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Defragmented

Defragmented is a clever mix of varied RPG mechanics and hectic action-oriented shooting. While the camera needs a bit of work to use properly, you can still enjoy the great visuals and the stellar soundtrack.
Defragmented Game Cover
63%Game Brain Score
story, music
gameplay, replayability
68% User Score Based on 38 reviews
Critic Score 73%Based on 2 reviews

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Defragmented Game Cover

About

Defragmented is a single player role playing shooter game. It was developed by Glass Knuckle Games and was released on February 12, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

"Defragmented" is a single-player cyberpunk shooter RPG set in the neon city of Entropolis, where players must navigate a power struggle for the future of evolution. Featuring fast-paced combat, strategy, and character progression through multiple skill trees, players must plan attacks carefully and make use of unique class skills. The game is accompanied by a pulse-pounding synthwave soundtrack from a diverse group of electronic musicians, adding to the game's intense and immersive atmosphere.

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68%
Audience ScoreBased on 38 reviews
story15 positive mentions
replayability3 negative mentions
  • The soundtrack is outstanding, featuring a mix of electronic and techno music that enhances the gameplay experience.
  • The game offers good replayability with varied difficulty settings and multiple classes, each with unique abilities and skill trees.
  • The fast-paced combat and loot system provide an engaging experience, encouraging players to strategize and adapt their approach to each level.
  • The camera controls are clunky and can lead to frustrating gameplay, often resulting in players being killed by off-screen enemies.
  • The game suffers from a lack of enemy variety and basic level objectives, making encounters feel repetitive and uninspired.
  • The UI and overall graphics are considered outdated and unappealing, detracting from the immersive cyberpunk atmosphere.
  • story
    45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of the game is generally well-received, featuring an engaging cyberpunk narrative filled with conspiracy and personal conflict, though it suffers from inconsistent cutscene quality and tedious visual novel segments that some players find unnecessary. While the plot includes intriguing twists and a mix of retro themes, the execution in cutscenes can detract from the overall experience, leading to a desire for more streamlined storytelling. Despite these issues, many players appreciate the depth of the storyline and its ability to captivate, making it a notable aspect of the game.

    • “A gorgeous mixture of what's widely called the 'retro wave' genre...it effectively gets a blood flow going at all the right moments, and reels you back in for an interesting dystopic storyline.”
    • “The story is interesting and well-written - I like the conflict of clones vs. naturalism in a previously-struggling society.”
    • “Any fan of the cyberpunk genre should certainly check the game out, if at a bare minimum for the soundtrack, and the few very minor missteps in design don’t in any way affect your enjoyment of the story, or of the absolutely fantastic gameplay.”
    • “Very long cutscenes where you have to read a comic book story that no one cares about, only to play about 10 seconds of actual gameplay at a time.”
    • “Visual novel storytelling might be appealing for some players, but most of the time it's just unnecessary.”
    • “It does feel a bit separate from the action, though; it feels like you could rewrite the story completely and the game itself would be identical.”
  • music
    36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in "Defragmented" has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its upbeat electronic and synth-heavy soundtrack that perfectly complements the game's cyberpunk atmosphere. The soundtrack is described as one of the best in recent gaming, enhancing the overall experience and keeping players engaged despite some gameplay issues. While the nostalgic style may not appeal to everyone, it is a standout feature that many consider worth the price of admission.

    • “The pulsing synth soundtrack is one of the best electronic game soundtracks I’ve ever heard, and perfectly sets the stage for running and gunning in the cyberpunk world that Glass Knuckle Games has created.”
    • “With an upbeat electronic soundtrack supplemented by visualization in the game world (the black areas of the level pulse different colors in tune with the beat), the music adds immensely to the cyberpunk, action-intensive atmosphere.”
    • “My favorite element of the game is the fantastic soundtrack, followed closely by the flashy presentation of everything.”
    • “Conversation music drives me bonkers and unlike the intro conversations, you can't auto skip the post-mission ones.”
    • “If the playing bit doesn't entice you enough, there's always the soundtrack.”
    • “The soundtrack comes with the game, in a folder, so you can listen to it out of the game.”
  • gameplay
    30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, featuring a fast-paced, loot-based top-down run-and-gun RPG style reminiscent of "Hotline Miami," but marred by clunky mechanics, poor camera controls, and long cutscenes that disrupt the flow. While the game rewards creative thinking and offers a variety of RPG elements, some mechanics can feel unbalanced or exploitative, leading to a less satisfying experience over extended play. Despite its flaws, fans of the cyberpunk genre may still find enjoyment in the engaging combat and character progression.

