Ruiner Reviews
Dazzling, dangerous, and dripping in style, Ruiner is a superb, if short, whirlwind of cyber-violence and sightseeing.
Fighting my way through Ruiner felt like work, and if I weren't obligated to finish it for the review I probably wouldn't have bothered. It's too bad it focuses on being difficult over being fun, because the combat totally works when you're given access to the full range of weaponry and gadgets and can finally stand up to the nearly endless waves of varied enemies thrown at you. This one is definitely better the second time around. Games should be fun right from when you hit the start button – that's kind of the whole point – but Ruiner puts you through too much of a hazing ritual to get there.
A powerfully grim, fleet-footed cyberpunk action odyssey that is caught in the spell of its own nihilism.
With its brutal, agile combat and engrossing slice of cyberpunk existence, you'll desperately want Ruiner to keep the story going.
Ruiner's messy brand of violence and stylish visuals make for a fun and chaotic (if brief) ride
By the time I fought Mother for the third and last time, I was prepared to throw my controller because of how quickly she evaporated my energy and health bars the first two times. Ruiner is one of those games that is unabashedly difficult for the sake of being difficult. It demands you face waves upon waves of the same enemies and mini-bosses before you can even see the final, incredibly trite cinematic. Are you the ruiner or the ruined? I won't spoil the answer that the game offers up, but I will say that I sure didn't feel triumphant when I finally set the controller down.
Ruiner's world of pure and absolute murder is one teeming with interesting concepts, and its stellar combat makes it a journey well worth taking.
When all is said and done, you ultimately have a solid cyberpunk action game that has exceptional gun and melee based combat taking place in a beautifully fleshed out world that it, unfortunately, doesn't utilize to its full potential. It may not be perfect but I can wholeheartedly recommend RUINER if you are looking for a good challenge or a game that would fit perfectly in a dark room with your headphones cranked to maximum.
Ruiner has some great set pieces and a dark, bleak world that I would normally gravitate towards. Yet when the dystopian renders everyone inhabiting it to be as relatable as raw sewage, there was little for me to latch onto. Maybe you'll find the world of Ruiner to be more bearable than I did, but even the best films of the genre have a glimmer of hope for the audience to cling to, something Ruiner is devoid of.
RUINER is a game that wins the player with its very well done cyberpunk style, a gameplay system based on speed and a sweet violence aura that is everywhere. A great game that is one of this year best surprises.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
What a fascinating game! Ruiner truly is something different. It's a pity that sometimes can be too harsh and that all of its side-missions seems just sketched.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Ruiner boils down its reason for existence into two words: KILL BOSS.
Ruiner has a lot in common with other top-down action games, but blends bits of all of them into a uniquely demanding, satisfying shooter. Buy it.
Ruiner won't be a revolution in video games but it doesn't aim for that. Instead, it tries to explore the violent isometric shooter adding a lovely cyberpunk aesthetic as well as gallons of blood. An average heir to Hotline Miami.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Despite a bit of a hurdle when it comes to difficulty at the beginning, Ruiner is quite the addictive action game, one with a lot of variety in its combat that packs a lot of experimentation into a small package.
Fun and frustrating, often in equal measure, Ruiner is polished to a high shine but still won't appeal to everyone.
Ruiner is an exceptionally stylish, brutal and bloody top-down shooter that hurls you unceremoniously into a relentless onslaught of deranged creeps, cyborgs and enormous mechanoid bosses all hellbent on your destruction. A steady drip-feed of new combat skills – alongside a ton of meaty guns and melee weapons – keeps the action feeling fresh, and the game's excellent graphics and thumping techno soundtrack do a top-notch job of bringing the whole thing vibrantly to life. There are a few framerate issues here and there in docked mode – something which has been an issue in other versions of the game – but, overall, this is a super-solid version of a supremely enjoyable and challenging cyberpunk action-adventure.
However, when a game is purposely difficult solely due to the amount of overpowered enemies it can throw at you, it makes for an unsatisfying experience. This blended with clunky gameplay only amplified my disappointment. I would not be surprised if someone stopped playing twenty minutes into Ruiner with its uninviting gameplay. Despite my outlook, if you're a fan of dystopian sci-fi revenge stories, Ruiner may be worth checking out.
Ultimately, I never had much of a choice in Ruiner. I was simply a tool that awaited command, one that only could express myself during combat. I killed because I was told to do so, but even if I had free reign I doubt I would've ever had disobeyed. After all, sometimes it's too much fun to be used.
Ruiner is a cyberpunk-style, guns blazing, top-down shooter that pulls no punches when it comes to action. Where the levels lack depth and unique flair, the gameplay makes up for it with a diverse of ways to approach playing.