An option to skip dialogue does exist, but it still requires running through two whole areas, loading screens, and clicking through a few menus before players are back in combat. What's more, Loopmancer front-loads its dialogue and cutscene sequences at the start of each run, which makes getting back to the action a slog. RELATED: Mortal Kombat 12 Should Feature a Roguelike Game Mode As it stands, Loopmancer's drip-feed early game progression makes the game feel tedious and boring at times. There could have been a better way to let players find and earn high-quality weapons and Cores earlier in the game to make a more balanced roguelite experience. As a consequence, eBrain crafts an uneven experience where players can feel like they are spinning their wheels in the first two missions for hours before the mechanics pick up and they can breeze through the second half relatively quickly. The first half of the Loopmancer gives out upgrade materials and low-tier weapons at a slow pace before skyrocketing the rewards in the second half with legendaries and mountains of upgrade Cores. Players will have seen close to the full extent of every level past the first five runs, and the changes are minuscule enough that they sometimes feel unnecessary. Each loop changes the composition of every level, but only slightly. Every time Zixu dies, his loadout is reset, only taking upgrade materials and a reserve of currency to give him an edge in the next run. Loopmancer is another entry in the 2D action-adventure roguelite genre. RELATED: 'Half' of The Callisto Protocol's Combat Will Be Melee According to Developer Overall, however, Loopmancer’s action feels fantastic and is the driving force behind the experience. In most instances, Zixu only finds a challenge when presented with multiple enemies, or in boss battles where the game forces players to reconsider their pace of combat. Lower-ranking LongXi Gang members tend to stagger, stay there, and get hit until they die. Moreover, some enemies have issues with stagger mechanics. Enemies mostly slide across the ground in a manner that is incongruent with their walking animation speed, and they look unfinished in their current state. While Zixu and his combat animations look great, the enemies in Loopmancer lack the same level of polish. It’s a pulp fiction mystery worth following from beginning to end. The branching storylines at the narrative’s center aren’t as complex and interweaving as they could have been however, it still offers enough incentive for players to go back and experience the multiple endings as the story goes to new places depending on the player’s choice. ![]() Every layer that Zixu peels back only raises more questions for the audience and takes a few unexpected twists. Although very B-movie in its execution and character development, Loopmancer still manages to hit the right story beats to keep players interested in what's coming next. ![]() Loopmancer’s cyberpunk noir atmosphere is thick and engaging, being more than a simple framing device for the game’s loop-based mechanics. Equipped with his knowledge of past events, Zixu must make critical choices throughout his journey that could have drastic consequences for every character involved. After falling over dead, Zixu wakes up on the same day he died, remembering everything that happened and stuck in an endless loop until he can find a way to break it. Zixu is shot and killed while in pursuit of Wei Long, a high-ranking LongXi Gang boss that could hold the answers Zixu is looking for and could also be the key to his wife’s disappearance. ![]() Quickly, Zixu unravels a conspiracy that could bring Dragon City to its knees. Amid grief, Zixu is tasked with finding a missing journalist that could have ties with Dragon City’s underworld. At the center of Loopmancer’s story is Xiang Zixu, a disheveled private eye still reeling from his daughter's death and his wife's disappearance. Breakthroughs in nano-biotechnology have advanced medicine to new heights, citizens walk the streets sporting bionic prosthetics, and new breeds of criminals emerge in the wake of such tech. The year is 2046 and humanity has progressed to its next stage in technological advancements. RELATED: Hitman 3's Roguelite Freelancer Mode Pushed Back However, its roguelite elements often feel at odds with the game and tend to create more friction than fun in an overall solid package. It's packed with heart-pounding combat sequences and a detective mystery storyline that produces an exciting cyberpunk noir narrative. Loopmancer is a beautiful game, offering up one of the most visually compelling indies this year.
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