Do you know the co-op shooter Sub Rosa? According to SteamDB, it has been in Early Access on Steam since 2014, but only now can most players see it.
What kind of game is Sub Rosa? In the shooter, it’s about finding data disks and selling them. You negotiate the terms of the trade with other teams. Whether you stick to those terms is up to you. Because if you deceive your trading partners, even more money can be at stake as a reward.
You can essentially trust no one. Usually, the matches lead to big shootouts where teams betray each other.
In another game mode, the Eliminator must eliminate a Savior. However, the Savior does not even know that he is the target. Another player, the Protector, knows this and must try to protect the Savior.
Played in a large, open game world, Sub Rosa somewhat resembles GTA Online or the films of director Quentin Tarantino in terms of gameplay. Visually, you shouldn’t expect high-end graphics. The shooter relies on a stylized low-poly look, as shown in the trailer:
Sub Rosa has been “hiding” for many years
Why is the game only now appearing on Steam? SteamDB shows that Sub Rosa has been on Steam since January 6, 2014, and has even received regular updates there. The title was even played, as Steamcharts proves. However, until yesterday, March 25, the shooter was not officially listed.
The team explained that the previous version was an extremely early version. That’s why only a few players came to the servers. In 2017, there was a tweet that led to the hidden Steam page. Otherwise, players were only made aware of the title through word of mouth or YouTube videos.
Now Sub Rosa has reached a status where the team is ready to go public and present their online shooter to a larger audience.
How is the game received? Sub Rosa has an rating of 85% on Steam (with 1,809 ratings as of March 26 at 10:45 AM). The exciting gameplay is praised. However, there are currently significant performance issues, and the controls – especially for vehicles – could be optimized.
- Towelie explains on Steam: ‘I have never felt the pain of betrayal so much in a game. I have never experienced a consensual deal ending in a blood tie. This game is fantastic!’
- Haddock thinks (via Steam): ‘Like the movie Reservoir Dogs, only with blocky graphics.’
- TheFartBall AKA Gout Leech writes on Steam: ‘There is no game like Sub Rosa. You create your own fun and there are so many ways to mess things up with your fellow players.’
- caesarsalad is somewhat disappointed (via Steam): ‘I had to return it because the community treats it more like GTA 5 and not like Sub Rosa.’
If you want to play, it’s now available on Steam. However, it is still an Early Access version that still has quite a bit of work to do. If you are looking for a shooter where anything can happen and where you cannot trust anyone, then Sub Rosa is worth a look. The game costs €19.99.
Would you like to check out some other online shooters? In the MeinMMO list of the 14 best multiplayer online shooters 2021 for PS4, PS5, Xbox, and PC, you will definitely find a suitable game.
