Hypercharge: Unboxed Review (Kiar)
TLDR: This game is pure fun and a nostalgic overflow.
It has several modes. PvE tower-defense with 14 levels and a stylish art-book like story telling campaign. S mall-to-medium replayability factor. (But it will get better when endless mode becomes a thing).
PVP modes like Team Deathmatch, Free-for-All and Infection.(Can be played with bots too and friends in private lobbies) Split-Screen mode. 4 difficulty stages.
Intuitive gunplay and high level of customization with a little bit of grind required to unlock some parts. (Just like in the 90's!)
Flawless performance. Stable FPS, no lag or crashing.
Only gets better with friends and family.
Recommended with reasonable expectations, as this is an indie team of 5 people.
With a total of 13+ hrs on record, trying to explain how nostalgic this game is , would be an understatement of a century.
With every new level you discover or rediscover a part of your childhood and that distant, long forgotten memory that unlocks with an audible 'clink', when you see your favorite toy come to life again. A straight definition of a 'core memory unlocked'. In short, I adore this game. But as anything game-related, I will always try to criticize it without prejudice and provide an actual experience in a form of a review.
First of all, game-play. I would consider it to be good with room for growth. The gunfight is enjoyable and responsive. Each weapon feels as it should feel and packs enough damage as one would expect it to. The idea that you create your own weapon with each session/level, based on your needs at a time, seems like a healthy choice for a tower-defense/shooter. (Although I would like to see an in-game vending machine, where your pre-built weapon could be purchased.) Luckily enough, that is not an issue in almost any level. Throughout said level, you can still create a weapon of your choosing, even when playing with friends.
And perhaps you remember the good old days, when you and your friends gathered at their place and played on a single TV or Screen, using Split-Screen mode? Well, I'm happy to report that this game has this too. One that can be customized to your own preference.
The level design is great with a clear inspiration from Toy Story or Small Soldiers.(From a child's bedroom, where toys come to life to a garden and the toy store.) Presenting a healthy array of jumping-puzzles, collectibles, points of interest and Easter eggs. Almost anyone could find their preferred play style when it comes to weapons. Those few who enjoy a melee based combat, will be disappointed as there are no blades, axes or daggers, just a good old fashioned knuckle sandwich.
Secondly, performance. Geforce RTX 3070 / AMD Ryzen 5/3600 6-core. / 16 gb RAM = 99% 125 FPS. || 200 FPS.
I think the result speaks for itself. I have not experienced a drastic dip in FPS or have any lag when playing with friends. Don't remember a single crash either. But again, that is my experience.
And lastly, content. From what I know, the game is being developed by a small indie team. Ever since 2020, the game received several major updates. Introducing campaign, maps, enemies, guns, fixes and more. They are not frequent but they are great. Sometimes there are major updates back to back and sometimes several months pass without much happening. And as of this moment, they are working on an endless tower-defense mode. Which will only enhance the grand experience of this game.
And if you will ever get bored of the campaign and its repetitiveness? The game also offers actual PVP modes such as: free-for-all and Team Deathmach. Infection. (Essentially Zombie survival).Sadly they don't seem to be as populated as one would want them to be. At least in some cases. Some days better than others.
One thing is certain. The developers love this game. They love their past and they introduce us to our own nostalgia without looking like greedy corpos thirsting for a quick cash grab. Their DLC's are straightforward. A support package and a couple of action figures.
I recommend this game at this stage as it may as well be on par with Deep Rock Galactic, just not as fleshed out. (yet).