KIBORG Reviews
Amongst the roguelites I’ve played recently, KIBORG definitely stands more apart than the others. Not to mention it’s the first complete one in a while. It brings a slick change of pace as more of a brawler than something like a bullet-hell or hack and slash holds. Though the repetitive nature of the genre is there, it keeps you moving along well with bloody, brutal speed and a mix of melee and gunplay combat to boot. I’m proud to say that KIBORG earns it the Thumb Culture Gold Award from me.
Kiborg is an unapologetically fun and somewhat addictive beat-em-up title that I heavily enjoyed. The developers did a great job enhancing the combat, adding more upgrade paths, weapons, and enemies, and did a wonderful job adding more variety to the arenas. The main hindrances that Kiborg faces are the numerous bugs that I encountered and the lack of boss variety.
When I first started my time with KIBORG I was in two minds whether I was enjoying it or not. The first few runs are punishing whilst you gauge how the game functions and how to time and perfect your attacking and defending. The experience really blossoms when you start to unlock more within the skill tree which in turn allows you to become a little stronger each time you start a run. Replayability is there if you want to keep repeating runs and try and max out the skill tree whilst reaching the end game. It sure is a challenging game and there is a repetitive nature to it after several hours. However, the varience in weaponry, implants, floors and enemies within them could give you enough longevity to justify its reasonable cost for a polished and finished brawler.
With its characteristics resulting from a roguelike hybrid of old-school fighting game and shooter, KIBORG proved to be a compelling title full of surprises. Tense and violent combat mingles with a steady pace, where the sense of progression is assured and the content knows how to prove generous. However, the experience proves to be imperfectly balanced making Lee Morgan's brutal journey all too rough at times. Nevertheless, the allure of creating an unstoppable cybernetic fighter is a real cool thing not to be underestimated.
Review in Italian | Read full review
KIBORG is a huge leap forward from Redeemer for Sobaka Studios. I had an enormous amount of fun smashing my way through freaks and mutants, trying out all the different weapons and implant combinations. I just wish the levels were longer and you had more chances to get the implants you wanted. Each attempt consists of 15 (I think) arenas. With 7 of those being Implants that only leaves a few spaces for weapons and mutations to play with.
Kiborg may not have the polish of a big-budget title, but it nails the fundamentals. Gritty, addictive, and unapologetically brutal, this is one roguelite that knows exactly what it is and is able to deliver on that.
Kiborg is a title with straightforward gameplay. The alchemy between the roguelite genre and melee and TPS components has a very interesting potential on paper. Nevertheless, after a few hours the spectre of repetitiveness knocks at the door, bringing out the limits of a production that could perhaps have dared a little more.
Review in Italian | Read full review
KIBORG caught my interest with its good looks, and quickly lost it with its bland and unsatisfying gameplay. Using some of the best rogue-lite tactics can’t help this one in the end, as its hilariously bad voiceover work and boring, repetitive combat make it a slog.