Cybarian: The Time Travelling Warrior

About

Cybarian: The Time Travelling Warrior is a nostalgic arcade action game that combines 2D platforming and side-scrolling beat 'em up elements. It boasts stunning retro-style pixel art, epic boss battles, and engaging combat. Expand your abilities as you journey through classically inspired levels.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Cybarian: The Time Travelling Warrior screenshot

68%

Audience ScoreBased on 120 reviews

graphics20 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

The pixel art graphics are charming and colorful, capturing a retro aesthetic that many players appreciate.
The game features challenging boss fights that require good timing and strategy, providing a satisfying gameplay experience.
Despite its short length, the game offers a fun and engaging challenge for players who enjoy mastering timing-based mechanics.

The controls are clunky and unresponsive, making combat frustrating and punishing for players who struggle with timing.
There are no checkpoints, forcing players to restart entire levels upon death, which can lead to tedious repetition.
The game lacks customization options for controls and graphics, limiting accessibility for different types of players.

graphics
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
62%
5%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some praising the distinct retro pixel art style and its nostalgic appeal, while others criticize it as outdated and poorly executed. Many users noted a lack of customization options and resolution settings, leading to frustration over the game's visual presentation. Overall, while some found the graphics charming and well-made, others felt they fell short of modern standards, describing them as basic or even illegible at times.
- “The visuals of this game are stunning, the music is great, and as somebody with a large Steam backlog, I am so happy I took a chance on this one.”
- “Graphics are well made, the game gives a good retro feeling when you are playing it.”
- “The controls are well done and easily understood, and the graphics are distinct and good to look at.”
- “Developers need to start hiring artists or learning how to do video game graphics.”
- “A choice was made to use obsolete, decades-old retro pixel 'art' as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
- “There's no option to change the resolution and no useful graphics tweaks.”
gameplay
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
76%
8%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it janky and unsatisfying due to poor handling and a lack of polish. While some mechanics are enjoyable and easy to learn, the overall experience is marred by a short playtime that doesn't allow for deeper engagement with the game's systems, making it more suitable for hardcore players who appreciate challenging gameplay. Additionally, the absence of customizable controls and difficulty settings limits accessibility, leading to a frustrating experience for those not willing to commit to a lengthy playthrough.
- “The core gameplay is to time your buttons to get a 3-hit combo; you also get to dodge and throw your sword like a boomerang, since you can't attack while jumping.”
- “It looks clean, it runs well, the gameplay is also fun, simple but enjoyable, and the controls are easy to learn.”
- “I have solid gameplay that feels great on the 360-style PC controller and is very responsive.”
- “It's janky and unsatisfying to play... and any experienced gamer will tell you, the handling, responsiveness, and general gameplay feel of the control scheme must be well polished for this kind of game to succeed.”
- “Unfortunately, this is something the developer seems to have phoned in, with little to no apparent gameplay testing.”
- “The mechanics are simple enough that you will grasp it eventually and then actually complete it, but the gameplay loop is torturous enough that outside of a certain kind of person, no one else will enjoy this that much.”
music
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
72%
20%
8%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its nostalgic chiptune style and integration with gameplay, evoking memories of classic NES and 90s action games. While some players found the soundtrack enjoyable and fitting, others felt it was merely serviceable and not particularly memorable. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's atmosphere, though opinions on its quality vary.
- “The music is a fundamental part of the game and it makes the most old players relive pieces of classic NES games.”
- “The visuals of this game are stunning, the music is great, and as somebody with a large Steam backlog, I am so happy I took a chance on this one.”
- “The music tunes are great and they blend in with the gameplay perfectly.”
- “I do not really like the music, but chiptunes are not my thing.”
- “There isn’t a lot in the way of settings to configure, just background music and sound effects, along with controls (can’t re-map keys) which shows you what keys to use to play the game.”
- “The atmosphere in the game screams about the 80's music and movie inspiration, while the gameplay is a staple of the early 90's action games.”
story
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
65%
21%
