Played on PC
Developers from Sobaka Studio have built a reputation for themselves as authors of good beat ’em ups like Redeemer and 9 Monkeys Of Shaolin. These projects may not have been the brightest stars, but they have found recognition among fans of retro-style fighting. KIBORG is a natural continuation of the studio’s ideas, which, however, deviates from the classic path of a story-driven arcade “mess” in the direction of a roguelike, where instead of successive missions we will find a typical “roguelike” game cycle, many deaths, leveling up outside and during runs. And, most importantly, a high level of bloody frenzy and fighting spirit. True, not all aspects of the game meet this bar…
A spectacular boss entrance is an important attribute of the genre
⇡#Not a man – a machine
Morgan “Cyborg” Lee finds himself in a galactic maximum security prison for crimes… we know nothing about yet. The rules are brutal: prisoners are thrown into a bloodbath that is broadcast on Galaxy TV. This brutal spectacle is called “The Last Ticket,” and winning it rewards an early release (no cheating here). So Morgan, who has lost his memory by the start of the game, has no choice but to fight his way through bloodthirsty opponents to the top of the tower again and again in an effort to defeat Warden Novak, or die and start the race all over again.
Each time Morgan starts his journey with bare hands, relying only on reflexes, strong slaps and a sharp “spin”. It is difficult not to note some similarities between the combat system of KIBORG and the Batman: Arkham series. It is especially noticeable in terms of the pace of battles and basic principles, consisting of strikes, blocks, various combos, counter-strikes and special techniques. And, despite the fact that KIBORG does not reach the smoothness and refinement of Arkham, fighting here is quite pleasant. In battles, you can feel the inertia and weight of Morgan’s strikes, and there are more combinations of various techniques here than in the games about the Dark Knight. However, it is not at all necessary to memorize them all, because in a fight you can always grab a gun.
In addition to firearms, KIBORG also includes melee weapons – various sharpenings, axes and fluorescent lamps, which significantly enhance hand-to-hand series
Morgan, like his opponents, gladly shows up to a fight with a firearm. We have two types of weapons at our disposal – primary and secondary. The first type includes various assault rifles, machine guns and shotguns. The ammo for them is limited, but you can replenish the ammunition with packs that randomly fall out of enemies. And using the primary weapon temporarily turns the game into a third-person shooter (with rather average shooting responsiveness). But a shotgun gives a considerable advantage in combat. Auxiliary weapons can also be an ace in the hole, which include pistols, revolvers, sawed-off shotguns and strange guns with a boxing glove on the barrel. Their ammunition is unlimited, but to reload you will have to work a little with your hands – clips and drums are renewed for hitting enemies.
What’s especially interesting is that the game can actually be completed with a build that relies entirely on firearms. However, there’s always a chance that things won’t go according to plan – here, as is customary in roguelikes, you have to adapt on the fly, and the idea for a specific build can change dramatically several times within one run. It’s good that there are plenty of different options for “acceleration”. There are both standard buffs like increasing stats, and more situational mutators that provide particularly strong advantages like increased damage or increased defense, but with a penalty in the spirit of receiving triple damage from any attack or extreme fragility of melee weapons. Also on the way up, you’ll encounter various merchants, terminals, and “altars” where you can get useful bonuses and effects for a handful of tokens (one of the local currencies). But Morgan’s main source of superiority over his enemies is his cybernetic implants.
The vast web of passive bonuses offers a variety of options to make Morgan more powerful from run to run. You can also purchase one of four active skills.
If at the beginning of each run Morgan can be called a machine only in a figurative sense, then by the finale “Cyborg” fully justifies his nickname. Implants are the cornerstone of almost any build. They change different parts of the protagonist’s body (head, heart, arms, legs, torso and spine) to something more effective, and are presented in several sets from different manufacturers, each of which gives its own bonuses. For example, the products of the “Thunderbolt” corporation make Morgan more energetic, literally – with them he will cause energy explosions by shooting, and will damage the health of opponents with an electric aura. Modifications from the “Shooter” set in every possible way enhance firearms, simultaneously increasing ammunition, damage and range. And, for example, “Guardian” will increase Morgan’s survivability and durability.
However, the true power of the implants is revealed when collecting two (for a small synergy) or four (for a full) modifications from one set. For example, for two units of “Shooter”, the time when switching to aiming mode will begin to slow down, and ricochets will occur more often. And if you collect the full synergy of “Thunderer”, then the enemies’ resistance to electricity will drop by fifty percent, and Morgan will become much more resistant to high-voltage damage – by as much as seventy-five percent!
