Hard Reset Review
Solid PC shooter that creates a unique game speed with two upgradable weapons and outstanding visual effects.
Hard Reset is a PC exclusive cyberpunk shooter from the developers Flying Wild Hog. Set in the fictional city of Bezoar during 2436 you take the role of Fletcher, a soldier who battles hordes of robot nasties. The game will feel familiar if you have played Painkiller or Serious Sam but it crafts a unique style. It is designed around the use of two types of upgradeable weapons, energy and projectile based. The game engine produces outstanding weapon effects, crisp textures and wonderful lighting. The central focus of the entire game is on the two weapons that require patience to use properly.
A stasis field helps when these little critters are about
Hard Reset revolves around the use of two weapons, each with diverse upgrades. The projectile based CLN Firearm can be a machine gun, grenade launcher or a rocket launcher. The N.R.G. weapon can be a rail gun with x-ray vision, a Tesla coil or an electric mortar. These upgrades are installed at special stations spread throughout the game. Upgrades are bought using currency that is found in secret areas and gained from killing enemies. Modes added to your weapons can be cycled through just like a regular shooter. There can be a long delay when switching weapons and firing modes, creating a unique game speed.
Certain weapon modes take seconds to recharge and you can’t change to other modes quickly. Using a mode incorrectly can have dire consequences. Your crosshair indicates the selected weapon mode and shows when you can fire again. As the weapon switch is slower than similar shooters you need to move around and search for health dropped as robots continue to attack. There is a good deal of satisfaction from using the weapons well. You might create a stasis sphere with your NRG weapon and then lob some grenades into stationary enemies within. Chokepoints can be exploited by placing several electric mortars that fry small robots trying to get through.
Additional upgrades can be placed on combat armor instead of your two weapons. You can install an ability that slows time when you are sufficiently low on health. This gives you enough time to capture health orbs or just finish off irritating robots about to turn you into chow. You can also increase health, ammo reserves or improve regenerating armor. More and larger enemies are thrown at you as you progress creating a natural difficulty curve that corresponds well with weapon upgrades. The robots still make it rather difficult and there is no time for complacency.
This is far too close for comfort
The AI poses a significant challenge on normal and they will make you feverishly avoid close contact. They tend to move considerably faster than you and can dodge side to side when moving down corridors. You can use the environment to block enemies but this is generally ineffective as their navigation systems locate you quickly. Smaller melee robots have a saw that quickly turns you into mush and this saw may harmlessly spin toward you after they die. Some gorilla type robots will aggressively charge you and follow up with a ground pound. Thankfully objects in the environment are useful offensive tools.
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Sep 12, 2011 13:03:49 (Sep 12, 2011 13:03)
