Sobaka Studio previously released a free prequel titled KIBORG: Arenato get players ready for the main event, the full game release. Well, now it’s here! Was the wait worth it for KIBORG?
KIBORG takes players to a prison planet where they must fight for their chance to escape in a twisted reality TV program where death is part of the game.
Now, onto the game itself! When it comes to the controls, they respond well, but I get lost playing as there seem to be too many buttons that do certain things, making it a bit difficult to master and play from the start. Speaking of “Start” the game really has no real beginning that explains the plot, you’re kind of just dropped in.
Some positives for KIBORG are the game’s art and smooth combat graphics, the voice acting is good, and the combat itself, as it can be quite addictive playing, but has the potential to become boring as it is quite repetitive.
When it comes to gameplay, KIBORG, at its core, is a roguelite beat’em up. Being a roguelite means that death is part of the game; in this, you fight rounds, and if you survive, you earn points that can be used to buy skills or perks (upon death). During each round, you will also have the ability to pick cybernetic upgrades for your body to help you on your run. These upgrades either improve your melee, firearm use, using fire, using electricity, etc., but you lose them upon death. I prefer using melee over the firearms as the firearm mechanic, both the sidearm and main, is just another batch of controls on top of a slightly overcomplicated mapping of controls already.
Overall, KIBORG is a pretty good game, regardless of some flaws with its gameplay and storytelling. If you love beat’em up games, especially those from the 90s and early 2000s, you’ll be at home with this game. Regardless of its flaws, the gameplay, graphics, voice acting, and soundtrack help aid its score. On my scale of 1-10, KIBORG is an 8/10!
KIBORG comes out on April 30th for PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series X/S, and PC.
