I don’t believe we’ve ever dealt with maniac It’s here on VG247. Actually, I don’t think I’ve seen much reporting about this anywhere else. Maniac isn’t the kind of game that makes headlines. Even if that whole gimmick was one thing, I can’t believe no one thought of it sooner.
If you haven’t started Googling it yet, Maniac makes something similar to a vampire survivor and this is what happens when you put on a GTA 2 outfit. So if you’re wondering what one of these games GTA coded would look like and how it would play, Maniac has the answer.
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Maniac is one of the few games released in 2024 similar to Vampire Survivors that is actually good, and it’s certainly one of many games released this year. And I refuse to call that genre ‘bullet heaven’. In any case, we should default to the much better and more descriptive genre label ASS, Automatic Shooting – Survival. In this way, Maniac is a good ASS game.
What makes Maniac particularly good at gags is largely its dedication to the fusion of the two games it inspired. Vampire Survivor Impact finds a new home here, starting out relying entirely on melee attacks and later upgrading to firearms (or rocket launchers).
GTA 2 Blood is responsible for some of its most destructive action, and a large part of it is the physics engine underneath. Even early on, when chaos and mayhem are kept to a minimum, there’s a joy to be had just watching the characters interact with the world and its inhabitants. It captures the best part of the One Wanted Star feeling we all remember from the classic GTA games, before things get too hectic. And like those games, Maniac doesn’t hesitate to welcome the push to its limits again and again.
The more your power increases through character upgrades, pickups, powerful weapons, and more, the more your screen becomes painted with blood and car wrecks. I especially like how the game implements cars/driving into the flow. Otherwise, ASS games may break the careful balance of speed and power that is difficult to achieve.
The driving physics are tuned to achieve this feeling, with forgiving handling that tempts you to change direction at the last second and drifts into blockades for power-ups. It’s truly impressive how well Maniac’s systems are put together. Especially considering that a competent product sold on that premise alone would have been fine.
Maniac works great on Steam Deck.do. Of course, you don’t need a handheld to play, but I’m sure you’ll quickly pick up ASS games if you do. Failing that, load up a video of someone with the highest wanted level and watch mayhem unfold. Buy it on Steam or add it to your wishlist in case the (already cheap) price drops.