The game's story is largely criticized for its lack of depth and engagement, with many players noting that it feels non-existent or minimal, akin to classic arcade games like Pac-Man. While there is a basic premise involving a barbarian on a quest, the narrative fails to captivate, leaving players uncertain about its direction and significance. Overall, the story aspect is seen as a weak point, contributing to a general disinterest in the game.
- “As a barbarian of legend, he is only too happy to oblige, and so your short quest is to clobber every soul in your path to… somewhere.”
- “Together you are on a mission... an uphill battle to fight the monstrosities in today's gaming and hopefully get a glimpse of what you've missed.”
- “As for the story, well I can't say there is one, really, but that's pretty obvious I'd say.”
- “I’ll be honest, I don’t know where this story goes because I had to check out of the game for reasons we’re about to get into.”
- “It'd be odd to expect a story from this type of game, just like it would be odd to expect a story in Pac-Man.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a mix of humor that some players appreciate, particularly in its classic arcade elements, but many find the comedic intent falls flat, especially when paired with a frustrating combat system. While there are moments of humor, such as the "go >" notification, the overall execution leaves players wanting more laughs.
- “Also, the game has pretty good humor.”
- “The 'go >' notification when you kill the enemies to go further to the next screen... I know that it's a classic element in arcade gaming, but the sound effect can be like 2-3 times only, except if it's not just like this for comedic effect or intent :) ... and yet again I'm not laughing :D.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to the requirement to replay difficult initial stages each time they start the game, even after previously completing them. This repetitive cycle can lead to frustration, especially for those seeking to progress without the need to revisit earlier levels repeatedly.
- “The game can become very tedious in the long run for some players because every time you open it, you'll be forced to start through the first stage even after you have beaten it several times.”
- “Restarting to get that extra health wouldn't be a bad idea, but it makes the game even more tedious.”
- “If you don't beat the game right away, you may find it tedious to have to get through the first levels after having beaten them.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's atmosphere is heavily influenced by 80's music and movies, complemented by early 90's action game mechanics. Players appreciate the well-crafted levels, smooth character animations, and cohesive art design that enhance immersion without distraction. Overall, the aesthetic elements work harmoniously to create a nostalgic and engaging experience.
- “The atmosphere in the game screams 80's music and movie inspiration, while the gameplay is a staple of early 90's action games.”
- “The levels are well made - the atmosphere is there; the background design elements are just right and do not distract from what you are going to do; the animations of every character (including bosses) are smooth and well done; the art is just right - not a single time did I feel like this enemy or this object doesn't belong here at this exact spot.”
- “The atmosphere in the game screams about the 80's music and movie inspiration, while the gameplay is a staple of the early 90's action games.”
- “The levels are well made - the atmosphere is there; the background design elements are just right and do not take your eyes off what you are going to do; the animations of every character (including bosses) are smooth and well done; the art is just right - not a single time did I feel like this enemy or this object doesn't belong here at this exact spot.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that Gamemaker Studio is often associated with the creation of low-effort, retro-style games that prioritize profit over quality, leading to a perception of it being a platform for "shovelware" and cash grabs.
- “Gamemaker Studio is most commonly used to make retro pixel shovelware and cash grabs.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers limited replayability, primarily appealing to players interested in speedrunning, achievements, or completing challenges like finishing without dying. Once players become familiar with the content, the lack of difficulty diminishes the incentive to replay.
- “Sadly, it's not a really hard game once you know what is coming up and what you are doing, and there is really no replay value other than speedrunning, achievements, or trying to beat the game without dying, which is why I recommend the game to those kinds of gamers.”

Buy Cybarian: The Time Travelling Warrior

2h Median play time

2h Average play time

2-2h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

Videos

74%898reviews

Xeodrifter

2014

Arcade Platformer

68%917reviews

Oniken

2014

Arcade Platformer

76%54reviews

Death Fungeon

2018

Action

87%1.4kreviews

Kero Blaster

2015

Arcade Platformer

70%8.8kreviews

Titan Souls

2015

Survival Role Playing

Cybarian: The Time Travelling Warrior

Platforms

About

Buy Cybarian: The Time Travelling Warrior