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CYBERPUNK 3776
Platform: PC
73

Cyberpunk 3776 Review

A nostalgic trip of glory into the far reaches of space

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The shoot-em-up genre is one that I can always revisit and at least find a certain degree of enjoyment, even if a particular entry isn’t exactly groundbreaking. These games retain a certain simplicity to them, in terms of their mechanics, that I’ve always appreciated. Such titles tend to rely more on fast reaction times and quick trigger fingers for the source of their difficulty - a formula that harkens back to the good ol’ fashioned games of the 8 and 16 bit eras. This is certainly the case with the indie SHMUP for the PC, created by developer Peter Hann, known as Cyberpunk 3776.

Cyberpunk 3776

The game does a fine job of adhering to an old proven formula of a typical side-scrolling space shooter, and conveying a nice retro vibe, though it also adds a dash of a more modern twist stylistically, and sprinkles in some unique features to help differentiate itself from the absolute plethora of other SHMUPs.

The setting is essentially what you’d expect from your typical sci-fi shooter - it takes place in a post-apocalypse world (or rather, a post-apocalyptic galaxy) which has run amok with hordes of deadly alien forces that all want nothing more than to see you dead. However, this game takes on an even darker and more gloomy premise that many of its ilk, as it is made clear right from the get-go that our hero has essentially no chance for victory or even survival. Your only mission? Take out as much alien scum as you can before you fly off into the sunset.

Just to be clear, we’re only speaking in terms of the narrative here, and it is of course still possible to “beat the game” as it were. And in fact, one can accomplish this relatively quickly and easily. The experience is rather short-lived, consisting of seven stages that start you out on a battered Earth and eventually bring you to the far outreaches of extraterrestrial-infested space. Beyond the notable evolutions in the environments throughout your space odyssey, there is similarly a sense of progression within the game mechanics themselves.

You are given the opportunity to collect skill points as you play, which you can then put towards various ship upgrades after either completing a stage, or perishing in battle. Through this system, you can make subtle, yet useful, upgrades that work for your style of play and your strengths. For instance, if you’re more of the Rambo type with an itchy trigger finger, you may find it beneficial to put points towards fire rate, damage, and cooling. If evasion and survival is more your forte, you can choose to supplement this style with health, shield, and agility upgrades.

Cyberpunk 3776

This is a neat addition that not only adds some depth to an otherwise simplistic formula, but offers a steady sense of evolution and feeling of accomplishment, as you will often be able to beef up your ship, even if you find yourself stuck on a tricky level, or struggling to get past the tough boss that awaits you at the end.

If you are even remotely familiar with the workings of SHMUPs, you’ll quickly find Cyberpunk 3776 has a relatively simple learning curve, at least when it comes to basic mechanics. With that said, the PC control setup of the keyboard and mouse do take a little more getting acquainted with, and feel a bit more imprecise and sluggish, especially if you should unwisely choose to move your ship around with the mouse instead of the arrows. Thankfully, the game offers the option of external controllers, and I found that using an Xbox 360 controller grants a noticeable improvement of both precision and responsiveness.

Once you’ve gotten accustomed to your control method of choice, you will discover that, more often than not, this game is not particularly difficult, especially after you’ve pimped out your ship to accommodate the increasing difficulty as you press on. SHMUP vets and newbies alike will likely be able to complete this outer-space voyage of vengeance in a matter of a couple of hours.

Though for my money, a large chunk of the fun and longevity lies within the game's scoring system and leaderboards (if bought on Steam). Similar to Geometry Wars, the name of the game is to string points together via multipliers that rack up more quickly the longer you’re able to hit various targets thrown your way. During the rare breaks of being bombarded with enemies of all types and characteristics, you will also run into deadly landmines and not-so-deadly space junk scattered throughout, to help extend your multipliers. These are quite useful if you’re after that high score glory, as your multiplier bonuses will fade after you’ve failed to shoot anything for an extended amount of time. There is no apparent practical use for the leaderboards aside from bragging rights, though I suppose this is true for most games that provide a scoring system.

Cyberpunk 3776

Delving a bit more into the gameplay itself, Cyberpunk 3776 is somewhat of a mixed bag, though the positives mostly outweigh any minor issues. Aside from your main health bar, you come equipped with a shield, which can be upgraded and improved upon much like your health. It quickly becomes apparent that the shield is an absolutely vital tool in your arsenal, as your health bar will dwindle swiftly once it wears out. There are small shield icons that are subtly placed throughout which allow you to replenish it, giving you another task to occupy yourself with aside from simply flying around and gunning down enemies like a maniac with no rhyme or reason. Having a shield barrier protecting your fragile ship as much as possible will definitely serve you well throughout your mission.

