Developed and Published by Heart Core Limited comes a sci-fi blast that’s high on action and style. Honestly, there isn’t anything I could accurately compare this indie game to, so I’m not gonna waste time spinning words.
Hit the road. Steam Next Fest has kicked off! It’s time to look at the demo of Gripper.
Moments before disaster
Our tale begins with a happy scene. A child is laughing by the beach, his parents looking on. They give him a stuffed cat. All is joyous in the world. Smash cut to an email of the parents reaching out, trying to hear back from their child. Again, again and again more emails come, begging for his return, until suddenly they stop. Meanwhiles, in another time or place outside of our understanding, we see the child, grown up now, riding a bike through some sort of cyberspace. A massive mechanical hand comes crashing through, and the game begins.
Gripper has a fever trip of a beginning, alluding to something sinister going on beyond what we can see. None, our protagonist, is riding his bike for all he is worth, with his now alive stuffed animal Cat-Kit playing as wingman. Sort of together, they must traverse a world of broken dimensions and floating tubes of wireframe to bring down Zero, the terrible floating geometric head that is the new “owner” of this space.
Ride these lonely roads
Gameplay and level design in Gripper is unique. One part has you racing down hazardous tunnels, avoiding obstacles and enemies through quick time events. Once you’re on the other side, you will face off against enemies in an arena style setting. Other than being able to power-slide into objects, you can also latch onto them and with the right amount of force, yank them free. These can be tossed at enemies and prove to be very effective in different circumstances.
Beyond using your bike like a wrecking ball, you also will be able to level up add-ons and improve your power-ups. The Garage is run by Cat-Kit, and starting out, you can upgrade landmines and health packs. Given the control scheme of the bike, being able to tinker your power-ups to better suit your playstyle is a nice touch. There is a bit of a learning curve involved, but practice and a can-do attitude will get you to the finish line.
Surprisingly Hype
Gripper is a unique game that will challenge players. I can’t say I’ve seen another game that does what it does, and it does it well. The art style is really cool, and the soundtrack is thumping. If the full release of this game stays on track with its current hype, I think we are going to have an indie favorite in the future.
Gripper will launch on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC on Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG, sometime Q1, 2023. The demo is available now on Steam through Monday, Feburary 13, 2023.
FINAL VERDICT
GOOD
GOOD
Gripper is a unique game that will challenge players. I can’t say I’ve seen another game that does what it does, and it does it well. The art style is really cool and the soundtrack is thumping. If the full release of this game stays on track with its current hype, I think we are going to have an Indie Favorite in the future.
