Skip to main content

Review - Ruiner... Cyber-Psycho Strikes Back

 
Image credit: Reikon Games

It's been a hot minute since my last gaming review! Just kidding it's been like a literal minute. That's because Ruiner is one of those bite-size games that can be blown through in a single weekend without even having your wife grab the butcher knife and threaten your livelihood if you don't go to bed.
    Ruiner is a 5-hour romp through the gritty undercity of a cyberpunk hellscape. You're a nameless, faceless, action hero armed with nothing but a busted pipe and an easily-modded gun called a "Ruiner." It starts you off with the goal being to assassinate the boss of a megacorporation called Heaven. After taking down some thugs on your way to do this task-a task that you have no real reason to do besides it just being the current assignment and flashes of someone telling you what to do-your brain is hacked by Her. "Her" is intent on getting you to safety for the time being so you can find out what's really going on and why these criminals are holding your brother hostage whilst forcing you to kill your way to the top.

The Good

I'm going to keep this review short and sweet. Just like the game. Think of it like a little homage.
    The visuals are great for a game that's absolutely a budget title. Reikon used Unreal Engine and it works wonders with this little twin-stick. Everything is isometric, but it looks like a crisp cyberpunk title that could easily rival The Ascent in its visual appeal.
    Another part of the game that shines similarly to the neon-grit found in The Ascent would have to be in the audio department. The soundtrack for Ruiner is banger after banger. Multiple artists contributed to what would be considered the "score," but it should be noted that this is not an OST. It's more just a compilation of synthwave flavors that Reikon knew would pair well with wreaking havoc amongst the city's detritus. Like a nice Chianti to go with your fava beans.
    Gameplay is top-notch for such a fun-sized package. Whether swinging on enemies in melee or shooting in twin-stick, the abilities and powers that you can accrue while marauding  build on one another to make a thrilling experience from stage to stage and level to level.

The Bad

The only thing that keeps this title from the glorious category is the fact there's not more of it. I really hoped for a few more hours to spend in Rengkok, but I suppose that Reikon felt like they had the bare bones of a story they wanted to cover and that was it. It would be nice to see a game in the company's future that expands a little bit on the already-brilliant lore we're barely exposed to here. I would absolutely play a Ruiner sequel.
    Many people are also going to be put off by the lack of voice acting, but I think it works just fine. There's not a lot to be said anyway, and it's not like you can reply with much more than a nod or a shrug to begin with. Could it be improved upon? Sure. But what couldn't?

Nova, but not Super

I'd have to say that Ruiner is more than worth your time if you are even remotely into ARPG style shoot 'em ups and/or the cyberpunk genre. Is it groundbreaking? No. But it does introduce its own lore and will have you engaged in a lot of fun while you make your way from level to level.
    It's listed at $19.99 but I got it for $1.99, and I'm willing to bet that it's in that bargain bin of PSN for a good portion of the year. A bite-sized bit of fun that checks all the boxes, the only unfortunate bit likes in the fact that it only does so for a few hours.

7/10
Good Enough

If you're interested in a different cyberpunk experience, look at my review for Shadowrun.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Have a comment? Let me know!

Popular posts from this blog

Review - Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader... All Guts & Glory

Image courtesy of Owlcat Games "The God Emperor protects!" I know what you're thinking, but no, not that one.     Every so often, a game comes around that demands 10 to 15 hours of your time. This isn't one of them. Rogue Trader requires ten times that amount, easily, in order to see the story unfold in all the meaningful directions that it can.     I would like to preface my review by saying that I knew next to nothing about Warhammer 40K when I started up the game. I really only found myself drawn to the title because of my love for Owlcat's previous two entries in the Pathfinder world. That being said, Owlcat once again does a great job of putting the lore of their assigned universe into their work, and after 140 hours of gameplay I feel like I'm decently well-versed in plenty of the God-Emperor's vision of humanity's future. The Good Rogue Trader starts off where your main character is handed over the reins to the titular position by means of a...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review - Jotun... Cheapshot & Cheese

  Images courtesy of Thunder Lotus Games Every game studio has to start somewhere.     Sometimes that jumping off point can be a little more strenuous than others. With the right things in place, however, a game can make enough of an impact that a studio generates the revenue needed to push forward and make something else. Ideally, they would be making something better. This can be seen with Digital Sun in Moonlighter as they use their cashflow to springboard a sequel that looks bigger, better, and bolder than the original. I suppose we'll see.     The concept here was also used by Thunder Lotus Games in their development of Jotun . The game is a short jaunt, literally five hours, into a few different realms of Norse mythology's Yggdrasil while playing as Thora. Thora is a shield maiden who had a tumultuous demise that unfortunately robbed her of the glory needed to reach Valhalla. Through a series of trials set by the gods, Thora must prove her worth in the af...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review - Curse of the Dead Gods... Runnin' Up that hill

  Image courtesy of Passtech Games We all have extra time to throw willy-nilly anywhere we want, right?     Maybe we don't. I don't know.     But if we do, then games like Curse of the Dead Gods can certainly serve as the time-wasters we're all looking for. There's not all that much you're going to get out of playing a similar-yet-not version of Hades , but if you're just looking to zone out and slash baddies then maybe this game is for you.     Curse of the Dead Gods does have a story, despite it seeming like it has skipped one altogether. You play as a spelunking adventurer extraordinaire. His name is Caradog McCallister but I only know that thanks to Google. It's McCallister's thirst for knowledge that has brought him to an immense temple belonging to some ancient deities in the vein of the Mayans or Aztecs. Dodging traps and ancient monsters spawned by the temple's internal maze, McCallister must find a way out or seal his fate as a permanent fi...
Post a Comment
Read more