Corporate agents may burst into the arena – especially dangerous opponents, and victory over them will bring a corresponding reward.
Add to this additional augmentations that will add even more lethal power to the effects of the implant, and nothing will be able to stop us. What’s more, sometimes you won’t even have to move or swing your fists – once I assembled a “Thunderer” set of six implants and Morgan simply stood in the center of the arena while the enemies around him fell dead, struck down by a deadly electric aura. Even bosses that seemed incredibly ferocious just a couple of runs ago turned into bloody shreds in some ten to fifteen seconds. And although it is always pleasant to revel in power, this, nevertheless, revealed several annoying problems of the project…
⇡#Malfunctioning implant
Perhaps one of the main problems of KIBORG is the balance and difficulty curve. Once you learn most of the nuances of the combat system, it stops challenging, even on higher difficulty. Each run becomes a dusty fun, and the only problem can be a less than ideal combination of implants. It is at this very moment, when the courage wanes, that you begin to notice some technical flaws, bugs, invisible obstacles through which bullets do not fly and in which Morgan can get stuck. And the very goal of completing KIBORG several times begins to raise questions.
Sometimes on our way we will encounter Randomizer-9 slot machines, where you can try your luck and get both a useful bonus and damage
Various combos, guns and assemblies will be tested even before the first successful run, enemies no longer cause problems, and the only desire is to study the plot. For each successful run on the maximum available difficulty, we are given a small scene, executed in the form of static illustrations (in terms of quality of execution, they resemble working concept art). These episodes reveal Morgan’s past and the reasons why he got into prison show business. They do not carry any special emotional value, because the events in which we are immersed are completely torn out of both the context of the world and the mood of the game itself. And the clearly low-budget execution does not paint the narrative in any way. The fact that it is generally quite difficult to empathize with Morgan does not help to penetrate the story – an emotional connection with him is not formed during the passage, and the “Cyborg” himself is a rather faceless and boring hero, and his taciturnity does not particularly help him to open up. The attempt to tell a global story and immerse us in the twists and turns of this world is commendable, but it is executed clumsily and seems simply unnecessary.
But another character turns out to be useful — the tireless commentator of the prison massacre, Volkov. The soulful voice acting adds the necessary degree of enthusiasm and fun to the slaughter. And, suddenly, he gives out more information about the world of the game than the same screensavers. It’s a pity that here too the budget of the project is noticeable — the arsenal of lines is exhausted quickly, and after a couple of hours of play you know the entire repertoire of the host by heart. And Volkov’s caustic witticisms are far from always appropriate. However, even this does not detract from the charm of both the commentator and the project itself.
By completing various challenges and combat conditions, Morgan unlocks access to a new arsenal. And, more importantly, new hats!
***
In terms of the sum of all the little things, KIBORG is a rather uneven project, but its brutal essence, lively fights and an exciting development system will allow you to ignore the rough spots and problems for some time. And if you were looking for some smart brawling for an evening or two, then KIBORG is a great option.
Advantages:
- A mostly successful combination of beat’em up and roguelike mechanics.
- A perky bloody fight with a pinch of shooter is played extremely fun;
- Scope for creating powerful assemblies…
Disadvantages:
- …Sometimes too powerful – the balance is poor;
- An inexpressive main character and a boring story, also presented in the form of unremarkable static illustrations;
- For a roguelike it runs out of steam too quickly.
Graphic arts
The visuals don’t really strike a chord. Street arenas with graffiti-covered walls, sterile labs, and drab corporate spaces are all standard settings, lacking any real flair. The same can be said for enemy and weapon designs, too: all cookie-cutter, no original solutions.
Sound
Tasty blows, resounding shots, powerful explosions – the sound design of KIBORG confidently immerses you in the bloody bacchanalia of a merciless galactic reality show.
The soundtrack is noticeably inferior in quality – it’s fine as background music, but on an emotional level it doesn’t give you anything at all.
And, of course, I would like to note the voice acting of Volkov, the commentator of the bloody action – the actor clearly approached the work with soul. It is a pity that his lines sometimes sound completely out of context.
Single player game
A fast-paced action roguelike whose shortcomings don’t stop you from enjoying the bloody frenzy of battle.
Estimated time of completion
The first successful run will happen on the fourth or fifth hour of the game, then you can spend an hour in the arena (an additional mode with endless waves of enemies) or try to master each difficulty level and open all available content – this will take another ten hours.
Collective game
Not foreseen.
General impression
Despite its various rough edges, KIBORG is a fast-paced, fun, and brutal roguelike action game that can provide several evenings of exciting, hardcore fighting.
Rating: 7.0 / 10
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