only 4 acts, with 11 levels per act, it’s a short but intense experience. 

What makes Post Void so visually violent is the style and flair of it all. The enemy and environments are rendered like a classic Doom mod, but the art style is something out of a fever dream. Enemies like secret agents in suits and ties but with gaping mouths for heads or walls of flesh are commonplace. It sounds wild but when you’re running through these levels at full sprint, killing a telephone helicopter with arms doesn’t phase you. When you die, (and you will plenty) you are rewarded with a cacophony of screams and screeches with flashes of violent images that’s akin to a strobe light. It’s genuinely alarming and kind of gives me a headache. I’d compare it to a jump scare. 

This entire package is what makes Post Void such a special car crash of sights and sounds. The sheer audacity of YCJY to punch you in the face with abhorrent visuals, paired with tight, bombastic gameplay is a perfect contradiction. You want to keep playing it, if only to get a better grasp of the mechanics, but the game works hard to push you away from it. It doesn’t like you, and makes that clear up front. You really should give it a try, especially at a $2.99 price point and a possible 30 minute clear time. If only to witness something so reprehensible and fun.