Lynked: Banner of the Spark

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In "Lynked: Banner of the Spark," lead the resistance against evil Combot overlords by assembling a team of robot allies and executing flashy combos with your Wyre grappling hook. With a variety of weapons to unlock and upgrades to earn, you'll build your base and recruit new allies to save the natural world in this co-op or solo adventure. The world is your weapon as you turn deadly environmental traps against your enemies.

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Play Modes

Reviews

94%

Audience ScoreBased on 160 reviews

story15 positive mentions

grinding9 negative mentions

The game features a charming art style and engaging animations, reminiscent of a Pixar movie, which adds to its overall appeal.
The blend of roguelike combat and town-building mechanics creates a unique and enjoyable gameplay loop, allowing players to switch between action and relaxation.
The developers are responsive and actively working on improvements, showing a commitment to enhancing the game based on community feedback.

Combat can feel clunky at times, with issues related to hitboxes and overall fluidity, which detracts from the experience.
The game suffers from bugs and crashes, particularly in multiplayer mode, leading to frustration during gameplay.
Some players find the art style and themes to be more suited for a younger audience, which may not resonate with everyone.

story
89 mentions
17 % positive mentions
80 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The game's story is currently in early access, offering glimpses of potential but lacking depth, with many players finding it somewhat lifeless and repetitive. While the core narrative is simple and serves as a backdrop for the engaging town-building and roguelike combat mechanics, players appreciate the humor and charm in the quests and character interactions. Overall, the story provides a framework for gameplay but is expected to evolve and deepen as the game develops further.
- “The storyline is equally impressive, featuring rich, multifaceted characters and a plot that continually surprises and engages.”
- “Every decision feels meaningful, with choices that impact not only the story but also how players connect with the game.”
- “There's a good variety of content to do, combat is fun and simple, quests are goofy, and the game feels lively with the town building and residents recruitment.”
- “The story is currently on the low end.”
- “I just do the quests because that's what the game is telling me to do, but it feels lifeless.”
- “The story is so-so, but that could change in the future!”
gameplay
34 mentions
35 % positive mentions
56 % neutral mentions
9 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a unique blend of town management and roguelike mechanics, reminiscent of titles like Animal Crossing and Hades, featuring adorable robot citizens and engaging relationship-building elements. Players enjoy a variety of combat mechanics, smooth controls, and a dynamic gameplay loop that balances action with town-building activities, although some may find the mixture of gameplay styles overwhelming. Overall, the game offers a fun and immersive experience with a charming art style and a plethora of activities to keep players entertained.
- “The gameplay is a clever mixture of town management and roguelike (think Cult of the Lamb with slightly more involvement) that encourages breaks between each activity by going back and forth from missions to doing tasks around town for your unibot villagers.”
- “The variety of abilities and weapons means that no two encounters are the same, keeping the gameplay dynamic and challenging in the best way possible.”
- “There's so much to do and the gameplay loop is, for the vast majority of it, extremely fun.”
- “The core gameplay loop hasn't hooked me yet.”
- “Now let me say something in regard to gameplay because it is worth noting: the way the gameplay elements blend together could potentially be off-putting for people who only want to engage in one specific part of this game.”
- “- very thorough tutorial content means you spend a lot of downtime in dialogue having the various NPC mechanics explained to you.”
graphics
17 mentions
47 % positive mentions
35 % neutral mentions
18 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming and vibrant art style that appeals to a wide audience, though some feel it may cater to younger players. Many reviewers praise the beautifully rendered animations and the unique aesthetic, which enhances the overall gameplay experience. Overall, the visuals are described as polished and engaging, contributing significantly to the game's personality and charm.
- “With a strong art style, lovingly rendered animations, and plenty of personality and charm in its cast of characters; Lynked hooked me from its first reveal trailer.”
- “The graphics are breathtaking, blending vibrant colors with intricate textures that bring the game’s unique universe to life.”
- “It has such a beautiful art style, an amusing gameplay loop that never fails to keep me entertained, and a story that's actually super fascinating.”
- “The art style and environment makes me feel like the game is for 10 year olds and under.”
- “The general aesthetic reminds me a lot of Mega Man.”
- “The artwork at first surprised me, but as I played it really grew on me.”
optimization
10 mentions
30 % positive mentions
40 % neutral mentions
30 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has seen significant improvements since its initial release, with recent updates addressing many performance issues and reducing stuttering. However, some players still report that the game demands high system resources, particularly as they expand their towns, indicating that further optimization may be needed. Overall, while the game is now largely playable and glitch-free, there are still areas for enhancement.
- “Launched with great performance and is fairly glitch-free.”
- “Performance is great.”
- “There are some bugs, and the game can be optimized further, but it still is a completely playable experience.”
- “It's in a pretty bad state in terms of performance though.”
- “As soon as I entered the first mission (rescue Smithy), it all fell apart and it was stuttering at 20fps.”
- “The game needs optimization as I can run the game, but it takes so much power.”
grinding
9 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the unique blend of farming and roguelite elements, noting that while farming and gathering resources can be enjoyable, the need for extensive grinding to afford upgrades can feel tedious at times. Fishing and other activities are highlighted as fun diversions, but some tasks, like harvesting crops, may feel more like chores. Overall, the game offers a variety of engaging activities, though the balance between fun and grinding could be improved.
- “You will need to do a lot of fishing and farming to just afford upgrades.”
- “There can be some improvement on tasks that feel more like chores than fun (no one likes to dig up dozens of crops, why is fishing so fun but farming feels braindead).”
- “You can farm in your town almost infinitely, but there are a lot of things you can purchase and not a lot of purchasing power so far (although it took me 10 hours to unlock farming, probably slower than average because I've been fishing so much).”
music
8 mentions
75 % positive mentions
13 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its nostalgic and fitting qualities, reminiscent of titles like Pokémon and Phantasy Star Online. Reviewers highlight the excellent soundtrack, particularly in shop and rest areas, which contributes to the game's relaxing and vibrant atmosphere. Overall, the music enhances the enjoyable and cozy experience, making it a standout feature of the game.
- “The shop music and 'rest areas' have been excellent.”
- “Super vibrant game, the music is amazing; I could go on forever, but you should just buy the game and check it out yourself!”
- “The music is something that is kind of subtle but also very fitting.”
humor
2 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is well-received, with players appreciating the clever dialogue and the amusing elements woven into the story. The combination of cute characters and engaging world-building enhances the overall comedic experience, making it a delightful aspect of the game.
- “Right...? But every story has some humor in it, so it's always funny to see what the devs put into the game for us to find.”
- “It's basically everything I wanted: the art direction and sense of world-building are incredible, with cute characters and funny dialogue.”
replayability
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-300 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the game highly replayable due to its fun gameplay, required skill, and the presence of random elements that keep each playthrough fresh and engaging.
- “Super fun! Some skill is required, and the random elements make replayability high.”
- “The variety of choices and outcomes keeps me coming back for more.”
- “Each playthrough feels fresh due to the dynamic events and character interactions.”
- “Super fun, some skill required, random elements make replayability high.”
stability
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game shows great potential but suffers from stability issues, with frequent crashes reported at launch.
- “Great game, a lot of potential, but it's a bit buggy at launch with crashes occurring somewhat frequently.”