Cyberpunk Game - Leap of Fate (Cyberpunk Roguelite Hack 'n' Slash / Diablo Clone).
If you're like me, you love video games and you love cyberpunk. That's why I'm creating a series of videos reviewing thematic games of the genre because if there's anything better than either of those, it's cyberpunk games, of course! I'd like to show you a game called Leap of Fate.
It's one part Diablo-style hack 'n' slash and one part rogue-lite with permadeath and randomly generated battles, paths and opportunities. Does it hold up to its inspirations with a nice coat of cyberpunk paint, or is it destined to remain in obscurity? Let's find out in this episode of Cyberpunk Curated...
I hadn't heard about this game until just recently. Excited to find an obscure cyberpunk game I don't know all about, I was pleasantly surprised with this roguelite hack 'n' slash game. So how does it all come together? Each character has a unique story introduced via well-produced animated sequences which resemble motion comics.
The rest of the game's story takes a backseat in-game with sparse ramblings with a mysterious antagonist until you unlock other story motion comics if you complete certain challenges or beat the game on each difficulty level. The weakest part of this game in my opinion is the lack of commitment to a single good setting.
The environments in the game start out dark future-city fare, but with each new level, the maps change into dream-like oddities. One pits you against evil toys in a nursery, another has you fighting marionettes in a golden hall. I suspect this is all taking place in each character's psyche in some nightmare journey I suppose.
Many of the enemies and environments are just plain weird. ...and there are eyeball-head men. Lots of them. Game devs obviously have ultimate control of their ideas and designs, but I do find it strange that for a game that dubs itself "The cyberpunk roguelite", it would have a bit more "cyber" mixed in with all the dreamlike, occult and Tim Burton-esque themes.
The music isn't award-winning but the solid combination of electronic beats, electric guitar riffs and occasional music box jingles fit the gameplay well. Graphics are decent for an indie game, and although they're not Diablo or Path of Exile level of detail, they work.
For reasons beyond me, the on-screen combat is limited to a narrow and bordered 4:3 aspect ratio, despite the game running natively in widescreen 16:9. For widescreen users this is annoying, but if you use ultrawide like I do, it is downright tragic to use only half your screen real estate.
If I had to describe this game with two words only, they would be "Diablo Distilled". Missing are NPCs, free roaming, loot management and inventory. Leap of Fate is just one long push through growing hordes of enemies and punctuated by the occasionally shop or upgrade.
The game has a very simple and intuitive control scheme and fast-paced action. It differs from the standard action RPG in both your limited loadout , as well as borrowing ideas from roguelites, meaning that with each randomized run you either succeed or face permadeath, after which you can unlock buffs for your future playthroughs.
What really impressed me is how fast and fluid each session plays. Each level is broken up into randomly dealt "cards" that you unlock through a pyramid stack, meaning you can visit any two cards under a card you've already been to. Risk/reward is a large factor of this game.
The cards contain bonuses, opportunities and battles of all sorts and varieties, difficulties and rewards. There are challenge cards that demand specific conditions be met, character upgrades and item shops, treasure chests, curses, and there is always a boss battle card that you must complete before moving to the next level.
There is zero loading time between cards, so I built up a fantastic rhythm of play. Fast movement between blasting enemies, jumping out of a card, jumping into the next, and in a second, you're back into the action. The game simply does not keep you waiting -- and it's surprising how refreshing a small feature like that can be.
The game also incentivizes style kills, where you will get extra experience drops when you kill enemies with your special abilities or environmental hazards. There are four characters you can play as, and the game prevents you from playing the next character without completing several missions with the former.
They have various starting stats and loadouts, and each have a unique weapon and dodge ability. The fourth character even has a unique health-based currency and progression system. Each character you play can be upgraded or changed in numerous ways with three branching skill trees that are seemingly randomized each time you play, one for adding effects to basic attacks, one for augmenting dodge abilities, and one for passive bonuses.
There are also various secondary ability pickups ranging from grenades, time bombs, turrets, golems, fireballs, traps and more. The randomization of it all keeps you on your toes, as you have to upgrade and make builds based on what options you are granted.
One unique design decision the game makes is that dodge abilities and secondary abilities are limited to a only few uses per battle, so you'll have to conserve them for longer battles or boss fights quite often. The way this game plays reminds me of another roguelite, Hand of Fate.
Both games have a style of progression which builds you up, makes you feel powerful, then crushes you with overwhelming odds -- but in doing so, you unlock new opportunities to become stronger and they get you coming back for more. Though rough in a few spots and fairly simple at its core, the replayability and addictiveness of this game scratches that action RPG itch that games like the Diablo series, Torchlight and Path of Exile do so well.
If you want an in-depth storyline, moral choices, or deep worldbuilding, Leap of Fate doesn't really fulfill any of those. But if you want fast-paced, challenging and twitchy action, I think you might enjoy the roguelite action-RPG formula this game has to offer.
