Livelock

69%
Game Brain Score Based on 279 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Livelock Game Cover
While Livelock doesn’t take any exceptional leaps in the twin-stick shooter genre, the blending of familiar concepts from Diablo and Destiny with the hectic action make this a fine cooperative experience.
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Livelock is a Science Fiction Shooter game that offers both single-player and co-op multiplayer modes for up to 2 players. With a compelling plot, fantastic graphics, and engaging gameplay, players assume the role of a Capital Intellect fighting against corrupted machines to restore humanity. The game provides a rich and immersive experience, perfect for fans of the shooter genre.

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

69%
Audience ScoreBased on 279 reviews
story24 positive mentions
grinding7 negative mentions
  • Engaging gameplay with a fun co-op experience, especially when playing with friends.
  • Solid character progression and customization options, allowing players to feel stronger as they level up.
  • Visually appealing graphics and exciting combat mechanics that keep the action fast-paced.
  • The game is relatively short, with a campaign that can be completed in just a few hours.
  • Limited content and replayability, with only a few modes available and a predictable story.
  • Controller support is inconsistent, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences for some players.
  • story107 mentions

    The story in the game is generally viewed as predictable and lacking depth, often described as generic or cliché, with many reviewers noting that it fails to engage or innovate within its genre. While some players found the narrative to be a decent backdrop for gameplay, others criticized it for being poorly presented and repetitive, leading to a lack of immersion. Overall, the story serves as a basic framework for the action but does not significantly enhance the gaming experience.

    • “The story is interesting enough, keeping you playing.”
    • “Great story, good voice acting, great cut scenes and the playability/fun factor are all working together really well.”
    • “The story is okay, but the visuals and the play mechanics are great!”
    • “The story is weak, not presented well.”
    • “The gameplay is hard and the story is weak.”
    • “The story is unoriginal and bland, and the game is relatively short, but it’s a worthwhile play for fans of the genre, even if it doesn’t do anything to drastically change it.”
  • gameplay66 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized as a classic twin-stick shooter with smooth mechanics and enjoyable combat, though it suffers from repetitiveness and a lack of depth in content. While the graphics and production values are praised, many players find the core gameplay loop simplistic and the missions quickly become monotonous. Despite these criticisms, the game offers some customization options and a satisfying experience for fans of the genre, particularly in co-op play.

    • “The gameplay loop is the most enjoyable part of the game.”
    • “The graphic is nice and the gameplay is fluid and fun.”
    • “Quick and addictive gameplay, vibrant visuals, decent cutscene animations.”
    • “The core gameplay is just too similar to virtually all twin-stick shooters: shoot.”
    • “The gameplay is hard and the story is weak.”
    • “Very short with shallow gameplay.”
  • graphics51 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their high polish, vibrant colors, and detailed environments, contributing to an overall appealing aesthetic. Many reviewers noted the impressive visual effects and cutscenes, which enhance the gameplay experience, despite some criticism regarding the predictability of the story. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong point, elevating the game's production value and enjoyment.

    • “The graphics have a high level of polish for a game like this and there are a lot of unlockable weapons, upgrades, and cosmetics.”
    • “The visuals and art design of this game are fantastic and way beyond the levels of other similar third-person shooters.”
    • “The graphics are incredible, the gameplay feels smooth, and there is a good bit of versatility in which character you use and which weapons you equip with them.”
    • “I set the graphics settings to the lowest and it had no effect on temps.”
    • “Back when the game was announced as 'World War Machine', it looked like everything I wanted - a fun action game with progression, a kickass aesthetic, and a healthy dose of transhuman philosophy; fragments of the original vision are still here, in the setting's premise, but they're lost behind snarky quips, dumbed-down story and dialogue, and Catalyst's giant metal rear.”
    • “Graphics:”
  • replayability15 mentions

    The game's replayability is mixed among reviewers; while some appreciate the ability to switch between three distinct characters and tackle multiple difficulty levels, others find the overall content lacking for long-term engagement. Many note that the game can be enjoyable with friends and offers some replay value through achievements and character upgrades, but the short main story and repetitive elements limit its overall replayability.

    • “It's also very replayable, and you can switch between classes at any time.”
    • “There are three characters, each playing differently with various weapons, tactics, special abilities, and stats—adding an element of strategy to the gameplay, alongside some replayability, which is very important to me.”
    • “There is replayability in going through the campaign with three different characters, all of whom feel different from each other, along with three levels of difficulty.”
    • “There's pretty much no replayability and the main story only took about 5 hours to complete.”
    • “It is fun to play, don't get me wrong, but the content for long-term replayability simply isn't there.”
    • “Also, in my opinion, replayability is not really there because there's only so much you can do with the weapon/ability upgrades per class.”
  • music8 mentions

    The music in the game is generally praised for its quality and composition, enhancing the overall atmosphere and experience. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as superb, with specific mention of the main menu theme being noteworthy enough to enjoy outside the game. While some found the music to be merely "fine," it is consistently described as a positive aspect that complements the game's visuals and gameplay.

