Esse Proxy

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Esse Proxy is a strategic deck-building game where players compete as mech pilots in a corporate-controlled world. Build and customize your deck to outmaneuver opponents, secure resources, and complete objectives. With procedurally generated levels, each playthrough offers unique challenges and opportunities for victory.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

Reviews

69%

Audience ScoreBased on 125 reviews

music26 positive mentions

story6 negative mentions

Outstanding and polished art with a fitting soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience.
Challenging and fast-paced gameplay that rewards skill and strategy, reminiscent of classic top-down shooters.
Engaging combat mechanics and enjoyable level design that keeps players coming back for more despite its short length.

Frustrating camera and aiming mechanics that can obscure gameplay and hinder visibility during combat.
The game suffers from poor optimization and bugs, leading to inconsistent frame rates and technical issues.
Boss levels and certain design choices detract from the overall experience, making some encounters feel disconnected and frustrating.

music
38 mentions
68 % positive mentions
24 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its high quality and fitting integration with the cyberpunk aesthetic, often described as adrenaline-packed and immersive. Many reviewers highlight the soundtrack as a standout feature, comparing it favorably to titles like Hotline Miami, while some express mixed feelings about specific tracks, noting a few as less appealing. Overall, the soundtrack enhances the gameplay experience, contributing to the game's stylish and dynamic atmosphere.
- “High-octane, relatively fluid and challenging action with an adrenaline-packed quality soundtrack made replaying levels pure joy for me.”
- “This game has a top-notch soundtrack that fits the world you are part of perfectly.”
- “The art of the game is stylish, the action is super fluid and dynamic, the music is astonishing and over the top.”
- “Music is some lame dubstep.”
- “Decent soundtrack.”
- “High-octane relatively fluid and challenging action with an adrenaline-packed quality soundtrack made replaying levels pure joy for me.”
gameplay
32 mentions
31 % positive mentions
56 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
Gameplay is generally described as smooth and engaging, with slick gunplay and a fast-paced top-down style reminiscent of games like Hotline Miami. However, some players find it repetitive and frustrating, particularly due to disconnected boss fights and certain mechanics that feel clunky. While the game incorporates fresh elements and has a strong aesthetic and soundtrack, opinions vary on its overall excitement and depth.
- “But the main highlights are the gameplay and soundtrack; those are just great.”
- “However, the aesthetic is absolutely awesome and the gameplay itself is smooth and engaging.”
- “Still, it's a well-made game with a satisfyingly fluid and open-ended gameplay loop and punchy art style, and the devs deserve the support for that.”
- “Has a couple of boss fights and a bike level that are extremely disconnected from the overall flow and gameplay of the main game and are pretty frustrating.”
- “Worse gameplay than Hotline Miami with cyberpunk aesthetics and a bad story.”
- “The clunky gameplay can be very frustrating.”
graphics
21 mentions
43 % positive mentions
43 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are praised for their unique cyberpunk aesthetic, with moments of impressive detail such as dynamic blood effects and flowing character animations. While players recommend using lower graphics settings for optimal performance, the overall visual design is considered polished and engaging, contributing positively to the gameplay experience.
- “When I watched the trailers, I immediately thought that this game looked like a cyberpunk version of Hotline Miami with better visuals.”
- “The graphics have their moments where they are really cool (for example, I love the blood, the smoke from the barrel of the gun, and the stealth character's jacket flowing as you move forward).”
- “The game's aesthetics and audio are well designed and polished; definitely not going to be an eyesore for sure.”
- “Use low graphics settings (looks totally fine), and Proton Experimental to get a good frame rate.”
- “Lowest possible graphics options with 1920x1080.”
- “The graphics have its moments where it is really cool (for example, I love the blood, the smoke from the barrel of the gun, the stealth character's jacket flowing as you move forward).”
story
21 mentions
19 % positive mentions
52 % neutral mentions
29 % negative mentions
The game's story is largely criticized for being minimal and poorly conveyed, often feeling like a tech demo rather than a cohesive narrative. Players report confusion due to disjointed storytelling and a lack of clear context, with some expressing a desire for deeper character development. While a few find the story intriguing, it is generally presented in fragmented pieces, making it difficult to follow.
- “All of them felt compelling to me and I wished they were even more developed during the story.”
- “The story seems interesting, although you get it in small pieces here and there.”
- “Story is cool so far but I am very early still.”
- “There is no story, and everything feels and plays like a tech demo.”
- “I was also disappointed that there's no story as far as I've come, no introduction whatsoever to who you're fighting or why.”
- “The plot is also not well-told; it keeps jumping around in time and between characters, back and forth, but not actually clearly explaining anything.”
stability
6 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, including a buggy user interface that fails to display default highlights and consistently activates the mouse cursor. Additionally, certain levels, such as those featuring rotating fan blades and motorbike chases, are plagued by bugs and unpredictable AI, detracting from the overall experience.
- “The UI is buggy, not showing the default highlight and constantly turning on the mouse cursor.”
- “The level with the rotating fan blades is annoying, and the motorbike chase level is buggy.”
- “It manages to be worse than Hotline Miami due to unpredictable buggy AI.”
optimization
4 mentions
0 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has been criticized for poor performance, particularly in certain rooms that significantly drop frame rates due to improperly constructed level assets. Overall, users report a need for an optimization overhaul to improve gameplay experience.
- “The level assets need an optimization pass, with some rooms just killing your FPS because they aren't built correctly.”
- “Terrible optimization”
replayability
4 mentions
50 % positive mentions
-25 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
Players find the game highly replayable, noting its polished design and the motivation to improve skills ("get gud") as key factors that encourage multiple playthroughs.
- “This game is really awesome, looks very polished and replayable.”
- “Replayability is limited; once you've mastered the game, there's little incentive to play again.”
- “The lack of varied content makes replayability feel like a chore rather than an enjoyable experience.”
- “After completing the game, I found no compelling reasons to dive back in for a second playthrough.”
emotional
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players express significant emotional frustration due to challenging levels that can lead to heartbreak when technical issues force them to restart progress. This recurring problem detracts from the overall experience, amplifying feelings of disappointment and discouragement.
atmosphere
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its immersive cyberpunk atmosphere, enhanced by striking music and visually impactful elements like shadows and reflective blood. This combination creates a compelling and engaging environment for players.
- “Great cyberpunk atmosphere, great music, shadows, and blood with reflections.”