TouchArcade Rating: A masterful blend of distinct gameplay styles is a hallmark of truly great games. Think Blaster Master's seamless transition between side-scrolling platforming and top-down shooting, or the recent hit Dave the Diver, which expertly combines roguelike diving with restaurant management. Ocean Keeper, from RetroStyle Games, joins this elite group, offering a compelling gameplay loop and upgrade system that keeps you coming back for more.

In Ocean Keeper, you're stranded on an alien underwater planet in your powerful mech. You'll explore underwater caves in a side-scrolling perspective, mining resources and artifacts while earning coins. However, time is of the essence; waves of enemies are approaching, demanding you return to your mech for a top-down twin-stick shooter showdown with light tower defense elements. You'll face off against a diverse array of bizarre underwater creatures.

Resources gathered during mining fuel upgrades for both your mech and mining equipment. Extensive branching skill trees offer diverse customization options. The roguelike nature means death results in lost progress for that run, but persistent upgrades between runs ensure continuous advancement. Expect varied overworld and cave layouts with each playthrough.

Ocean Keeper begins at a deliberate pace, with initial runs potentially challenging. However, perseverance is rewarded. As upgrades accumulate and skills improve, you'll master the game's flow, transforming into an unstoppable underwater mech. The synergistic interplay of weapons and upgrades forms the game's core, encouraging experimentation with various builds and strategies. While the initial slow start might be off-putting, the addictive gameplay loop that follows makes it difficult to put down.