Developer: Aluba Studio
Platforms: MacOS, PC (Reviewed)
Genre: RPG, Simulation
Publisher: Spiral Up Games
Cyberman Hunt 2 is a sequel to the original 2020 game, Cyberman Hunt. This game was developed by Aluba Studio and published by Spiral Up Games. This game has a similar feel to another game called Simulacra. The game is also still in Early Access. This review was done on the PC, but the game is also available for MacOS.
Cyberman Hunt 2 is a single-player game where you play as an AI companion for a member of the senior team at Titan named Ashley Grayson. Playing as the AI companion, you are rebooted to assist Ashley with her job and are brought upon to investigate several cases related to Titans staff and safety.
The controls for Cyberman Hunt 2 are fairly simple, as it is quite similar to running your own computer. When starting the game, you are brought through assistance from Ashley, who helps you guide through the various tools at your disposal. What I like is that as you play the game and unlock further tools, you get hints and guidance on how to use them, which allows the player to fully understand the mechanics. What I like is that as you play the game and unlock further tools, you get hints and guidance on how to use them, which allows the player to fully understand the mechanics. Shortcuts are also provided in the game, such as copy-pasting, which makes it easier for players to use the interface to find clues. I would have to say that the inclusion of the red highlighted text also makes it easier for players to collect the clues needed. If this feature was not present in the game, it would derail players as there are countless sources/information to sieve through, which would get exhausting. The controls and layout of the UI for this game make it very accessible and easy to play.
The main premise of the game consists of a prologue with three additional chapters, and each chapter differs in the case being focused on. The first investigation you were handed was about a person who broke into Titan HQ wearing a suicide bomb. Being provided essential details from Ashley, you are then able to use your tools to hack and collect more information to find out the real truth behind the case in investigation. The tools at your disposal include phishing, Hi Talk, email, hacking, and browsers. You have to collect information to hack the person’s password in order to access their accounts and find encrypting clues. You can scour through their Toothbook, messages, and news articles to collect the necessary amount of information to piece together what really happened.
I like that there was also some variation between the different cases, as some included small mini-games for you to complete in order to gain access to certain apps. The game really does get you to think like a detective to fully understand the situation at hand. One of the most difficult mini-games was the Mary Nun-related one, where you had to drive the news story focus between the different countries. I liked that some of the games were challenging, and some were quite forward. Also, back-tracking information is important as it can help you find a password that you may have been looking for. The game does not seem to give any hints, but once you file through the clues you have collected carefully, the missing pieces become easier to find. Even though there are no hints that are outright given, an AI retrieval tool comes in handy if you are the type of person to collect all the evidence in the chapter. I would highly recommend collecting all the evidence in the chapters as it shines more light on the stories.
I would say there is so much about this game that really keeps the player fascinated and interested. The visuals consist of cartoon yet real-like people who almost look like something out of a comic book. The desktop and the apps were well-designed, too. The voice acting in the game also does justice as it makes the case studies you are investigating extremely real. I really enjoyed the animations after pieces, all collected information which would reveal the true story behind the case. The game also features decent background music, which climaxes at cinematic scenes, but it was just something subtle whilst browsing. The developers did a good job at creating such unique characters whose true colours can be seen through underlying messages. The appreciation towards the storyline would have to be one of the best things and truly kept me intrigued with continuing the game. Using the desktop, reading the messages, and hacking the phones all felt like I was an actual hacker, which sets this game apart from others. It all truly feels real.
For the price of this game, I would 100% recommend it to any type of gamer because it is quite different from other games and makes the gameplay feel so real. I have never played the original game, but after having completed this game, I enjoyed it so much that I just have to check out the first game. I enjoyed the story, the visuals, the different evidence, and the realism in the hacking; it truly made me feel like I was investigating real-life case studies. In addition, the length of the game was pretty good; to fully complete it, it took me around 10 hours, which is pretty lengthy for this type of game. I do not want to spoil anything, but the end segment after chapter 3 was one of my favourite parts of the game as it was shocking and really tied the story together. The game does a great job of going in-depth with the story and incorporating different methods to help the case. I absolutely loved this game.
Cyberman Hunt 2: New World has a well-implemented story which is brought to life through the use of realistic tools. You can dig your way through the personal information of characters that can help you find out the truth behind the case at hand. In reality, the game sets a viewpoint on how scary AI can be in the real world and the possible things it can achieve. If you are looking for a game that is driven by a good story and you investigate the true meaning behind the problem, then be sure to check out Cyberman Hunt 2: New World.
Overall: 10/10
This is S & S. We are world game explorers. We play games. We have played over 10,000+ games! We travel, we write reviews AND we play more games!!!!