    • “The music is wonderfully composed as well, adding to the game's atmosphere.”
    • “Finally, the game also has a pleasant soundtrack - the main menu theme alone warrants listening outside the game for sure.”
    • “Story is rather predictable but music, graphics and general look and feel of the levels are pretty cool.”
    • “The soundtrack is mediocre at best.”
    • “The music is fine, but it doesn't stand out in any way.”
    • “While the story is interesting, the music fails to leave a lasting impression.”
  • grinding7 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be somewhat tedious, particularly when aiming for 100% completion, such as bestiary achievements that require defeating rare enemies multiple times. While max level can be reached in a single playthrough, some feel that balance issues with weapons and abilities detract from the experience, making certain gameplay elements feel repetitive. Overall, the grinding may appeal to those who enjoy extended play but can be frustrating for others.

    • “If I have issues with it, it's a bit grindy if you want all the achievements (particularly the bestiary completion one, since there are 2 enemies who only appear very rarely but need you to kill them far more times than you need to play through their levels). There are some balance issues with the loadouts, with some weapons and abilities just being so much better or worse than others (most notably Vanguard's utterly useless Guardian shotgun) that you're unlikely to ever change things up, and the infinite no-cost respawns in every difficulty except the hardest make it a bit too easy.”
    • “Overall, if you like things that try too hard to be cool or you don't mind grinding through some bullet sponges between your actually engaging main gameplay, Livelock may be for you. But if not, your money and time are better served elsewhere.”
    • “It is tedious.”
  • stability7 mentions

    The game's stability is inconsistent, with users reporting various bugs and glitches, particularly with gamepad controls and multiplayer connectivity. While the game runs well overall and has a strong visual presentation, issues like enemy spawn failures, minor visual glitches, and occasional freezes during multiplayer sessions detract from the experience. Despite these problems, there are no major game-breaking issues noted.

    • “The game runs great and looks amazing, with a well-told story to offer.”
    • “The stability of the game is impressive, providing a smooth experience overall.”
    • “Despite a few effects that can drop frames, the game maintains a solid performance.”
    • “A game with a lot of potential but did not engross me enough, and the controls (gamepad) are buggy.”
    • “Every so often the game is a little glitchy/buggy at points - like in survivor mode after playing 45 minutes and killing 700+ enemies, the game just stopped spawning new enemies, so the only option is to quit.”
    • “The co-op occasionally refuses to build a connection to open ported hosts, and the game in multiplayer occasionally freezes up during loading screens, in addition to the predictive online mode that people tend to call desync.”
  • humor5 mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted by its funny dialogue and hilarious character lines, contributing to an overall enjoyable experience. While some feel the humor could be pushed further for greater effect, it still adds a fun element to the gameplay, particularly in the context of its likable characters.

    • “The dialog is funny.”
    • “The character lines are hilarious.”
    • “Livelock is an incredibly fun twin-stick shooter, with likable characters and some humor.”
  • optimization5 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing long loading times, crashes, and performance dips during intense action, particularly in multiplayer modes. However, others have noted that the gameplay runs smoothly overall, with distinct characters and varied levels, suggesting that while there are significant issues, there are also positive aspects to the game's performance.

    • “Solid gameplay. Each character is distinct and fun to play. Runs smoothly. Levels are varied and put their own spin on new ideas. Lots of customization. Online play works well.”
    • “Poor performance... long loading screens with potential to crash...”
    • “Performance dips during moments of intense action, not enough content.”
    • “The game's market performance also seems not very successful, potentially because of the 'too few elements' problems listed above and failures in advertising.”
  • character development3 mentions

    Character development in the game is criticized for being limited, offering only a few skills and weapon choices with minimal modifiers. Additionally, the overall character and level design is described as dull and repetitive, which detracts from the sense of urgency and engagement in gameplay.

    • “From its character design to the destructible terrain, this game pays very close attention to its own detail.”
    • “Unfortunately, the melee combat is a bit underwhelming, and the character development options are very limited - you can choose from a few skills and weapons, and each skill can have 1 of 2 modifiers.”
    • “[The level and character designs are dull and repetitive, making death inconsequential and removing any form of urgency. Inconsistent production values lead to inconsistent quality, and framerate drops occur far too frequently.]”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is enhanced by beautifully composed music and unique customization features, creating an engaging and thrilling experience for players, particularly those who enjoy shooter games.

    • “The music is wonderfully composed as well, adding to the game's atmosphere.”
    • “With its unique customization features, fun combat, and thrilling atmosphere, the game is sure to be a blast for shooter fans.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    The game's monetization strategy appears to be struggling, likely due to a lack of engaging content and ineffective advertising efforts, which have contributed to its poor market performance.

    • “The game's monetization strategy feels overly aggressive, making it difficult to enjoy without spending money.”
    • “I find the in-game purchases to be overpriced and not worth the value they provide.”
    • “The constant push for microtransactions detracts from the overall gaming experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

68% average critic score

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Play time

4hMedian play time
4hAverage play time
4-4hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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