Storm Lancers

Storm Lancers PC is a 2D action roguelite with Metroidvania-inspired exploration, fast side-scrolling combat, and cooperative runs for two players. The current Steam and Epic Games Store listings still use the official name Storm Lancers; no verified rebrand, replacement edition, or alternate PC storefront title was found.

Developed and published by ProbablyMonsters, the game sends one or two Lancers into Cryptica, an alien world destabilized by magical storms. Its central appeal is the combination of shifting biomes, randomized weapons, permanent movement upgrades, and a repeatable run structure that works either as a solo challenge or a shared-screen co-op adventure.

Fast 2D combat across a changing alien world

Storm Lancers uses a side-scrolling 2D perspective rather than a top-down dungeon view or a third-person camera. Each run moves through changing sections of Cryptica where platforming, enemy encounters, exploration, and boss fights are connected by a constant need to keep moving.

The moment-to-moment loop is built around leaping, slashing, shooting, and avoiding enemy pressure while searching for better equipment. The game describes its world as five shifting biomes, with alien flora, hostile creatures, and machine enemies that force players to adapt instead of relying on one fixed route or weapon combination.

Movement is also part of long-term progression. Permanent upgrades such as the slide, dash, and double jump expand the basic moveset and make later attempts more mobile. This gives Storm Lancers a light Metroidvania flavor, although its primary structure remains run-based rather than a single handcrafted world that is permanently cleared in one direction.

Stormhearts, weapons, and run-to-run builds

The main progression system revolves around bonding with Stormhearts, magical entities connected to the game's story and power growth. During individual runs, players discover gear, abilities, and powerups that change how their character handles combat. Death ends the current attempt, but permanent improvements carry the broader progression forward.

The arsenal covers several distinct combat identities. Verified examples include flaming swords, katars, rifles, hammers, and grenade launchers. That range matters because Storm Lancers is not only about collecting stronger numbers; it asks players to combine weapons and abilities into a practical setup for crowded fights, platforming hazards, and alien bosses.

Players who enjoy repeated attempts with persistent unlocks will find familiar structural DNA in 2D action roguelites like Dead Cells, although Storm Lancers places much more emphasis on cooperative play and firearms alongside its melee tools. The distinction is important: Storm Lancers is designed around shared action and character mobility, not solely around one player's precision combat mastery.

Solo play and two-player co-op

Storm Lancers can be played entirely in single-player, but cooperative design is one of its defining features. The PC storefronts list shared or split-screen co-op for two players, allowing friends to explore Cryptica, combine weapons, and manage enemy waves together on the same screen.

Co-op is not presented as a separate competitive mode. Both players participate in the same run, so positioning, target priority, and build choices become part of the challenge. One player may focus on crowd control while the other handles tougher targets, but the randomized nature of the equipment means that cooperation must adjust to what each run provides.

A useful quality-of-life feature is the ability to continue if a partner leaves. The official game information states that a co-op session can transition into solo play rather than forcing the remaining player to abandon the run. Steam also supports Remote Play Together, which extends the local co-op format to a remote friend without turning the game into a dedicated matchmaking-based online campaign.

Content model and current PC edition

Storm Lancers is sold as a paid base game on Steam and the Epic Games Store. The storefront information does not identify a free-to-play model, subscription, season pass, or paid gameplay expansion lineup. Steam lists a separate soundtrack add-on and a bundle containing the game and soundtrack, but the soundtrack is not gameplay content.

The base experience centers on repeatable runs through Cryptica, permanent upgrades, randomized weapons, abilities, powerups, five shifting biomes, and multiple alien bosses. The structure is therefore closer to a self-contained premium roguelite than an ongoing content service. Players should expect replay value to come from experimentation, mastery, and improved runs rather than from a large catalog of separate story chapters.

The current storefront name is simply Storm Lancers. No evidence was found of a Steam or Epic rebrand, “definitive edition,” legacy replacement, or renamed PC version that players need to search for instead.

PC features, input, and localization

The Steam edition lists controller support, shared or split-screen play, Steam Cloud, Steam Achievements, Family Sharing, HDR support, and Remote Play Together. The Epic Games Store also identifies controller support, local multiplayer, cloud saves, and single-player functionality.

Storm Lancers is built around direct movement and combat, so a gamepad is a natural input option for platforming, dashes, melee attacks, and weapon switching. Steam Remote Play can also accept a guest's controller or keyboard input through the local co-op arrangement. The available storefront data does not advertise Steam Workshop mod support, dedicated server tools, or a separate anti-cheat layer.

On Steam, the game uses the Steam client ecosystem and requires acceptance of a third-party EULA. Epic's listing identifies Epic ID as the required account connection. The confirmed text languages are English, French, Italian, German, Latin American Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese. The storefront information does not list full voice localization as a separate feature.

Who Storm Lancers suits on PC

Storm Lancers is a strong fit for players who want a two-player action roguelite with side-scrolling platforming, flashy weapons, and a colorful science-fantasy setting. It is especially suited to friends sharing a screen or using Steam Remote Play Together, as well as solo players who enjoy gradually expanding a movement toolkit across repeated attempts.

It is less suitable for players looking for a traditional linear Metroidvania with one persistent map, a deep role-playing class system, or a large online multiplayer ecosystem. The exploration is shaped by changing runs, and the long-term loop depends more on build experimentation and mechanical improvement than on collecting every item in a fixed campaign.

For another cooperative roguelike with procedural stages and a stronger emphasis on improvisational character abilities, local co-op roguelikes such as Streets of Rogue offer a useful comparison. Storm Lancers is more focused on action-platforming, while Streets of Rogue leans further into systemic objectives and open-ended solutions.

Similar PC games and mechanical comparisons

The closest comparison depends on which part of Storm Lancers interests you most. Fans of demanding 2D movement and persistent upgrades may prefer platforming roguelites like Rogue Legacy 2, while players who prioritize couch cooperation should focus on games that support shared-screen runs rather than single-player roguelites with no multiplayer.

Storm Lancers remains distinct through its combination of side-scrolling combat, co-op survival, permanent acrobatic upgrades, and a weapon pool that mixes swords, firearms, hammers, and explosives. It occupies a narrower space than a general action roguelike, but that specialization is exactly what makes it relevant for players searching for a cooperative run-based platformer.

Storm Lancers FAQ

Has Storm Lancers been renamed on PC?

No. The current Steam and Epic Games Store listings use Storm Lancers. No verified rebrand, replacement edition, or alternate official PC title was found.

Is Storm Lancers single-player?

Yes. The full game supports solo play. It also supports two-player shared or split-screen co-op, so the cooperative option is additional rather than mandatory.

Does Storm Lancers have online co-op?

Steam provides Remote Play Together for the local co-op format. This allows a friend to join remotely, but the verified PC feature set does not describe a separate online matchmaking campaign or dedicated multiplayer server system.

What carries over after death?

Individual runs reset when the player dies, while permanent upgrades remain part of the longer progression loop. Confirmed permanent movement improvements include the slide, dash, and double jump.

What weapons are available?

The official PC descriptions identify flaming swords, katars, rifles, hammers, and grenade launchers among the available weapons. Players combine these tools with abilities and powerups to create different run builds.

How many biomes are in Storm Lancers?

The storefront descriptions identify five shifting biomes. Their changing layouts and enemy encounters support the game's procedural, repeatable run structure.

Which languages does the PC version support?

The confirmed text languages are English, French, Italian, German, Latin American Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese. Storefront listings do not identify a broader full-audio language lineup.