Budget Cuts

Budget Cuts is a frantic and fun stealth-fuelled virtual reality romp that will keep your PlayStation VR headset firmly glued to your head until you beat it. It’s so much fun lurking around the offices of TransCorp and trying to sneak your way to safety, with the clever level design and flexible gameplay mechanics coming together to make for a really entertaining experience. Admittedly, the controls could feel a little fiddly when you get into the middle of a fight with the robots and the short length was a little disappointing, but they’re minor hiccups in what is otherwise a stellar PlayStation VR title. Now then… when is Budget Cuts 2 coming to PlayStation VR?!

80%Game Brain Score

gameplay, story

stability, optimization

80% User Score Based on 1,519 reviews

Critic Score 73%Based on 5 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom €24.99

Buy NowGet on Steam€24.99

About

"Budget Cuts" is a stealth action game that takes place in a world where robots have taken over the workforce. You play as a worker at a mega corporation who must use stealth and slicing motions to evade and defeat the robotic enemies. The game features challenging gameplay and immersive virtual reality environments.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

80%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,519 reviews

gameplay146 positive mentions

stability44 negative mentions

Innovative teleportation mechanic that enhances stealth gameplay.
Engaging story with humorous elements and immersive atmosphere.
Satisfying combat mechanics with the ability to throw knives and interact with the environment.

Confusing level design that can lead to aimless wandering and frustration.
Frequent bugs and glitches, particularly in the final level, affecting gameplay experience.
Short playtime for the price, with many players completing the game in under 5 hours.

