Overclocked

About

Overclocked is a single player action adventure game with a horror theme. It was developed by Magnesium Ninja and was released on October 9, 2018. It received very positive reviews from players.

"Overclocked" is a single-player Horror Platformer game with good graphics, where you play as Amber, a vigilante fighting to protect her home from a computer virus. The game features fast-paced action with one-hit deaths and constantly changing obstacles. The public alpha includes the first two episodes with 20 unique levels and 3 challenge levels. The story is intriguing, focusing on Amber's struggle to protect her home and uncover the truth behind the virus.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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90%

Audience ScoreBased on 190 reviews

story28 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

Overclocked: A History of Violence features a gripping and intricate narrative that keeps players engaged, exploring deep themes of violence and human psychology.
The game offers a unique storytelling approach through interactive flashbacks, allowing players to piece together the story in a compelling way.
Despite its outdated graphics, the game's atmosphere, attention to detail, and excellent soundtrack enhance the overall experience.

The controls can feel clunky and unresponsive at times, which may detract from the overall gameplay experience.
Some puzzles lack intuitiveness, leading to frustration for players trying to progress through the game.
The character designs and story elements can come off as generic, making it difficult for players to connect with the characters.

story
75 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
52%
11%
The story aspect of the game receives mixed reviews, with many players finding it mediocre or generic, often criticizing the forgettable characters and clichéd plotlines. However, some appreciate the sci-fi setting and the execution of certain elements, noting that the main villain's motivation adds depth. Overall, while the gameplay is often highlighted as the main draw, the story is seen as either a minor distraction or a decent complement, depending on individual preferences.
- “Interesting story and very well executed boss fights.”
- “The game has a sci-fi setting, with hand-crafted levels used to convey the story and plot that's told between levels.”
- “The character of Macnamara is one of the best created in recent years and the plot draws you along as it is revealed in tiny increments after each flashback.”
- “The story is kinda mediocre, mostly due to the characters being pretty forgettable and uninteresting for the most part, but the main villain is pretty decent and pleasantly surprised me with his motivation later on.”
- “The story and characters are terrible but harmless; do yourself a favor and skip the cutscenes straight to the fun part.”
- “I was a bit interested at the start, then it devolved into mostly Saturday morning goose chase plot dialogue for most of the game... I mean sure you get a little more insight with the main characters in the hub worlds, but you kinda have to inject curiosity and characterization in the main plot to get readers engaged to begin with.”
gameplay
47 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
56%
6%
The gameplay is widely praised for its solid mechanics, smooth controls, and engaging platforming challenges, reminiscent of titles like Celeste and Super Meat Boy. Players appreciate the unique mechanics and satisfying jumping puzzles, although some criticize certain elements like antigravity mechanics and boss design as flawed. Overall, the game offers a fun and challenging experience, making it highly recommended despite some minor issues.
- “It's hard not to recommend a free game with solid gameplay.”
- “The jumping puzzles are incredibly satisfying and they present unique mechanics in every area.”
- “Overclocked is a fast-paced platformer; this game has not only good controls but the action puzzle in it is fun and the level design is awesome like Super Meat Boy.”
- “Unfortunately, with all the mechanics that were being added near the end, you could wind up skipping a number of segments, trivializing a number of the levels, particularly the ones with inverted gravity.”
- “Bland story, unappealing art style, and overly punishing instant-death gameplay drag this game down just enough that I could not fully enjoy it.”
- “I try to get into it, but a lot of aspects of some of the level design just make me angry, along with the boost punch mechanics.”
graphics
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
35%
10%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the beautiful art style and clean visuals that enhance the overall experience. While some players appreciate the retro pixel art and sci-fi motifs, others criticize certain character designs as bland or rough. Overall, the graphics are generally considered solid, with smooth performance even on lower-end systems, though some players feel that the visuals could benefit from more distinct level designs and improved art direction.
- “The game's graphics are too gorgeous, the sci-fi, futuristic motif is portrayed excellently; there's really not much I can expand on that, it's just amazing.”
