

Throughout the levels are machines known as PUT machines, that allow players to transfer Loopmancer’s currency, known as eCoins, into it and invest in a new weapon. The way a player takes on a situation will depend on the weapons they have and the abilities they equip. Players may be able to compare it to something action-heavy like Dead Cells, where the player is mainly running through and slicing their enemies to bits.

The way this combat felt was nice and quick, and once players get the hang of it, decimating enemies in an instant with all the player has available can be incredibly satisfying. Loopmancer has a heavy focus on it, making sure that there is enough depth to make running each loop fun and engaging. Luckily, if the player wants to go back in the same loop, they can teleport via machines that also offer a small amount of healing, usually accompanied by the merchant Funk.

The areas the player will explore are vast and are subject to differ from loop to loop, so exploration during each run could prove fruitful for any who wants to find better items. Movement and the ease of using the tools given are smooth, which is important in a game with more weighing on the platforming than most other rogue-likes that like to lean more towards action. Overall, traversal feels satisfying to perform, making moving around the world fun and quick. The skill required is not at the level of fast-paced platforming like Ghostrunner, but at some points, the player will have to link moves together, such as grappling twice in a row. Moving fast and platforming is important to getting through each run, with the player having the ability to wall jump and utilize a grappling hook that is required to move on to the next area. Although it wasn't as pronounced in the early stages played in the demo, there is an emphasis on performing platforming throughout the entire level. Loopmancer takes a more focused approach on both the action and the platforming. Shortening this length of the game, or having a way to skip it all, would be preferable to get the player right back into the action without anything to interrupt them. This can be especially grating on repeated runs, where most players just want to make the choices on what to go in with and then go in. Along the way, the player will see multiple cutscenes and be stopped to have conversations with characters. This is how each loop will start, running through both the apartment and detective agency just to get to the gameplay. The next stopping point is the detective agency, where the player can figure out what area to choose through the intelligence specialist, or buy/upgrade weapons through the weapons expert.
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In the apartment, the player can upgrade abilities, change clothes, and give themselves randomized buffs by petting the cat, which is the perfect way of encouraging the player to interact with the environment, especially later on, even if it might lead to ruined runs if one buff isn't as effective as others. Currently, he is investigating a missing reporter, who was last seen talking to a criminal who has a heavy grudge for the protagonist a fact that Loopmancer will drill into the player's head before they’ve even finished the first loop.ĭuring the first run, Xiang dies and starts back in his apartment at the beginning of the day. The player starts Loopmancer as Xiang Zixu, a grieving father who is trying to find out the connections behind his daughter’s death.

Once the demo begins, players are given the story in bursts of exposition.
#Loopmancer genres update
RELATED: Returnal's Co-Op Update Can Give the Roguelike More Life Loopmancer doesn't disappoint in its environmental designs. The setting has become the backdrop for popular games such as Cyberpunk 2077, mostly due to the gorgeous visuals that can accompany it.
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The eBrain developers did a fantastic job creating an atmospheric cyberpunk setting full of gorgeous neon lights and detailed backgrounds. It’s evident the character models could use work looking a bit less like plastic, but players will not be noticing those for most of the game anyway. When starting the demo, the first thing players will notice is how nice the game looks, so long as the models aren’t in the frame. The game boasts realistic graphics and a rich cyberpunk setting with a gameplay focus on action and platforming. Loopmancer by Chinese team eBrain is an action platformer rogue-like announced last year, one which holds an intriguing narrative of a detective finding himself caught in a loop while investigating a missing reporter. Rogue-likes have become popular in recent years, finding life again and again on the digital marketplace.
