I think Forced Showdown has done a great job of incorporating different strategic layers on top of a twin stick shooter.

It might not be the most original idea ever, but it is a solid twin-stick brawler with familiar elements from card games. And we just can't stop playing it.

Forced Showdown is a clever little game that skillfully mixes action elements to a card game core, providing a lot of fun. Only the lack of any multiplayer mod is a real drawback. If you're a solo player you won't regret spending your money.

A mix between a card game and an hack'n'slash, it's filled with interesting content, although the mechanics are sometimes over-complicated.

The game has taken an interesting departure from its predecessor and I found myself slightly preferring the first game. That’s probably just down to my own personal preference in genres so if a deck-building / action-RPG / Rogue-like hybrid appeals to you, Forced Showdown is worth your time and money.

Forced Showdown's design makes it fun to exterminate hordes of enemies for a few hours on various arenas, but later on the progress of unlocking much needed cards stalls significantly, just like our enjoyment.

How would it be if we could put together Hearthstone and The Binding of Isaac in just one game? BetaDwarf’s Forced Showdown is the answer, and a very solid, surprising and original one. A title full of content that can provide any player a great amount of fun through the dozens of hours you can spend with it.

The strategic card selection and management combined with satisfying action makes for an enjoyable and rewarding experience. I enjoyed seeing my character slowly become more powerful as you gain better cards that will help you progress further.

Deeper than the previous iteration on this new franchise, but it still has a lot of room to improve especially on its visual presentation.

Forced Showdown is an action RPG Roguelike where you have to fight for your life in a sequence of arenas. Going forward will let you face enemies each time stronger and merciless. Cards are the way: they will give you more juice, power and support abilities to survive longer. Luck is also essential to win all the battles till the end. If you like hard challenges this game is for you.

Nevertheless I have to give BetaDwarf props for trying something different here by mixing up an original blend of genres and for creating something innovative. And although I’m afraid I’m going to have to recommend the original Forced over Showdown any day, I really hope that this team keeps striving to create new and interesting concepts because that is sadly something pretty hard to come by nowadays.

Forced Showdown is a game that left very little impact on me. I played it, it was a game, and I understood every part of it. The parts come together nicely, but aren't mechanically deep at all. Combat is simple, even with the card system at play, the structure is extremely repetitive, and everything else just falls in line around that.

Nothing about it feels genuine, nor is any of it engaging enough to sustain more than a few hours of interest.

I really wanted to like Forced Showdown. Maybe there’s something about it that just didn’t *click* with me. Too many half-baked ideas does not a casserole make, my mother always said. If they had taken the time to expand on what makes each of the genres compelling, this could have been a whole different review. Instead, it’s a hot mess on your keyboard.