- “As far as visuals go, I'd say it's among one of the best looking freeware (not freemium) games.”
- “Overclocked is a game with beautiful visuals, great music, and gameplay that is fast, precise, and constantly challenging you.”
- “They chose to use obsolete retro pixel art as a substitute for contemporary PC graphics.”
- “My actual problems with it are the common lack of distinction between level visuals and that the art direction of characters may lead some people to think it's a knockoff.”
- “The graphics were below average even for the date this came out, and the voice acting is horrible.”
music
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
34%
12%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its stunning quality and ability to enhance the atmosphere of each stage, with many players expressing a desire to purchase the soundtrack. Reviewers highlight the diverse range of tracks, from soothing melodies to exhilarating compositions that complement the gameplay and boss encounters. While some noted that certain tracks are repeated too often, the overall sentiment is that the music significantly contributes to the game's appeal and experience.
- “The music is also equally stunning, how it blends into the atmosphere and contextual tone of each stage, and the very distinct instrumentation to really sell it.”
- “The soundtrack ranges from soothing to oh my god holy s#&@ amazing 10/10 woooooooooooooo.”
- “Overclocked is a game with beautiful visuals, great music, and gameplay that is fast, precise, and constantly challenging you.”
- “I'm glad that it is as I likely would have skipped it otherwise, but the $3 for the soundtrack doesn't feel like enough.”
- “What I liked most in the trailer was indeed the music, I liked it a lot, but there simply isn't music when I play.”
- “And as the music isn't always played, it changes sometimes - and all the music is great!”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly when it comes to precision tasks and inventory-based puzzles. While some may enjoy the challenge, many reviewers express frustration with the monotony of having to repeatedly engage with recordings and puzzles to progress.
- “While some may find this process challenging, I found it became repetitive and tedious after a while.”
- “This can get pretty tedious once you have built up a store of recordings, and sometimes you just have to go through all of them to get a response.”
- “I found nonstop precision chaining air-dashes to be tedious, but if that sort of thing sounds fun to you, give this game a try.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is generally well-received, but users report stability issues on Linux, particularly with bugs. It performs better in full screen when using Proton Experimental, though some problems persist.
- “It's an excellent game, although buggy on Linux - it seems to work a lot better in full screen with Proton Experimental, but there are still a few issues.”
- “The game crashes frequently, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
- “I experienced constant frame drops and stuttering, which really detracted from the overall experience.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is noted for its unexpected and clever writing, delivering jokes that often catch players off guard, enhancing the overall experience.
- “The writing can also be funny at times, with some of the jokes I never expected based on the established tone of the game.”
- “The humor is cleverly woven into the gameplay, making even the most mundane tasks entertaining.”
- “I found myself laughing out loud at the unexpected twists in the dialogue and the quirky character interactions.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
While the character designs may lack vibrancy and the art style is somewhat rough, the game excels in character development and backstories, offering a unique depth that enhances the overall experience.
- “The character designs tend to be on the blander side, and the art style is a little rough, but nothing visually hinders the gameplay.”
- “What I found different about this game is the character development and backstories.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Many users criticize the monetization of 2D retro pixel platformers on Steam, labeling them as cash grabs that often consist of poorly executed asset flips and template-based designs aimed at making quick profits rather than delivering quality gameplay.
- “The vast majority of 2D retro pixel platformers on Steam are cash grabs, asset/template flips slapped together by filling out templates in GameMaker Studio and dumped into game bundles for a quick, dirty buck.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is enhanced by stunning music that seamlessly blends with the contextual tone of each stage, featuring distinct instrumentation that effectively immerses players in the experience.
- “The music is stunning, blending seamlessly into the atmosphere and contextual tone of each stage, with distinct instrumentation that truly enhances the experience.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is not groundbreaking or particularly innovative, yet it effectively complements the gameplay, enhancing the overall experience.
- “It isn't groundbreaking nor presented in emotionally-inversive approaches, but it integrates with the gameplay surprisingly well.”