Beacon is a hidden gem, of that there is no doubt.

I say hidden because I've never heard anyone talk about it, even in circles that enjoy a lot of roguelites/ roguelikes. This game having been in early access for such a long time may have been a contributing factor, though I'm surprised it's flown under so many radars.

The variety between each run could be a bit better in terms of power progression, but what is here is sufficient to give Beacon substantial replay value. The only genuine fault I find with the game is the very strange camera perspective that strips away depth perception to the point where it feels like I'm looking out one eye. In an isometric perspective shooter, this isn't that much of an issue, though Beacon likes to include some minor platforming elements, especially when hunting for secrets, of which you will find no shortage. Its core mechanics have a strong foundation and the gameplay is satisfying (even if some of the weapons and abilities can have rather weak feedback).

In terms of at design, this is a reasonably strong use of the low-poly art style, and makes good use of consistent visual themes. The atmosphere can range from intentionally oppressive, to eerie, to outright wondrous. The game runs well enough on my moderately higher-end PC, and I only noticed performance issues when trying to record high definition footage at maximum settings (specifically when there was a lot going on). Maybe a few frame drops here and there when things got particularly busy on screen, but these instances were rare.

The sound design is... a mixed bag. Some of it is superb, but sometimes my weapon sounds like a jammed printer. I'd call the music very fitting for the gameplay, but outside of one particular track, it's mostly just serviceable.

When it comes to writing, I've never seen game writing that's as equal parts unimportant and interesting. It's all just fluff text outside of the different endings, but it's really good fluff text. On the topic of endings, well... I suppose Beacon's other main shortcoming is that the ending you get is completely random. Just, full-stop, it's random, and the devs don't seem too keen on changing that.

Overall, this is a game I highly recommend to any roguelite fan, though people not familiar with both roguelites and isometric shooters may be put off by some aspects of it.