When your portfolio exists almost entirely out of top-down shooters, you know this one is gonna be good. 10tons, an indie game studio focusing on fast paced action games, spilled yet another one of their creations onto the market. JYDGE is without a doubt bound to be critically acclaimed by the community of the genre.
What is it?
A top-down roguehate shooter, similar to Hotline Miami and based off of Neon Chrome – one of 10tons own games, it features extensive customisation, funky electronic music and a hardcore game mode.
“THE GAME ALLOWS FOR SOME VAST CUSTOMISATION OPTIONS TO BUILD YOUR ULTIMATE CRIMEFIGHTER”
JYDGE Dredd
You are JYDGE, a cybernetic super robocop in the city of Edenbyrg. The ironic name sets the tone of the game, as there’s a robbery or hostage situation in every corner of the metropolis. You are on a mission to rescue those hostages and eradicate crime once and for all, thanks to your augmented cybernetics. How you’ll handle things is up to you. The game allows for some vast customisation options to build your ultimate crimefighter. You can combine multiple augmentations, and see what works best for you. You’re able to customise your Gavel rifle’s Special Attack, Firemode (bullets) and Melee.
This is a game mechanic that I adore. It let’s me experiment with the games mechanics and I play the game as I like, not vice versa. JYDGE throws you objectives each time, making the game more challenging. You don’t have to complete these challenges, but I strongly suggest you should as you are rewarded with medals that unlock more content later on in the game. Plus, they are a lot fun (perhaps repetitive) and make your brain tingle as to how you’re gonna take this mission on.
Police brutality
A great mechanic I discovered – purely by accidentally hitting melee on a wall – is the ability to knock down walls and objects, opening new pathways or escape possibilities. A whole new world opened itself to me. It’s super satisfying to knock down a few barriers and stealth kill an unsuspecting gang member. It does take some time and if you are going for the gold challenge, try finding a quicker path or wait until you have the upgrades necessary to hack doors.
“IT’S SUPER SATISFYING TO KNOCK DOWN A FEW BARRIERS AND STEALTH KILL AN UNSUSPECTING GANG MEMBER”
Whenever I play a shoot ‘em up game, I’ll most likely play as a tank; lots of health, lots of damage and taking lots of damage too. JYDGE gives me that option fairly early in the game, and combined with the wall-smashing abilities, I feel unstoppable. Still, it’s amazing how balanced the gameplay feels. Certain weapons work best in some scenarios or going in shooting up the place sometimes get the job done. If you do meet your demise, JYDGE offers you the option to change your load-out. It’s some form of straightforward thinking, as the devs knew that if you’d die, you want to try a different approach.
Replay to progress
Similar to Hotline Miami, the game features bright neon colors and upbeat funky music that add to the whole shablang of the action. The whole world is doused in 80’s science fiction sauce, without overcooking the recipe.
“SIMILAR TO HOTLINE MIAMI, THE GAME FEATURES BRIGHT NEON COLORS AND UPBEAT FUNKY MUSIC, ADDING TO THE WHOLE SHABLANG OF THE ACTION”
JYDGE has a very good replay value, as you unlock more mods, you can clear maps faster or open up areas you couldn’t before. It becomes progressively harder, with more complex layouts and strategic entrances. This backtracking feature is something that keeps you playing for hours. Each time you redo a mission to get that sweet best time, you start to memorise the lay of the land and are able to zip though the whole area without making too much of a fuzz. Each level you weren’t able to beat now become child’s play. But don’t underestimate the game; there is a hardcore mode that is, well, hardcore. It’s not on the same hardcore level as Dark Souls, but more like those old-school games you remember from your childhood and were impossible to beat.
My only complaint would be that it could’ve been more than this. I’m missing cutscenes, or cool action sequences to tie in the game. There is no story to it whatsoever. It’s a shame as I wanted to get to know my character better or the city, how crime came to be, etc… It feels all like a big cliché: a huge dystopian city riddled with crime and a justice figure, with no superpowers, who is geared up with gadgets to. Sounds familiar? Batman Arkham City might be the first thing that popped int your head. Ultimately, the game is there to entertain you with what it can do and not with what it should’ve been.
CONCLUSION
“JYDGE IS UNDENIABLY GOOD”
When it comes to top down shooters, I’m totally green. JYDGE gives me the possibility to experiment and tactfully execute a mission, in style. Whilst the game doesn’t have a captivating plot or lustful illustrations, the core gameplay and realization of it are plenty of reasons to add this game to your collection.
But in the end, you’re just gonna have to JYDGE for yourself.
Pro’s:
- Masterfully crafted
- Easy to pick up
- Lot’s of customization options
- Funky music and groovy looks
Con’s:
- Repetitive missions
- No story or lore
- Cliché idea
