Drop: System Breach
- March 28, 2023
- Etherfield Studio
- 10h median play time
Get on SteamIn "Drop: System Breach," become a skilled hacker navigating a fragmented digital world, filled with puzzle-solving, roguelike elements, and action-strategy gameplay. Accept challenging jobs, join a notorious hacker group, and find yourself in the midst of a powerful struggle between factions, each vying for control. Your actions will determine your fame, fortune, and possibly your demise.
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
Reviews
- The game features engaging and fast-paced gameplay that allows players to feel like hackers in a cyberpunk setting.
- The mechanics scale well, providing a comfortable difficulty ramp and a satisfying sense of progression.
- The visuals and soundtrack create an immersive atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
- The game can become repetitive over time, with missions feeling similar and lacking significant variety.
- The story is linear and lacks meaningful choices, making it feel less impactful as players progress.
- Some players have reported a frustrating difficulty spike in the later missions, which can detract from the enjoyment.
- story120 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 83 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally described as engaging but linear, with a progression that feels repetitive due to the similar structure of missions. While the cyberpunk theme and atmosphere are praised, many players find the storytelling lacking depth and variety, often feeling disconnected from the narrative due to its reliance on text-based communication and mission prompts. Overall, the story serves as a backdrop to the fast-paced gameplay, but it could benefit from more dynamic elements and character development to enhance player immersion.
“The plot is also exciting, developing after every mission, which encourages you to continue playing and finishing it.”
“It's an amazing game, a fast-paced, strategic hacking sim with a gripping story and easy-to-learn mechanics.”
“The story is nice and well implemented. Although I had no groundbreaking revelations or plot twists along my playtime, it really kept me playing for the sake of wanting to know what's going on.”
“The game does not stick the landing; the final two missions are littered with the worst kind of stun lock, you're put under a 5-minute timer, and you have unskippable story cutaways that don't pause the time while you are doing the most frenetic missions in the entire game.”
“The main problem is - while there are upgrades and different missions - it doesn't feel like you make any decisions. Every mission, regardless of who or what the target is, feels the same.”
“It's all just a bit confusing, which is unfortunate because I'd love to understand the story and feel more integrated into the lore.”
- gameplay65 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a fast-paced, engaging loop that combines simple mechanics with increasing complexity, making it accessible yet challenging. While many players appreciate the dynamic and addictive nature of the gameplay, some express concerns about repetitiveness and a lack of variety in mission types and mechanics over time. Overall, the game successfully balances straightforward controls with strategic depth, though it could benefit from more diverse gameplay elements to maintain long-term interest.
“Dynamic and demanding gameplay surprised me in a very positive way, same as simple but beautiful graphics, smooth animations and visual effects.”
“The gameplay loop is satisfying, the small puzzles that give your brain a little reset are fun to get better at, the action game's worth of resource management that sometimes feels like swapping through weapons in Doom Eternal is engaging.”
“The gameplay is an aggregation of many small mechanics (just like the game's setting of a fragmented society), and none of them are overly cerebral or puzzling.”
“Instead you have to do the same thing for half an hour just to get a new mechanic or a bit of story; the progression is too slow and grindy in a game that is not free to play, ridiculous in my opinion.”
“The gameplay starts feeling stale when every mission looks exactly the same.”
- music20 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 15 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, featuring a funky, synth-heavy soundtrack that complements the gameplay and theme effectively. While some players appreciate the variety and atmospheric qualities of the music, others note that it can blend with sound feedback, making it difficult to discern important audio cues. Overall, the soundtrack enhances the game's cyberpunk feel, though some players wish for more dynamic elements to heighten tension during critical moments.
“The music is actually pretty good; I always appreciate that.”
“Everything works perfectly with one another: the mechanics, the visuals, the soundtrack.”
“The music is reminiscent of the original Vangelis/Blade Runner, really sets the cyberpunk/dystopian future feel!”
“The sound feedback for some things (log generated by sniffer, firewall damage taken) blends with the soundtrack so often you won't notice until it's too late, so you have to be on your toes double-checking stuff compulsively (unless you're really into electronic music and can discern the soundtrack from the feedback sounds).”
“I wouldn't say the music in the game is catchy, but it does suit the theme well, as it's largely made up of synthetic-sounding beeps and boops.”
“My only gripe is that the music doesn't have any dynamic qualities, for example, it doesn't intensify as you run out of time.”
- graphics14 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 36 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are praised for their excellent art style and design, featuring a lo-fi pixel art aesthetic that evokes a nostalgic 80s hacker vibe. Players appreciate the smooth animations and visual effects, which complement the dynamic gameplay and enhance the overall atmosphere. The visuals are described as both retro and futuristic, effectively aligning with the game's story and subject matter.
“Dynamic and demanding gameplay surprised me in a very positive way, same as simple but beautiful graphics, smooth animations and visual effects.”
“The visuals and audio are perfect for its story and subject matter, and it manages to look both 'retro' (in the most positive sense imaginable) as well as futuristic.”
“My issues stem more from the visuals not pertaining to the gameplay.”
“This kind of pixel art aesthetic could also be incorporated on the game cover, which I believe would attract more attention.”
“With all of the graphics, music, and sound effects, the developers created a fine atmosphere.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 80 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and slow, requiring long periods of repetitive tasks to unlock new mechanics or story elements. While some appreciate the challenge, many feel that the lack of innovation and linear mission structure contributes to a frustrating experience, especially given that the game is not free-to-play.
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“Instead you have to do the same thing for half an hour just to get a new mechanic or a bit of story; the progression is too slow and grindy in a game that is not free to play, ridiculous in my opinion.”
“It gets very tedious halfway through, and not a lot of innovative things are being introduced.”
“Going through missions in an almost linear way is tedious.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its immersive 80s aesthetic, effectively transporting players into a vibrant hacking world. The combination of graphics, music, and sound effects contributes to a strong, engaging experience, despite moments of frantic action.
“The atmosphere is really strong and feels like I'm in the 80s, trying to hack my way through many missions.”
“An action game take on the hacking genre; it's a little frantic at times but has a great atmosphere and sounds.”
“The atmosphere is really strong and feels like I am in the 80s, trying to hack my way through many missions.”
“With all of the graphics, music, and sound effects, the developers created a fine atmosphere.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The optimization aspect of the game is closely tied to performance, with users noting that their in-game rewards and progression are directly influenced by how well they perform. This creates a dynamic where players are incentivized to improve their skills for better outcomes.
“You will be paid according to your performance.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express frustration with certain gameplay elements, such as the memory minigame, but ultimately feel a sense of emotional satisfaction and empowerment from the upgrades earned throughout the campaign, enhancing their overall experience.
“By the end of the campaign, all the upgrades I earned made me feel quite a bit 'more powerful' than when I started.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Reviewers suggest that enhancing character design could significantly improve the game's story engagement and overall appeal to a broader audience, indicating that character development is a crucial area for improvement.
“The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the protagonists.”
“I found the character arcs to be predictable and uninspired, which detracted from my overall enjoyment of the game.”
“There is little to no growth in the characters throughout the story, leaving them feeling static and uninteresting.”
