Cyber Knights: Flashpoint

About

Cyber Knights: Flashpoint is a tactical RPG with gridless movement, environmental cover, and specialized overwatch. It features independent enemy AI for creative stealth options and challenging combat. Players can choose jobs, build reputation, and navigate multi-stage missions while managing underworld contacts and favors. Regular updates add more content to the game.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 456 reviews

story37 positive mentions

stability5 negative mentions

The game offers a unique blend of stealth and combat mechanics, allowing players to approach missions in various ways, whether through stealth or going loud.
The developers are highly responsive and actively engage with the community, providing frequent updates and improvements based on player feedback.
The character customization and skill trees are deep and varied, allowing for a wide range of playstyles and strategies.

The game can be frustratingly difficult, especially for players who prefer stealth, as missions often escalate quickly and can lead to overwhelming enemy reinforcements.
Some mechanics, such as the hacking mini-game, are not well explained and can be confusing for new players.
The game is still in early access, meaning it lacks some features and content, which may lead to a feeling of incompleteness.

story
350 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
88%
1%
The story in "Cyber Knights" is currently a mixed bag, with a compelling premise set in a cyberpunk world but limited content due to its early access status. Players appreciate the depth of character backstories and the integration of mission choices that affect relationships and outcomes, yet many express frustration over the abrupt ends to storylines and the reliance on procedurally generated missions that can feel repetitive. Overall, while the foundation for an engaging narrative is present, the game requires further development to fully realize its storytelling potential.
- “The game takes the XCOM framework with a tactical and strategic layer, and applies a really great spin to where each mission is a job for an actual contact who works for a faction, and often the missions are against other factions, adding in a political layer to the strategic layer as well.”
- “The stories that are randomly generated are very well written, though admittedly there isn't a ton of variety yet; however, the missions and outcomes are so variable even within the same locations that they have yet to get stale.”
- “The storyline has more options, and there are new missions which allow you to earn more.”
- “The story part runs out fairly quickly.”
- “Imagine being promised an XCOM campaign experience, but the story ends the first beat in, and there's nothing to do except procedurally generated missions with no overarching goal.”
- “The story content is also extremely light.”
gameplay
151 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
68%
3%
The gameplay of Cyberknights: Flashpoint is characterized by its deep mechanics and tactical depth, drawing comparisons to XCOM and Shadowrun while emphasizing stealth and strategic decision-making. Players can engage in a variety of playstyles, with procedural content and extensive character customization offering significant replayability, though some reviewers noted a steep difficulty curve and occasional frustrations with stealth mechanics. Overall, the game presents a promising blend of turn-based tactics and RPG elements, with ongoing updates enhancing its complexity and gameplay experience.
- “All the playstyles feel viable and have so many smart mechanics supporting them that I couldn't hope to fully articulate it within the scope of a review.”
- “Great game with very good systems and a fun gameplay loop.”
- “The core gameplay for heists that balance between stealth, hacking, and going loud in combat is already well defined.”
- “My main and right now, as it stands, only major gripe with Flashpoint is the difficulty curve and the non-existent stealth mechanics.”
- “Game has lots of interesting mechanics but it's not fun; turns take too much time, too many enemies with too much delay and slow animations.”
- “It doesn't have a lot of content, it has placeholders, it has bugs, the gameplay has rough edges.”
graphics
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
52%
10%
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many praising the cyberpunk aesthetic and overall visual style, while others find them lacking in polish and animation fluidity. Although the visuals may not meet AAA standards, they are considered suitable for the game's theme and budget, contributing positively to the gameplay experience. Overall, while some players appreciate the artistic direction, others feel the graphics could use improvement as the game continues to develop.
- “The artwork is appropriate for a cyberpunk setting.”
- “Absolutely nails the cyberpunk aesthetic, soundscape, and world-building.”
- “The graphics are surprisingly good for a low budget game, and the gameplay is great.”
- “The graphics are a bit on the weaker side and animations are barebones.”
- “The foundation of the game is solid, and while the graphics (especially fluidity in animation) could use a bit of work, the pace of big updates this game gets leaves me hopeful for what will come in the future.”
- “The visuals look a bit woke to me and not up to date for 2024.”
replayability
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The game boasts exceptional replayability, offering over 100 hours of gameplay through procedural content, extensive crafting, and diverse character backstories that create unique experiences with each playthrough. Players appreciate the depth of mechanics, including base-building and relationship dynamics, which contribute to a living world filled with endless possibilities. Overall, the combination of complex systems and ongoing updates suggests a strong potential for long-term engagement and replay value.
- “There is a ton of depth and complexity which additionally brings replayability, and even in early access there is so much to do in this game it's amazing.”
- “The relationship dynamics really give the feeling of a living world and endless replayability, with friendly and hostile contacts being created and killed, maybe some contacts getting into a gang war with each other and offering jobs to damage the other contact.”
- “This game is a solid step up from the Shadowrun Returns series by Harebrained Schemes, and offers the potential of infinite replayability, with each run being a unique experience.”
- “Currently the game has about 4 hours of content with a replay value of ~2 or 3.”
- “The breadth and depth of that game is shocking with replayability I couldn't accurately describe to the uninitiated.”
- “The long and the short - if you want to play a squad-based, turn-based, base-building, missions-style strategy game with a lot of longevity and replayability - give them your money now!”
music
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