gameplay
376 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
55%
6%
The gameplay of the game is characterized by its innovative teleportation mechanic, which enhances stealth and puzzle-solving elements, making it engaging and immersive. However, many players have noted issues with the throwing mechanics and level design, leading to frustration and repetitiveness. Overall, while the core mechanics are praised for their creativity and polish, the execution suffers from bugs and a lack of variety, impacting the overall enjoyment of the gameplay experience.
- “The gameplay is solid and its use of its portal mechanics are very creative.”
- “The teleportation mechanic is pure genius, and I love how every bit of this game is designed around the unique movement.”
- “The stealth mechanics and combat are both top notch.”
- “The throwing mechanic is very off from what would be natural.”
- “The level design is incredibly confusing and does a very poor job of teaching you what the puzzle mechanics are, what your objective is, and how to get there.”
- “The gameplay is pretty dry as well, constantly searching through an endless number of desk drawers for hopeful knives and looking for new holes to shoot your teleporter ball into.”
story
246 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
59%
2%
The game's story is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its engaging narrative and immersive atmosphere, often drawing comparisons to titles like Portal. However, some critiques highlight its predictability and simplicity, with a few players expressing disappointment over its length and lack of resolution. Overall, while the story may not be groundbreaking, it effectively complements the gameplay and enhances the VR experience.
- “The story is amazing with great lore.”
- “Budget Cuts is a solid story-based experience that rewards the player for experimenting and exploring the medium of virtual reality.”
- “The story, atmosphere, and gameplay all evolve in a really great way.”
- “You'd be able to write the entire plot on a napkin and not miss a single important detail.”
- “Sadly, the story mode mainly consists of tediously teleport-hopping around bland office cubicles to locate keys.”
- “The story is too weak, the gameplay too repetitive, environments too similar.”
graphics
108 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
57%
5%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a simplistic yet clean aesthetic, often utilizing untextured solid colors that allow for smooth performance on lower-end hardware. While some players appreciate the vibrant art style and immersive atmosphere, others criticize the rudimentary visuals and frequent graphical glitches that detract from the overall experience. Overall, the graphics are seen as adequate for the gameplay, but they lack the depth and detail expected from modern titles.
- “The graphics are stylish and the gameplay is amazing.”
- “The beautiful art style, immersive atmosphere, gorgeous levels, realistic sound, and immaculate environment design alone are worth the full price in my opinion.”
- “The art style is simple and has a bold use of colors.”
- “There's no excuse for a game with barely any objects and little graphical fidelity to run at 48fps on a 3080 at standard non-super sampled resolution.”
- “The graphics are too simple and repetitive (the same assets and environments everywhere), the teleportation feels extremely slow and clunky, and it's just dull and uninspired.”
- “There were lots of times where graphical glitches would make entire portions of levels disappear if you were just slightly far away from them.”
humor
83 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
96%
4%
The humor in the game is a standout feature, blending dark and witty elements reminiscent of the Portal series, with players enjoying the comedic interactions and quirky dialogue from robot characters. While some found the humor hit-or-miss, many appreciated the clever writing and amusing scenarios, contributing to an engaging and entertaining experience overall. Despite occasional bugs and clunky mechanics, the game's comedic relief and humorous atmosphere enhance its appeal, making it a fun choice for players seeking both challenge and laughter.
- “As close as we're probably going to get to a portal game in VR: fun gameplay where the locomotion mechanic cleverly plays a key role and a narrative brimming with dark and witty humor that doesn't overstay its welcome.”
- “The random humorous things in the game would make me grin, like the things the non-hostile robots would quip when you approach them.”
- “The robots' dialogue is hilarious to say the least and every step of the way I find myself in utter joy, like playing a Nintendo game as a kid.”
- “Not funny in spite of the trailer.”
- “I know that's a challenging comparison to live up to, but I would love to see that kind of humor being developed further.”
- “Clunky non-intuitive controls and a meh plot contribute to the lack of humor.”
stability
47 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
94%
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous players reporting significant bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay, such as AI issues, visual anomalies, and game-breaking freezes. While some users have experienced fewer problems, the overall consensus indicates that the game is plagued by instability, making it frustrating and often unplayable. Despite occasional patches addressing some issues, many players still find the game too buggy to fully enjoy.
- “New levels are fun and there are no glitches at all!”
- “That time was bug free and the game was delivering.”
- “* runs great, looks great, plays great... but leaves you wishing there were a lot more substance”
- “Actually terrible; it runs so bad even on really good hardware. Multiple glitches make gameplay impossible. I wish I would have refunded this mess within the timeframe.”
- “The game would have charm, but due to the buggy physics, unenjoyable gameplay, and awful checkpoints, I found myself too frustrated to continue.”
- “I was totally looking forward to the game, but it's so buggy that it's unplayable.”
optimization
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
57%
22%
Overall, the game's optimization has seen improvements since launch, with some players reporting good performance on higher-end setups, while others still experience significant issues such as stuttering, crashes, and bugs. Despite the simplistic graphics aiding performance, many users find the optimization lacking for the game's price point, with calls for further performance passes and bug fixes. While some players have had a smooth experience, the consensus indicates that the game remains poorly optimized in certain areas, leading to a mixed reception regarding its overall performance.
- “Fun game & very well optimized.”
- “Haven't beaten it yet, however it's well polished and optimized.”
- “Runs well on my 980, so the extra time the team spent on performance is appreciated.”
- “Performance isn't optimal, but it's alright I suppose; it's just kind of low for the kind of simplistic visuals you get in this game.”
- “Ultimately, I can't recommend it at this price point even if you had no issues, and I can't recommend it at any price with this level of performance and bugginess.”
- “Simply unacceptable level of bugginess/jank and performance issues.”
atmosphere
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
28%
9%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and well-crafted world, combining light-hearted humor with moments of tension, reminiscent of titles like Portal 2. Players appreciate the vibrant art style, realistic sound design, and cohesive environmental storytelling, which contribute to a fun and engaging experience. However, some users noted that bugs and sudden shifts in atmosphere detracted from the overall enjoyment.
- “You genuinely feel immersed, and the atmosphere and general 'feel' of the game are just perfect.”
- “The beautiful art style, immersive atmosphere, gorgeous levels, realistic sound, and immaculate environment design alone are worth the full price in my opinion.”
- “The general atmosphere with talking over the intercom, robots working, posters, notes, and postcards were all good.”
- “The bugs and sudden change of atmosphere ruined this game for me, which sucks, because it had so much potential.”
- “You'll probably be okay if you aren't a scaredy like I am, but it was definitely a detour from the usual atmosphere of the game and it felt like I was playing a horror title.”
- “Just atmosphere.”
replayability
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
42%
29%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players appreciate the option to revisit levels for collectibles and achievements, many criticize its short length and linear design, which limit replay value. The introduction of arcade modes and mutators offers some additional replayability, but the consensus is that the game lacks substantial content to encourage repeated playthroughs.
- “After the campaign, you have the option of going back through to find collectibles or play it again on a harder difficulty/modifiers, which gives it good replayability.”
- “Most objectives have several paths to completion, with tons of collectibles and related achievements to discover en route, satisfying the completionist and adding replayability for the collectors out there.”
- “The recent addition of the 4 arcade mode maps is very welcome and adds some replayability.”
- “The game is fun and has good mechanics, but it's short and has little replay value.”
- “For the price that this game is charging, I don’t think it's worth it given how little replay value this game has.”
- “The game is too short, has no replay value, and ends up being a sick joke instead of fun.”
music
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
27%
12%
The music in the game has received high praise for its quality and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere, with many reviewers noting its catchy and immersive nature. The soundtrack, described as a blend of jazz and techno, complements the gameplay well, although some players experienced issues with looping combat music. Overall, the ending song and various audio elements contribute positively to the gaming experience, making it a standout feature.
- “The soundtrack is great as well as the music.”
- “This is all tied together by the great soundtrack.”
- “Music and sounds are awesome, and really adds to the atmosphere.”
- “Sometimes an enemy won't lose track of the player after breaking line-of-sight, pursuing indefinitely and causing the 'combat' music to loop.”
- “I'd love to play this game again; the visuals, art style, and soundtrack are worth the money, but for 20 bucks at 50% off, I feel ripped off.”
- “The music also changed to something much creepier, and in some parts of the level, it would go mute.”
grinding
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
89%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, often involving excessive searching for items and navigating through bland environments. While some appreciate the initial fun and engaging mechanics, many express frustration with the drawn-out processes and poorly structured gameplay that detracts from the overall experience. The need for constant item collection and navigation through mazes contributes to a sense of monotony that can overshadow the game's strengths.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding, mate.”
- “You spend a lot of time tediously opening drawers and cabinets and filtering through useless props, just to maintain a steady supply of weapons or find a trinket you haven't found before.”
- “The main issue this game suffers from, however, is requiring the player to search for solutions that are not all that obvious. I probably spent 1 hour of the 4 total for the main story searching for specific keycards and items, which gets tedious quickly.”
- “Sadly, the story mode mainly consists of tediously teleport-hopping around bland office cubicles to locate keys.”
emotional
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report a strong emotional impact from the game, highlighting feelings of dread, tension, and immersion. The environment and gameplay mechanics, such as stealth and physical movement, enhance the sense of threat and engagement, making the experience both captivating and intense. Overall, the game evokes a deep emotional response, reminiscent of memorable gaming experiences.
- “This, however, has made me feel that sense of dread and gut gnawing over confrontation and stealth... actually having to duck physically to avoid detection, peeking physically around corners... these build tension.”
- “It really made me feel threatened.”
- “This game made me feel so immersed, intrigued, and entranced in a way that a game hasn't since I played Portal 2 for the first time.”