CyberCorp Review

A good backstory is a great way to start any adventure, but it seems that Megame might have lost the plot with their wild history. This relatively new studio, having only been around since 2021, has literally had a hand in developing several Nintendo Switch games alongside other developers. However, it seems they've decided to step in the light with their release, CyberCorp, released on 20 August. With their history involving games like Forklift Simulator, Survive on Raft, and even Matreshka, you know you're in for a wild ride with that in mind.

 

CyberCorp is, first and foremost, a top-down shooter, but there's a bit more going on inside. The world of CyberCorp does lean a bit more on the vague side from a story POV, though; You take on the role of the Agent, guided by his Operator to undertake missions. However, while the Agent might be an ex-employee of the 'CyberCorp,' he now works under the radar to expose some serious corporate corruption in this cyberpunk-inspired world.

Your adventure starts with you on top, with great gear and a decent arsenal to begin with, but that falls away pretty soon, and you're left scraping the bottom of the barrel as you rebuild your kit while going on missions. The thing about the Agent is that he doesn't physically go out into the field. He controls a Synth robotic body from the comfort of his home. The couch potato revolution is coming, and soon, you'll be able to fight without getting up. Granted, this is a distant future that you can at least jump into with CyberCorp.

You'll need to rebuild and get new gear with everything said and done. Luckily, this is easily done since you'll find new gear all over the place, and you'll need to keep upgrading if you want any hope of staying on top. So, your first stop will always be home. You just can't help but love the convenience of it all when even the shop is literally right outside your door. Moving on, your Synth comes with many interchangeable parts ranging from his weapons (Primary, Secondary, and Melee) to actual body parts (Head, Body, and Legs). However, your Synth also comes with skills, though this is where things become a little unconventional.

Unlike in most releases, where you'll have a skill tree or a form of level-up system where you can get new skills/abilities, you can just pick them up and equip them in CyberCorp. These skills come in all types, from a simple Blink that lets you teleport a short distance away to the more interesting skills like an Auto Turret; it'll be up to you to mix and match and see what suits your playstyle. Auto Turret is the best because it's an extra gun when you need it most.

 

Unfortunately, your Synth won't stand a chance with just skills alone; there are other things to consider as well, such as Health and Shields…. Unless you're an absolute master at dodging, that's easier said than done in CyberCorp. When upgrading your Synth, your main concerns will likely be survivability, but there are several other things to consider, such as regen for your health and shields, movement speed, perks, and even cards (which serve as optional perks).

On the matter of upgrading, nothing is ever free. This applies to IRL and in-game. You'll have access to a shop that will naturally charge you credits for any parts you want to buy, but there's an extra currency you can use for skills and cards. This same currency is far from easy to come by, and you'll need it if you want to extract cards from parts or upgrade your skills in the forge. Such is life in CyberCorp; everything comes at a cost, but it isn't all a matter of dreading the cost of living.

There's a whole other side to CyberCorp that changes things up. You'll be out on missions when you're not back home and upgrading your gear. Now, there are a few things that you'll need to keep an eye on, the most important being your health and shields. The next thing is pretty obvious but comes as a general rule for any looter shooter: exploration is key. Bring out your inner loot goblin and stray from the path to the objective. You'll find loot almost everywhere and need every little you can find.

Sadly, there will come a time when simply looting everything that isn't nailed down won't cut it, and you'll need to repeat a few missions. This is all simply for the sake of either picking up better gear or enough credits to buy more. Sadly, while progressing becomes more difficult, it's almost as if the credits you get from missions don't really scale with the difficulty in terms of how much you get. This makes sense to keep progression going somewhat smoothly, but something has to give at some point because you'll eventually be grinding for the slightest upgrade just to have a chance at the next mission.

 

Diving a little deeper into missions, you'll need to be prepared for just about everything from a simple run and gun to stealth. However, preparing for everything is nearly impossible, so your only option is to have a few backup plans in mind, such as your skills. Although, dying isn't necessarily the end in CyberCorp. Dying does come with the option to respawn at least, though you only get a limited number of respawns until you have to restart the mission. This comes with its own set of challenges, with the biggest example being boss fights or a new enemy type that you just can't quite figure out.

Yes, new enemy types get added in randomly, and the most frustrating of them all are the ones who carry shields. Guns simply don't work against them, so your only options left are the environment or melee. However, a massive elephant in the room needs to be addressed. With the type of release that CyberCorp is and how it plays, you'd expect melee to be a great addition and likely a good main source of damage, too. Unfortunately, the damage on any melee weapons is so negligible that they can't even be considered weapons.

But wait, the melee matter gets even worse. We already know the melee damage is just sad, but the attacks are also just… Boring and clunky. Aside from a battle of attrition through shields, the only real use for a melee attack is just breaking containers for loot. Adding more damage to make it viable for a fight and some extra complexity would add so much more to CyberCorp. There's so much potential with this alone. It's almost scary how it was overlooked.

At least the visual side of things somewhat makes up for the lack of melee in CyberCorp; with the use of a simple art style, the focus will almost always be on the fight. It is nice to see that top-down releases aren't dead yet. While they might look simple, they usually have their unique atmosphere that's easily carried with the cyberpunk themes. However, the best part of the visual appeal would have to be the unique designs for the various characters and enemies you'll meet.

 

You already know a release like CyberCorp will have an amazing soundtrack to match the theme, and it definitely hits the nail on the head. There's never a dull moment to be had with how the music keeps driving you forward, but there are those calm moments, too, to keep you on your toes. The only missing thing is some voice acting to go with the conversations between the Agent and the Operator, though this is a personal request just to hear those two bicker.

Overall, CyberCorp is a solid release, but it needs more to push it over the top. While the combat is fairly balanced, and the upgrade options keep things interesting, the lack of melee and stiffness might not appeal to everybody. However, if you can look past that and you're fine with a little grind, it's definitely worth a go if you're a fan of top-down looter shooters. Plus, who doesn't like a little challenge and maybe even a potential speedrun?
 

Jay Claassen (@R3GR3T_3NVY)
Senior Editor, NoobFeed