Counterclocking

About

Counterclocking is a single player hack and slash game. It was developed by Brain Hack Magic and was released on April 19, 2023. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

A Bayo-May-Cry inspired action game based in a cyberpunk world. Cutting through your way between cyborgs, mutants, and robots while listening to the great soundtracks!

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

73%

Audience ScoreBased on 15 reviews

graphics2 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

Fast-paced hack-and-slash gameplay with a fun sense of humor and engaging dialogue.
Unique boss designs and varied weapon mechanics that enhance combat experience.
Great visual aesthetics and potential for future updates to improve gameplay and content.

Combat lacks weight and feedback, making attacks feel unsatisfying and repetitive.
Numerous technical issues, including crashes, long load times, and poor optimization.
Limited content with only a few levels and basic quality of life features, such as a barebones options menu.

music
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
60%
The music in the game is described as overpowering and repetitive, with only a few tracks that cycle frequently. While some users find it enjoyable, it tends to overshadow other audio elements, which are minimal. Overall, the music contributes to the experience but lacks variety and depth.
- “The music is engaging and enhances the gameplay experience.”
- “Nice music that complements the overall atmosphere.”
- “The music overpowers everything else sound-wise, but that's fine as there is little to no audio for much else.”
- “It has 2 or 3 soundtracks it constantly cycles through.”
- “The music is repetitive; character designs are quite ugly, and the writing leaves a lot to be desired.”
story
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The game's story allows players to choose mission order reminiscent of the Mega Man series, gaining powers from defeated bosses to enhance replayability. However, the developer admits that storytelling is not their strong suit and is seeking community feedback during early access to improve this aspect.
- “The player can choose the mission order similar to entries in the Mega Man series, and obtain powers and skills from defeating bosses that can be used when replaying earlier missions.”
- “The developer acknowledges that writing and story isn't their strong suit and hopes by releasing it in early access that the community can help improve it via feedback.”
graphics
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The graphics are generally praised for their decent visuals, impressive mech designs, and well-crafted arenas, showcasing a strong aesthetic vision despite the small development team. However, the lack of graphical settings raises concerns about performance issues, such as crashes and frame rate drops, which may be linked to the game's optimization rather than hardware limitations.
- “Great mech designs, great weapons, great arenas—there’s a clear aesthetic vision here that belies the tiny team.”
- “Decent enough visuals.”
- “The game has no graphical settings, so it's impossible to know if the constant crashes and random FPS drops are due to the Steam Deck's limitations or the game itself.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from poor optimization, as it features only eight levels but occupies a hefty 22GB of storage, indicating inefficient use of resources with minimal content.
- “Only 8 levels with minimal content, yet the game is still 22GB. This indicates a lack of optimization, as it consumes a significant amount of resources for very little actual gameplay.”
- “The game suffers from severe performance issues, making it frustrating to play. It feels like it wasn't optimized for current hardware.”
- “Despite the interesting concept, the optimization is poor, leading to long loading times and frequent frame drops.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features witty dialogue and a strong sense of humor, making it enjoyable for players looking to engage in combat while appreciating lighthearted comedic moments.
- “Funny dialogue, great sense of humor.”
- “Great if you want to spend a couple of hours killing stuff with some light humor between fights.”
gameplay
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The gameplay is praised for its intelligent enemy AI, distinct boss mechanics, and visually impressive late-game cyberpunk levels, offering a more engaging experience than anticipated.
- “The enemy AI is smarter than the 'mob rush' I expected, bosses are mechanically distinct, and the late-game cyberpunk levels look legitimately cool.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development in the game is criticized for its lack of depth, with users noting that the writing is subpar and the character designs are unappealing, contributing to an overall unsatisfactory experience.
- “The music is repetitive, character designs are quite ugly, and the writing leaves a lot to be desired.”