PC Preview Build Provided by eBrain Studio
Giving a challenging experience that feels unique can be a difficult setup to build, but with the latest title from eBrain Studio. Their game LOOPMANCER puts players in a stylish cyberpunk environment and plays out as a 2D action platformer with roguelike and randomizer mechanics. It wasn't exactly what I had expected when I went into this game for the first time, but it was definitely a fun experience to fight through.
Gameplay
Starting out the game, you will land right at the start of the first level and be handed your main weapon, a sword, from a character that seems to be your armory contact. Right after, you'll get a quick briefing by a colleague before heading into the game itself. On this run, the level will be clear of enemies and take the time to provide a hands-on tutorial to show you how to navigate the level itself. It isn't too far in that you end up at your first fight sequence which will end up getting cut off by a prompt stating “10 minutes later...” and a quick cutscene to show your character being killed surprisingly out of nowhere.
This is where your first loop starts and you awake back at your apartment. Every time you die, you will awake at the apartment on the same date and time as you do this first time. From here, the rest of the game will play out, given you are able to successfully do so. In the apartment, you will have a pinboard where you can mark the bosses and mini-bosses you defeat, pet your little kitty, change your clothes, and check some intel before heading out to your office to start the day, again.
At the office, you will have plenty of intel to go through and some characters to talk to. Then, before you leave for the mission, you pass through the armory which gives you a chance to change up your weapon choice. You will always have your sword as your main weapon, so this selection is for your secondary weapon. After you pick this option, you can head out to the action.
Once you get back into the first level, you have a good chance that it won’t be how you remember it during your initial run through. Not only are there now enemies all of the player and the gang is already hostile towards you, but the level itself has a bit of a different layout. I ended up dying a few times and replaying the beginning enough to notice that there seemed to be roughly four different layout styles that could appear when playing. Seeing how this is only an observation of the starting area, this game is showing signs that randomization will be a big part.
From here, it’s all about learning when to attack and when to dodge. It is best to have a gun with you for your secondary so you also have some ranged attack options. Your characters fighting style can get a bit tedious, but there were upgrade pay banks that you could put points into so it can be unlocked for future runs. This is worth doing since you can’t carry those points with you after you die, so use them up. To tell when it is best to dodge or attack, notice your enemy and look to see if they have a red glow. That red glow means they are going to attack and you can’t stop it from happening. Bosses don’t really have this sort of sign, but they will have their own visual and sound queues on when to avoid them.
Expectations
With there being a big emphasis on combat for this game, I hope to see more variety in the type of attacks you can do with the sword. It is your main weapon after all and I can’t imagine switching to a baseball bat, once it is unlocked, can make a huge difference. I did manage to get an ax at one point and while it was a bit slower yet more damaging, the general combat experience felt very similar. There are plenty of ways they could expand on the combat experience and I hope that they decide to make it happen one way or another.
I really liked the surprise I got from the randomized mapping. Even so, a game like this one that has players repeat sections of the game over and over but still has a form of checkpoint or fast travel system, allow players to utilize this. I kept unlocking these systems and they worked for a single run, but once you died you had to start these over as well. It would be pretty cool to have teleports that could be unlocked that stay active even after a time-loop following the player’s death. They could even be hidden and hard to find, but it would provide a bit of a time size and a way to jump back to where they left off.
Verdict
LOOPMANCER is off to a good start, but there is definitely still plenty of room to grow. The visuals and music are great, so I look forward to more of these aspects in the game. However, the combat leaves a bit to be desired. At least the general setup and design of the game are the main drawing points that make this game stand out as a unique, entertaining title. With some solid feedback and time, this game is likely to release as a memorable experience!
LOOPMANCER currently has a free demo available on Steam and aims to release in 2022.
