Ocean Keeper: TouchArcade's Game of the Week

One of the most exciting aspects of gaming is when a title manages to seamlessly integrate two distinct gameplay styles into a single, engaging experience. Think of classics like the *Blaster Master* series, which masterfully combines vehicle-based side-scrolling platforming with intriguing top-down on-foot sequences. Or consider the recent hit, *Dave the Diver*, which blends roguelike diving adventures with restaurant management. *Ocean Keeper* from RetroStyle Games is another stellar example of this successful fusion, offering a captivating gameplay loop and an upgrade system that keeps you hooked session after session.

In *Ocean Keeper*, you find yourself crash-landed on a mysterious underwater planet, piloting a formidable mech. Your mission involves diving into underwater caves to gather resources, but time is of the essence as enemy waves are on the approach, necessitating a swift return to your mech for defense. The mining segments are presented in a side-view perspective, where you dig through rocks to uncover various resources and special artifacts, also earning coins in the process. However, you have only a limited window to mine before the enemies arrive. Once back in your mech, the gameplay shifts to a top-down twin-stick shooter with elements of tower defense, challenging you to fend off waves of bizarre underwater creatures.

The resources you collect are crucial for upgrading both your miner and your mech, with an extensive array of branching skill trees to explore for each. As a roguelike, a failed encounter means the end of your current run, with any unlocked upgrades or abilities lost. However, the game offers persistent upgrades and customizations that you can unlock between runs, ensuring a sense of continuous progress even after a tough run. Additionally, the layouts of the overworld and caves change with each playthrough, adding to the game's replayability.

It's worth noting that *Ocean Keeper* can feel a bit slow at the start, and you might encounter some challenging runs early on. But stick with it, and you'll soon find the upgrades coming in, your skills sharpening, and a better understanding of the game's rhythm. Before you know it, you'll transform into a formidable underwater mech warrior. The synergy between weapons and upgrades forms the core of the game, making it endlessly enjoyable to experiment with different builds and strategies. Initially, I was unsure about *Ocean Keeper* due to its slow start, but once the game picks up momentum, it's hard to tear yourself away from it.