Ctesiphon

About Ctesiphon

Ctesiphon is a first-person shooter from Stomy that blends retro-futuristic visuals with chaotic, high-speed combat. Released in 2025 for PC and Linux, it leans into mecha-inspired sci-fi and open-level design. You play Ethelyn Dax, a bounty hunter forced to defend a resort planet from mercenary takeovers. The game’s charm lies in its old-school level layouts, think pickup-laden arenas and hidden keys, as much as its story. It’s a sprint through neon-drenched corridors with a side of secrets. Ideal for players who like their shooters frantic and their settings synthwave.

Gameplay

You’ll dash between cover points, swapping between railguns and plasma pistols as waves of grunts pour in. Levels are maze-like but designed to reward repeated exploration, missed a key in the first pass? Turn back to uncover it later. Combat is all about momentum: strafe, shoot, reload, repeat. Weapon upgrades come from scattered pickups, but don’t expect tutorials, trial and error is your friend. The single-player campaign clocks in around 8, 10 hours with full exploration, and every room feels like a puzzle to dismantle. Controls are twitchy and responsive, favoring reflexes over strategy.

What Players Think

PlayPile users rate it 8.9/10, with 94% completing the base story. Average playtime is 9.2 hours, though 32% replay levels for 100% completion. Moods lean nostalgic (68%) and intense (89%). One user wrote, “Fast as hell and packed with secrets, every reload feels worth it.” Critics praise its speed and level design but note a 12% drop-off after the first hour. There are 130 achievements, 78% of players hitting at least 50. Price hasn’t been announced yet, but early buyers report it’s “budget-friendly for the chaos.”

PlayPile's Take

Ctesiphon is a no-frills shooter for speedrunners and secret hunters. If you’re tired of methodical FPS tropes, this 8, 10 hour sprint is a treat. The $29.99 price tag matches its indie pedigree, and the 130 achievements keep you coming back. Skip it if you prefer slow-burn stories or precise gunplay. But for a neon-soaked, bullet-hell romp? Fire it up.

Storyline

You play Ethelyn Dax, Galactic Bounty Hunter extraordinaire. Finally settling in for a long-awaited vacation on the resort world of Ctesiphon, the moment is ruined by the surprise arrival of the Black Death mercenary company. Taking the capital city and every surrounding resort hostage as part of a payment dispute, the mercs expected to meet no physical resistance. Ethelyn would be perfectly content to simply get her money back and leave the resort to sort things out with the mercs themselves, but as it turns out the force is led by a shadow from Ethelyn's own past that she can't simply let get away.