    • “The gameplay is very much a cyber-hotline-miami with added RPG elements like items and skills.”
    • “It's a fast-paced, loot-based top-down run-and-gun RPG, and while it is not without a few missteps, the mechanics are tight, and lend themselves to hours of mixing and matching guns and abilities, trying to nail down a combination of stats that’ll let you run and gun your way through the bright neon levels as long as your reflexes are fast enough.”
    • “Defragmented is a clever mix of varied RPG mechanics and hectic action-oriented shooting.”
    • “The camera rotation mechanic is clunky, needs to be fiddled with too often, inverts the tutorial text on occasions, and the top-down view creates strange limitations on field of vision, especially on a widescreen.”
    • “Very long cutscenes where you have to read a comic book story that no one cares about, only to play about 10 seconds of actual gameplay at a time.”
    • “It's the gameplay that falls flat on its face.”
  • graphics
    24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of "Defragmented" receive mixed reviews, with many praising its vibrant cyberpunk aesthetic and effective use of neon visuals that enhance the gameplay experience. While the artwork during cutscenes is noted for its high quality and unique style, some players criticize the overall graphical execution as clunky and inconsistent, particularly in enemy and unit designs. Despite these criticisms, the game's stylized visuals and engaging environments contribute positively to its immersive atmosphere.

    • “Glass Knuckle Games showed serious insight into the cyberpunk genre with Defragmented, capturing some of the greatest aspects of the style with a fantastic soundtrack and bright visuals.”
    • “Defragmented is a fast-paced, top-down twin-stick post-apocalyptic cyberpunk RPG shooter with upbeat electronic music and flashy neon graphics, a simple and short but fitting story, a system that allows the game’s replayability to be tripled, and a team invested in improving the already good game into a great game.”
    • “The aesthetics are great - the amount of detail in the environment is good, and the art style during cutscenes is very nice; the world feels vibrant and alive.”
    • “Clunky gameplay, ugly graphics, bad writing.”
    • “The levels are pretty varied in terms of layout, but all aspects of enemy types (gun/etc..) and unit models (or lack thereof) and graphical aspects are simply... not.”
    • “For a game that sounds absolutely phenomenal, it is heavily let down by its graphics & randomized hit-chance.”
  • atmosphere
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is heavily influenced by an immersive 80s cyberpunk aesthetic, characterized by vibrant neon visuals and an upbeat electronic soundtrack that enhances the action. While many players appreciate the engaging atmosphere, some criticize the cutscenes and user interface for detracting from the overall experience. Overall, the combination of music and visual elements creates a compelling and energetic environment for players.

    • “Readers looking for a difficult top-down shooter that includes some of the best cyberpunk atmosphere should buy this.”
    • “The futurewave has hit, and hard, sending us games like Far Cry: Blood Dragon, dripping in neon and thumping music that matches the atmosphere of wetwork involved.”
    • “With an upbeat electronic soundtrack supplemented by visualizations in the game world (the black areas of the level pulse different colors in tune with the beat), the music adds immensely to the cyberpunk, action-intensive atmosphere.”
  • replayability
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers strong replayability, allowing players to revisit levels on higher difficulties for new rewards, and the absence of item ghosting enhances this experience. With a 30-level cap and three distinct classes to explore, players can enjoy a significant amount of content and variety, ensuring hours of engaging gameplay.

    • “Level replayability is pretty good; you can choose the difficulty per level and go back and give it a go on harder difficulties for new rewards.”
    • “Glass Knuckle has delivered a very solid loot-based RPG that promises hours of enjoyment and a great deal of replayability.”
    • “There is a high amount of replayability as well!”
    • “This also adds to the replayability of the levels, as after you officially beat them, the items don't ghost out.”
    • “With a 30 level cap (more of a soft cap because you still gain experience points) and three different classes to try, replayability is fairly high.”
  • grinding
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be a mixed experience; while some feel it can become tedious, especially when forced to repeat tasks like raiding lockers multiple times, others appreciate that the engaging story and fulfilling action help mitigate the feeling of mindless grinding. Overall, the grind can be off-putting for some, but it doesn't overshadow the game's strengths.

    • “The grinding aspect can be off-putting when you start to worry you can't complete a level until you've raided the same locker 50 times.”
    • “The overall plot is good with a few twists, but the cutscenes are tedious, with hit-or-miss writing, lots of cheese and narm, bad and repetitive art.”
    • “The grinding can feel excessive, making the gameplay experience more of a chore than an enjoyable challenge.”
  • humor
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is primarily derived from the quirky use of weapons, which adds a lighthearted touch, though overall, the comedic elements are considered average.

    • “The humor in the game is cleverly woven into the dialogue and situations, making every encounter entertaining.”
    • “I love how the game uses absurd scenarios to create hilarious moments that keep me laughing.”
    • “The quirky character interactions and witty one-liners add a delightful layer of humor to the gameplay.”
  • emotional
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players find the emotional impact of the game to be significant, with the music and writing effectively immersing them in a cyberpunk universe and evoking a sense of purpose and engagement that justifies the price.

    • “The music and the writing made me feel like I was in a cyberpunk universe, fighting for something, and that's worth $20 to me.”
  • character development
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The character development is highlighted by the endearing nature and stellar designs of the two central characters, which significantly enhance the overall experience and engagement with the game.

    • “The two central characters are incredibly endearing, with stellar character designs, and that alone will drive you through this experience.”
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73%Critics’ scoreBased on 2 critic reviews
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Frequently Asked Questions

Defragmented is a role playing shooter game.

Defragmented is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows and Linux.

Defragmented was released on February 12, 2016.

Defragmented was developed by Glass Knuckle Games.

Defragmented has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its gameplay.

Defragmented is a single player game.

Similar games include The Hong Kong Massacre, RUINER, Seraph, Dust & Neon, Drifting Lands and others.