Chornobyl Breakout

About

Chornobyl Breakout is a multiplayer shooter game. It was developed by Dark Duck Games and was released on October 24, 2025. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

Chornobyl Breakout is a first-person shooter where you become a survivor pilot whose helicopter has crashed in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone. You must find a way to safe place. Will you overcome all obstacles and escape from Chornobyl, or will you become just another lost soul in this dead world?

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68%

Audience ScoreBased on 19 reviews

graphics3 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

Chornobyl Breakout effectively creates a tense and immersive atmosphere through its environmental storytelling and haunting setting in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone.
The game encourages exploration and resource management, making scavenging for supplies a rewarding experience that enhances the survival aspect.
Cooperative gameplay allows for shared survival experiences, adding depth and strategy to the game, which can enhance replayability.

The game suffers from technical issues, including poor AI behavior, performance dips, and a lack of polish in character models and animations.
Gameplay can feel repetitive and sparse, with limited enemy encounters and objectives that often boil down to walking from point A to B.
The absence of strong tutorials and a robust progression system can lead to frustration, especially for new players trying to navigate the mechanics.

gameplay
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The gameplay is a mix of first-person shooting, light survival mechanics, and exploration, offering a moody and immersive experience for players who enjoy bleak environments and cooperative survival. However, some players criticize the lack of tutorials and the overall quality, with complaints about outdated graphics and mechanics, leading to a perception of it as a downgrade from its predecessor. While some find the strategic elements engaging, others feel the gameplay is marred by long stretches of walking and a focus on multiplayer that detracts from the overall experience.
- “Gameplay combines first-person shooting with light survival mechanics and exploration.”
- “For players drawn to bleak environments, slow-burn tension, and cooperative survival gameplay, the game provides moments of genuine immersion and unease.”
- “The strategic gameplay keeps you on edge, with clever mechanics that reward quick thinking and exploration.”
- “Some players may find the absence of strong tutorials or onboarding frustrating, especially early on, as mechanics and systems are often left for the player to decipher.”
- “It's very much just a 1999 shooter with bad graphics, bad gameplay, bad story, bad AI, bad everything.”
- “Luckily, you can buy this, beat it, and refund it once you see how awful it is, as it doesn't even have 30 full minutes of gameplay total.”
story
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The story of Chornobyl breakout is primarily conveyed through environmental storytelling, immersing players in an atmospheric world filled with tension and isolation. While some players appreciate the realistic and varied missions that enhance the plot's suspense, others criticize the overall narrative quality and gameplay mechanics, describing them as outdated and lacking depth.
- “Chornobyl Breakout is an atmospheric indie survival shooter that leans heavily on isolation, tension, and environmental storytelling rather than fast-paced spectacle.”
- “Rather than relying on heavy exposition or cinematic storytelling, the game allows its world to communicate through abandoned structures, environmental clues, and the quiet menace of empty spaces.”
- “Its strengths lie in environmental storytelling, cooperative play, and the unsettling presence of the exclusion zone itself.”
- “It's very much just a 1999 shooter with bad graphics, bad gameplay, bad story, bad AI, bad everything.”
- “You have 5 (6 if you count the three steps at the end as completing the 6th mission) missions that have more to do with walking from place to place than overcoming obstacles.”
- “Some indie shooter game where you shoot all of the zombies and do a couple of missions, still fresh.”
atmosphere
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
24%
38%
Chornobyl Breakout is praised for its immersive atmosphere, characterized by isolation, tension, and environmental storytelling, appealing to players who appreciate a slower, more methodical gameplay experience. The game's eerie ambiance, chilling sound effects, and intense puzzles contribute to a memorable experience, despite some rough edges during combat. Overall, it successfully conveys a haunting atmosphere that resonates particularly with players familiar with the Chernobyl region.
- “Chornobyl Breakout is an atmospheric indie survival shooter that leans heavily on isolation, tension, and environmental storytelling rather than fast-paced spectacle.”
- “Taken as a whole, Chornobyl Breakout is a flawed but earnest indie survival FPS that finds its identity through atmosphere and isolation.”
- “The eerie atmosphere, chilling sound effects, and intense puzzles create an unforgettable experience.”
- “Taken as a whole, Chernobyl Breakout is a flawed but earnest indie survival FPS that finds its identity through atmosphere and isolation.”
- “The action and brutalist atmosphere is there if you are wanting to immerse yourself.”
graphics
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
40%
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews; while some users criticize them as outdated and reminiscent of a 1999 shooter, others praise the vivid visuals and atmospheric design that enhance the gameplay experience. Overall, the graphics are described as either a significant drawback or a strong point, depending on the player's perspective.
- “Ultra HD graphics, the smartest AI ever, cool quests, interesting locations, and mega characters.”
- “The graphics are good, and the atmosphere is conveyed.”
- “Great shooter with fast-paced gameplay, vivid graphics, and smooth mechanics.”
- “I had to turn down the graphics quality just to be able to move.”
- “It's very much just a 1999 shooter with bad graphics, bad gameplay, bad story, bad AI, bad everything.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization is hindered by technical inconsistencies, including performance dips and awkward AI behavior, which highlight its small-scale production and limited resources.
- “Technical inconsistencies, such as performance dips or awkward AI behavior, further remind players that this is a small-scale production with limited resources.”
- “The game suffers from frequent frame rate drops, making it difficult to enjoy the experience fully.”
- “Optimization issues lead to long loading times and unresponsive controls, which detract from the overall gameplay.”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a cash grab, with users expressing disappointment in the developer's approach after a lengthy wait, suggesting that the game prioritizes profit over quality.
- “I trusted the developer to make a better game after three years, but it turned out to be just a quick cash grab with botted reviews.”
- “The monetization system feels exploitative, pushing players to spend money to enjoy basic features.”
- “It's frustrating to see so many paywalls in a game that could have been great without the constant pressure to spend.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music in the game is used sparingly, enhancing the atmosphere of silence and abandonment, which complements the setting effectively. While the soundtrack is generally well-received, it is the combination of varied missions and a gripping plot that keeps players engaged.
- “The missions are varied and realistic, the plot keeps you on edge, and the soundtrack is good.”
- “The restrained use of music allows silence to dominate, which suits the setting and heightens the sense of abandonment.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players highlight that the strategic coordination required for scavenging, teamwork during combat, and navigating perilous environments together greatly boost the game's replayability, fostering social interaction and varied gameplay experiences.
- “Coordinating scavenging runs, covering one another during firefights, and navigating dangerous areas as a group adds a layer of strategy and social engagement that significantly enhances replayability.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game has received mixed feedback, with some users questioning the authenticity of positive reviews and suggesting that attempts at humor may come off as forced or insincere.