- March 11, 2024
- Robot-Satan
CTRL Phreak
Platforms
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About
CTRL Phreak is a hacking-themed game where you navigate the Deep Web to find the elusive Mainframe. Gain hacking abilities, battle bosses, and make consequential choices through a retro terminal interface, all in pursuit of immortal hacker glory. Fight other hackers, enhance your skills, and overcome various obstacles to reach the Mainframe and achieve greatness.
- The game is extremely fun and captures the feel of being a 'fake TV hacker' with its engaging mechanics and stylish design.
- It features a variety of mini-games and a satisfying combat system that rewards strategic thinking alongside frantic key mashing.
- The developer is responsive to feedback, showing a commitment to improving the game, which adds to the overall positive experience.
- The gameplay can lead to physical strain, as the intense key mashing may result in discomfort or potential injury.
- There is currently no save option or ability to pause during runs, which can be frustrating for players with limited time.
- Some mechanics are not well explained, leading to confusion about gameplay elements and how to effectively utilize them.
- gameplay16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
The gameplay is a unique blend of rhythm mechanics and rogue-lite elements, where players navigate layers of the web and engage in random encounters for rewards. While the core loop is enjoyable and evolves at a balanced pace, some players feel that essential mechanics are poorly explained, leading to a learning curve. Overall, the game offers a fun and engaging experience that transforms players into skilled hackers as they progress.
“It starts out simple but progresses at a steady, balanced rate, allowing you to figure out the more subtle elements of gameplay as you progress.”
“There is a surprising and satisfying amount of nuance to the gameplay, and you will quickly find yourself going from 'haha look at me, I'm a movie hacker' to 'yeah that's right, I'm a hacker now.'”
“The mechanics are poorly taught to the player, with entire vital systems just not mentioned.”
“This is literally a rhythm game disguised as a hacker roguelite, the music comes from the symphony of my mechanical keyboard clacking away as I smash my fingers into it at random while occasionally typing out a keyword that gives me a momentary boost in hacking power.”
“The main gameplay loop is actually similar to many rogue-lites in that you dive into various layers of the web and essentially have random encounters that reward you with money or RAM (increased hack power).”
