2025 will be no more forever very soon. It presented to us with a lot of things – a lot of good stuff, even more bad stuff and some excellence – a new PSP game called Locum Tenens.
Developer claims that they spent more than 900 hours making this game and this is particularly important – retro platforms still get some games but it’s rarely bigger than Flappy Bird clones. Usually these new games concentrate around 2 specific retro platforms: Comodore 64 and Amiga since they have a bigger community. Community of PSP developers is mostly dead, some PSP fans exist only on Reddit and there are not many of them left so let’s be honest: that’s why this release is particularly important.
Locum Tenens is a retro shooter in a style of Zero Tolerance from Sega MD. You have similar dark, thick atmosphere, 5 inventory slots and flat levels. Sega Mega drive definitely wasn’t enough for a first person shooter game so Zero Tolerance works at around 10 frames per second in light scenes. Locum Tenens works at stable 60.
Game is divided onto 3 episodes, each has its own boss. If you beat the game without dying it will take you approximately 3 hours to do so. In other words – this game is longer because beating it without dying at easy difficulty at the first try is not a light task.
Zero Tolerance had unique features that even Doom didn’t have. For example blood spilling on the walls and floor. Locum Tenens reproduced it as well but added level objects like tables and reactors that can be destroyed, bullet shells and even more.
Probably the most important new feature in comparison is the ability to drop an item. Back in the days of Zero Tolerance if you wanted to replace a weapon in your inventory the only option was to unload full ammo into a wall.
Game has a story. You’re not playing such games for its writing and there is nothing outstanding over here as well. Scientific spaceship on a research mission reaches a planet where they meet an alien ship drifting at the orbit. Aliens infiltrate scientific spaceship using parasites that take control of the crew and when protagonist realizes this threat – it’s already too late to save the vessel. So he grabs a space revolver and starts a killing spree on his way to inform the Homeplanet about the aliens.
How a scientist is able to kill alien horrors and some who look like a professional soldiers? Well, it’s possible only with a help of the player. That’s the answer. Like in most of the games.
First and partially second episodes feel as an interlude to the third episode and it is a bit disappointing because it brings the most powerful enemies and final weapons. This part is probably the most difficult and enjoyable because it leans more into action than survival and demands the maximum of your skills. You will die a lot here but the experience worth it.
In general game presents a lot of mechanics and variations to not to be boring. Not only the new enemy types and new level layouts, but also things like fire extinguisher and summoners of dead that open tentacle looking gates. You can feel your progression over the levels and you never know what awaits you on the nest level.
As a small tip – enemies smashed into a pulp by heavy weapons are unable to be resurrected. And aliens try hard to resurrect everything that you killed.
All in all Locum Tenens is a solid indie PSP game for its genre and for 3 dollars (even less on sales) we definitely can recommend it.
Get PSP version on itch.io:
https://derivieragames.itch.io/locum-tenens
Or ported PC version (plays well on Steam Deck):
https://store.steampowered.com/app/4121010/Locum_Tenens/