The tactical RPG’s public playtest ends on October 9, with planned improvements including more flexible turns, expanded agent builds, and an Ironman mode.
Rhinotales is preparing changes to Critical Shift’s combat, character progression, and difficulty options after more than 8,000 players joined its first public playtest. The tactical RPG has also reached 50,000 Steam wishlists, with the studio now explaining how feedback is helping it decide what to improve.
Set inside ICE-1, a research facility beneath the Antarctic ice, Critical Shift follows a squad investigating a distress call and the paranormal threats waiting underground. Exploration takes place in real time, while combat uses a tactical grid, initiative, and counterattacks. Cover, weapon range, and limited supplies all influence how encounters unfold.
More Control Over Turns and Agent Builds
In its playtest report, Rhinotales acknowledges that some participants found the opening battles short on meaningful tactical decisions. Another concern was the repeated need to retreat from melee enemies to stay beyond their reach.
One planned addition is the ability to delay an agent’s turn and act later. With initiative already determining the order of actions, that could create more opportunities to coordinate the squad. The studio is also revisiting cover and flanking, weapon behavior, enemy abilities, and enemy placement throughout the missions.
Character development also needs further work. Rhinotales describes the progression system in the playtest as an early draft and plans to give each agent more varied skill trees, distinct build directions, and additional passive abilities.
Saint’s drone is one example: a proposed support role would give it a different purpose from its explosive use. Other planned passives would interact with initiative and counterattacks, potentially giving those systems a larger role in squad composition.
Difficulty Settings and Steam Deck Optimization
Feedback on the challenge has gone in both directions, with some finding the test too punishing and others wanting a tougher challenge.
Rhinotales plans to introduce multiple difficulty settings and reassess ammunition and resource balance. The intended Normal setting should be more approachable during the opening hours, while Ironman mode is planned with a single save file and additional difficulty modifiers.
The interface is another priority. Planned work covers navigation, clearer enemy information, more convenient crafting, better visibility for passive bonuses, and easier access to skills. A revised tutorial should leave more room to experiment while accommodating different levels of familiarity with tactical games.
Bug fixes and optimization are also underway, including work aimed at improving performance on Steam Deck. Rhinotales says these development plans may change as it continues reviewing feedback.
The studio has received more than 500 survey responses so far. Of those respondents, 47.7% selected eight or higher on a ten-point scale when asked how likely they were to recommend the game to a friend. Rhinotales also reports that participants enjoyed the atmosphere, narrative, visuals, and audio most.
The public playtest remains open until October 9, 2026. You can request access through the Critical Shift Steam page. The full game’s release date is still listed as to be announced.
