TouchArcade Rating: A masterful blend of distinct gameplay styles is what makes Ocean Keeper shine. This game successfully intertwines side-scrolling mining with top-down mech combat, creating a compelling and consistently engaging experience. Think Blaster Master's vehicle/on-foot action, but with a roguelike twist and a dash of tower defense. It's reminiscent of Dave the Diver's successful fusion of disparate mechanics, offering a rewarding 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 trusty mech. The core gameplay involves descending into underwater caves to mine resources – a side-scrolling affair of digging and unearthing valuable materials and artifacts, all while earning in-game currency. However, time is limited; waves of enemies are constantly approaching, forcing you back to your mech to defend against them. This transition shifts the gameplay to a top-down twin-stick shooter, incorporating light tower defense elements as you repel waves of bizarre aquatic creatures.

Resources gathered during mining fuel upgrades for both your mining equipment and your mech. Extensive branching skill trees offer numerous customization options for both. The roguelike nature means death means losing progress within a single run, but persistent upgrades between runs ensure continuous advancement. The procedurally generated overworld and cave layouts guarantee replayability.

While Ocean Keeper begins at a slower pace, with initial runs potentially challenging, perseverance pays off. As upgrades accumulate and skills improve, the game’s addictive loop unfolds. The synergies between weapons and upgrades are a core strength, encouraging experimentation with different builds and strategies. Initially uncertain, I found myself captivated by Ocean Keeper's engaging gameplay once the momentum built. The satisfying progression and diverse build options make it difficult to put down.