WHAT A GOOD LOOKING GAME! The lighting and shadow effects are among the best I've seen in a while, and the art direction is jaw-dropping. I wish the cutscenes were as beautiful and polished as the actual game, but considering that it's an indie title made with limited budget, I don't mind it at all. And also, considering what the game actually delivers, the cutscenes don't hurt the game in any meaningful way.
What does hurt the game, though, are its generic plot and dialogue. There's basically no voice acting, so this game would've benefited a lot if a little bit more thought were put into the writing. The story is very simple and predictable at times. The characters are okay but none of them is charismatic enough to make you care about them. But what this game lacks in writing, it more than makes up with its gameplay.
WHAT A SATISFYING GAME TO PLAY! The gameplay is very frenetic and fast-paced, and its arsenal of weapons makes the game all the more fun and dynamic. I went into this game thinking that I'd just be shooting non-stop or just holding the firing button like you do in most top down shooters, but the dashing and melee systems are what make exploding enemies and making combos so satisfying. And it does help that every single bit of action in this game is backed by these incredible industrial beats.
WHAT A MIND-BENDING SOUNDTRACK! I'm in love with this game's soundtrack and I'm amazed with how its great collection of tracks marries its aesthetic so well. It has these intense industrial sounding beats that make you want to bash anything that stands in your way. It has these electronic dance songs that just make you wanna dance on top of your enemies corpses. It also has these beautiful, more calm and serene tracks that just make you want to stop everything you're doing and just admire this game's outstanding art direction. Its soundtrack wasn't entirely made just for the game, but it might as well have been, because this game's visuals and its sound seem like they're in a perfect symbiotic relationship.
WHAT A GAME! RUINER has everything a top down shooter should have and, even though its story and writing aren't the best out there, it should be enough to satisfy any fan of this genre of games. But if you're a cyberpunk lover, you need to play this game. I didn't know I needed this game so bad before I started playing it, but I'm so glad I got to experience this cyberpunk delight.
