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.