In addition to these collectible resources, there are also “+1” markers sprinkled about, following random enemy kills. These prove equally useful as you progress, though they are a bit hard to spot at times, and you’ll occasionally end up putting yourself in harm's way as you desperately try to backtrack and gather a marker that sneakily eluded you. These points are your primary “currency”, used for the aforementioned ship upgrades. Finally, you will occasionally find a spherical “forcefield” which recharges your health bar if you're steadily hovering the ship over it. This is yet another highly helpful addition, though it can be a bit tricky to keep your ship positioned properly for the health regeneration to register, as you travel at supersonic speeds across the galaxy. At the same time you are wrestling to stay within bounds of the sporadic forcefield, you still are forced to evade the endless streams of projectiles and enemies being flung your way simultaneously, turning a minor inconvenience into a downright frustrating one. However, these aren’t always needed in the first place, as long as you utilize your shield resourcefully.

Another distinct function that Cyberpunk 3776 uses heavily is the overheat mechanic, which will rear its ugly head more often than I would have liked, and I find myself having mixed feelings over this burdensome feature. On the one hand, it adds an extra dimension of challenge and brings a touch of strategy to a genre that is almost exclusively based on action and intensity. It also brings a subtle unique flavor to a genre that has grown a bit stale. However, it seems to occur far too frequently, and proves to be more of a chore than a fun concept. It is certainly jarring while you’re rocking your space-lasers and taking out hordes of aliens, and suddenly you are unable to shoot, and forced to scramble and stay alive while you wait tirelessly for your weapon to cool.

Shifting gears now from the gameplay mechanics to the aesthetics, this is certainly one of the prettier SHMUPS I have seen. Its stylized gloomy and dim backdrops prove to be a fitting complement to Cyberpunk’s dark atmosphere, adding a colorful dimension of post-apocalyptic sci-fi. The 2-D skyline ruins in the background manage to retain a simplicity, while at the same time, conveying a gritty realism and sense of detail that almost look like they came out of an animated film. Additionally, the layers of fog, dust, and debris further enhance the grittiness and detail of the gloomy environments.

Cyberpunk 3776

The audio, from the serenading techno melodies, to the solid voice acting, is top notch. The electronic ambient music helps to set the tone of this fast paced game with its consistent beats that keep the adrenaline flowing and add to that futuristic flavor. The dialogue, while sparse, is quite well done. As you enter every stage, and following every death, you’ll hear gloomy, yet strangely inspirational lines muttered, such as - “Nothing to lose. Nothing left to be left behind. Another kill to cure my pain...” While they come off a bit cheesy at times, they are nonetheless cool little tidbits that further help bring out this game’s gritty and dark character.

Overall, Cyberpunk 3776 does a fine job of capturing the essence of what makes a solid shoot-em-up, and at the same time, adds at least a touch of its own unique ideas that help to differentiate it. The upgrade additions certainly help to flesh out and modernize a genre that has been played out to death. With that said, the game tends to overuse some of these attributes at times, to its own detriment, like the constant overheating. Overall though, I’d rather see the game explore new terrain than to settle for the “safe” route, and adhere completely to the SHMUP formula without divergence. The game’s difficulty is also on the easier side for the most part, though there are certain boss battles where it will ramp up quickly.

At the end of the day, Cyberpunk 3776 is a neat nostalgic visit to an old genre, and reminds us of the glory days of fast-paced retro gameplay. It provides us trigger-happy gamers with instant satisfaction as we zip through space, blasting away waves of hostile aliens. The game has its share of flaws, particularly when opting for a keyboard and mouse setup, but given the low price, it is most certainly worth giving a go.

Our ratings for Cyberpunk 3776 on PC out of 100 (Ratings FAQ)
Presentation
83
Despite the seemingly simplistic 2D graphics, Cyberpunk’s visual style manages to convey a distinct character and depth. The unique filters and crisp visuals really enhance the experience. The solemn and grim narrations are a nice touch and are well acted.
Gameplay
72
On the one hand, the gameplay is what you’d expect from a SHMUP, but at the same time, the game offers subtle mechanics that add some depth to what could have been an overly-simplistic experience.
Single Player
68
Since the game is designed to allow you to progress relatively quickly and steadily via upgrades, you will likely find yourself blowing through the campaign quicker than you had hoped. Though the scoring system grants some incentive to go back and play again.
Multiplayer
NR
None
Performance
80
As this isn’t a very hardware-demanding game to run, there were very few noticeable instances of framerate drops, even while the scene was absolutely crawling with projectiles and enemies.
Overall
73
If you crave a shoot-em-up fix, look no further than this indie nostalgic throwback. Cyberpunk 3776 is not overly innovative nor particularly deep, but it is nonetheless a fun way to burn some free time here and there.
Comments
Cyberpunk 3776
Cyberpunk 3776 box art Platform:
PC
Our Review of Cyberpunk 3776
73%
Good
The Verdict:
Game Ranking
Cyberpunk 3776 is ranked #1015 out of 1957 total reviewed games. It is ranked #61 out of 110 games reviewed in 2015.
1014. Lego Dimensions
PlayStation 4
1015. Cyberpunk 3776
1016. Superhot
PC
Screenshots

Cyberpunk 3776
8 images added May 6, 2015 21:27
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