33%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many praising its fitting synthetic tones and engaging techno-synthwave soundtracks that enhance the cyberpunk theme. However, some players feel that the soundtrack lacks depth and ambient elements, leading to a somewhat lifeless experience during gameplay. Overall, while the music is appreciated, there are mixed opinions regarding its execution and impact on the overall atmosphere.
- “A quick note on the music: it fits the theme of the game, with synthetic tones you would expect from a cyberpunk world, and some of the tunes were quite interesting.”
- “Loving the visual aesthetics and sick techno-synthwave soundtracks so far.”
- “Really like the soundtrack and sound design so far.”
- “If I can give some criticism, it is on the soundtrack, but again, low budget.”
- “So I keep killing the game music volume and put something in the background while I play that feels more cyberpunkish.”
- “It's a rather lifeless feeling while playing due to the lack of ambient noise/music or something.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
83%
The game's stability is mixed, with some users noting it is relatively stable for an early access title, while others report significant bugs and glitches. Overall, it runs well on Linux, but many players express frustration with the game's current bugs and lack of content.
- “Also runs great on Linux.”
- “It is early access and still is buggy.”
- “Currently not much content, buggy.”
- “However, it's buggy as hell.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Overall, the game's optimization is commendable, with smooth performance and no crashes reported, even at 4K resolution. However, some users noted that the controller setup feels awkward, and there may be room for improvement in menu processing efficiency. The hacking segments are particularly praised for their engaging mechanics and flexibility in build approaches.
- “40 hours in now, the hacking segments are absolutely addicting and kind of one of the better cyberpunk hacking minigames I've ever seen. One of the better parts is that different hacker builds/items can approach the same system differently with similar results, so you're not stuck with a single optimized hacker build, which is kind of incredible.”
- “Performance-wise, the game runs smoothly and I haven't had a single crash since purchase.”
- “Runs well in 4K with no performance issues and no crashes.”
- “I imagine there are some optimizations to do, because the game uses almost as much processing power in the menu as during play.”
- “[*][b] Controller optimization [/b] – I tried the controller and found it a bit awkward to use.”
- “Runs well in 4k no performance issues, no crashes.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and character-rich cyberpunk setting, enhancing the overall experience and engagement with the lore. However, some players feel that the atmosphere can be lacking during gameplay, suggesting a disparity between the game's aesthetic and the interactive elements.
- “That said, it is a really well done game, and the atmosphere is excellent.”
- “The lore is there, the atmosphere drips with character and there's only good things on the horizon, and I eagerly wait for each update news article. It's a good thing they never keep me waiting too long!”
- “Can't wait to go on the main missions and immerse myself in the cyberpunk atmosphere and highly interactive gameplay for hours on end.”
- “The lore is there, the atmosphere drips with character, and there's only good things on the horizon. I eagerly wait for each update news article.”
- “There is little to no atmosphere while playing.”
- “The dark cyberpunk atmosphere is present, but it feels lacking in depth.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players note that while grinding for gear and leveling up mercenaries can extend gameplay to over 100 hours, the process can often feel tedious and frustrating, particularly with the slow and poorly explained hacking mechanics. A tutorial for hacking is suggested to alleviate some of the frustration associated with this aspect.
- “It becomes a tedious slog.”
- “Hacking is a bit slow and can be tedious/frustrating.”
- “Badly needs a tutorial for hacking; it's an interesting mechanic but very frustrating and tedious.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is noted as a challenging yet essential element, with some users expressing a desire for more comedic depth and creativity in the storytelling. The developers, described as passionate brothers, are seen as capable of infusing humor into their work, though it may require innovative approaches to fully realize this potential. Overall, while the humor is appreciated, there is a call for it to be more effectively integrated into the game's narrative.
- “This isn't a corporation trying to cut corners to maximize profits (actually kind of funny to accuse them of that given the genre and subject matter of the game); it's a pair of brothers that have been making games they're passionate about and have built a company around themselves to enable them to put out the best possible version of their vision.”
- “It's worth noting, though, that funny stuff isn't easier to write than grimdark; if anything, it's actually harder to do well. I'd love a chance to work in a new medium, and I think you could make something pretty wild out of this game if you had a mind to do so.”
- “Or perhaps given them a 'talent tree' that focuses more on passives with any active abilities like shutting off security measures or baffling drones could be a program they could slot into their cyberdecks, sort of like the laughing man from Ghost in the Shell or aforementioned quickhacks.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
100%
Character development is noted for its complexity in team building and skills, but the character design itself has been criticized as outdated and lacking originality, reminiscent of older games like Fallout Tactics.
- “It has many layers of complexity to team building, skill, and character development.”
- “Level design is okay and matches the theme, but character design looks like draft room rejects from Fallout Tactics, a 23-year-old game.”
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks meaningful progression.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players feel that the game evokes a nostalgic and wholesome emotional experience, reminiscent of childhood dreams of merging favorite games into one cohesive adventure. This sentiment highlights the game's ability to resonate deeply with players on an emotional level.
- “The game captures that wholesome feeling reminiscent of childhood dreams, where you wished to combine different parts of your favorite games into one super game.”
- “The emotional depth of the story left me reflecting on my own experiences, making it a truly immersive journey.”
- “I felt a strong connection to the characters, as their struggles and triumphs mirrored my own, creating a powerful emotional experience.”