5.7 hours played
Written 2 years ago
Yeah, this one is pretty fun. But fair warning, this is not an easy game. If you're an older gamer (like me) and remember playing games like Elevator Action, Rolling Thunder, Dark Castle, etc. then you will probably be right at home with this one. Basically combine those kind of games (especially E.A and R.T.), with the intense, twitch gameplay of something like Hotline Miami, and you're coming close to what this game is like. It's almost more of a "puzzle" game than a platformer. Although it's not like there is only one solution to each map (actually, a few maps do have pretty linear solutions). The player can experiment with different tactics on most levels.
The general gameplay loop is something like: "You're dropped into, or in front of a large building or series of buildings. You can use stealth by shutting off lights, or destroying them outright (Protip: throw your knife at lights, you can pick it up again as long as you don't throw it at an enemy unit), and you usually have to assassinate every one of the cyborgs and other enemies on the stage. A few stages have other goals though, to keep things interesting. In each area there are object scattered around you can both use for (crappy) cover, and use as a source of weapons. Most firearms have 3-10 bullets (but limited ammo crates can be found too, to reload with). Then its up to you to sneak around, ambush or lure enemies to their doom (Protip #2: Always try for headshots *herp-a-derp*). After each mission, you drive around in your car and can read emails with tips for the next stage or examine your unlocked weapons, etc.
That's pretty much it. You used to get one hit point, but the devs recently made your dude a little more resilient, and he can now take two direct hits from most weapons (except crazy shiz like grenade launchers, shotguns, etc). This is one of those games where you can start a stage, and not even realize you just spent 3 hours on one level, because when you die, you start the whole level over again. There are zero checkpoints, that's right... you either get in, kill everyone and get out in one piece, or you try again. I'm only about 2 missions into the 2nd Zone, but I definitely think this game is pretty solid (even if the current mission is pissing me the hell off, with these stupid knife-throwing asshats.) and is definitely worth a buy if you enjoy stealth or Hotline Miami style one-life run, games. But once again, I must reiterate, this game is not easy and does not pull any punches. You will die, a whole lot! One final note: Ignore the "Roguelite" tag on the store page, this is definitely not even remotely one. Also before I forget, the music is pretty solid. It's almost all tense Synthwave inspired vibes (very reminiscent of Hotline Miami once again).
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~ I am a former Quality Assurance Lead Tester, with over 20 years in the industry and nearly 40 years of PC and Console gaming experience. ~ Video Games are my lifeblood and I hope my reviews provide potential buyers with ample information to help them make a decision regarding their purchases.
