PSYCRON

About

PSYCRON is a single player action adventure game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by Mothware and was released on August 19, 2021. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

"PSYCRON is a single-player Science Fiction Platformer Metroidvania game, set on the abandoned research vessel CEREMOS. With a good soundtrack, players must explore four distinct areas, acquire upgrades for traversal and combat, and defeat dynamic bosses to uncover the fate of the crew and escape. Every upgrade changes how you approach both combat and exploration, making thorough exploration essential to escape."

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

97%

Audience ScoreBased on 178 reviews

music30 positive mentions

story3 negative mentions

Short and sweet gameplay that is fun and engaging, making it easy to complete in a single session.
Well-designed bosses that provide a balanced challenge without being overly frustrating.
Great atmosphere and music, with polished graphics and smooth controls that enhance the overall experience.

The game is quite short, which may leave some players wanting more content.
Some players experienced technical issues, such as performance drops and control mapping confusion.
Certain design choices, like enemy placement and level layout, can feel annoying rather than challenging.

music
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
68%
25%
7%
The music in the game has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with many reviewers praising its quality and variety, describing it as a "banger" soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. While some noted that a few tracks could be improved for better immersion, the majority found the music to be excellent, contributing significantly to the game's atmosphere and enjoyment. Overall, the soundtrack is highlighted as a standout feature, complementing the engaging gameplay and visuals.
- “The music is excellent and, yeah I just really like the game as a whole.”
- “With great synth music, challenging bosses and great humor, anyone can enjoy it.”
- “The boss fights are a blast, and the soundtrack slaps (even the bonus cut track) and I find myself listening to it quite often.”
- “It was so-so on the immersion front, some music tracks could have been better.”
- “I know you have another two phases. Even the one where it actually looked dead and the music stopped and everything didn't get me, because a pattern had already been established.”
- “The soundtrack is a banger!”
graphics
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
55%
15%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming pixel art style that, while somewhat generic for indie games, is executed effectively, resulting in smooth and clean animations. Players appreciate the crisp visuals and tight controls, although some have reported rendering issues on older graphics cards. Overall, the aesthetic complements the gameplay well, drawing inspiration from notable titles in the metroidvania genre.
- “I love that the pixel graphics are the game's aesthetic, but the game isn't pixel-based in movement; it makes for really smooth, really clean animations.”
- “Good music, well-coded, and there is definitely something to be said for the crisp visuals, probably what I liked most.”
- “Chunky pixel graphics mixed with tight controls and a game that doesn't waste my time.”
- “It may cause some rendering problems on old graphics cards though, my usual laptop couldn't render the map, suit and dialogue in the game.”
- “It's kinda like Gato Roboto - simpler gameplay and graphics and you can beat it in 2-3 hours, but what's there is super tight and well designed.”
- “It also has a bit of the generic indie-game art style, but it's pulled off well enough!”
atmosphere
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
61%
17%
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its eerie charm and well-crafted environments, particularly the containment facility, which offers a sublime buildup. Players appreciate the blend of engaging chiptune music and unique boss designs that enhance the overall experience, while the lighthearted yet haunting tone adds depth to the gameplay. The combination of tight platforming controls and cinematic sequences further enriches the atmospheric experience.
- “The buildup and atmosphere there was sublime!”
- “Charming, simple, doesn't take itself too seriously, but has an eerie atmosphere, easy-to-understand bosses, and a handy arsenal when it comes to fighting mobs or bosses.”
- “It has a really eerie atmosphere, and the power-ups and items you get are really fun to use.”
- “The music is also great, with a blend of genres to add some life to the decrepit atmosphere.”
gameplay
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
31%
6%
The gameplay is highly praised for its solid mechanics, satisfying progression, and well-designed map, offering a fun and engaging experience despite its short length of 2-3 hours. Players appreciate the blend of familiar metroidvania elements with innovative mechanics, creating a rewarding and enjoyable atmosphere, complemented by a good spooky vibe and fitting music. Overall, the game is described as a tight, well-paced adventure that respects its genre while providing a fresh take.
- “Good spooky vibe, great gameplay, your progress through the game feels very satisfying as you gain abilities and explore new areas.”
- “Rock solid no frills metroidvania design and gameplay.”
- “The game is short, but well-paced and mechanically rewarding.”
- “It's kinda like Gato Roboto - simpler gameplay and graphics, and you can beat it in 2-3 hours, but what's there is super tight and well designed.”
story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
37%
38%
The story is heavily inspired by Metroid Fusion, featuring a similar atmosphere and progression without a mission structure. Players appreciate the evolving environment and the introduction of new abilities throughout the narrative, contributing to an engaging experience. Overall, the pacing and art style are well-received, drawing favorable comparisons to other notable metroidvanias.
- “The story is heavily inspired by Metroid Fusion and the art style is very reminiscent of Environmental Station Alpha, both fantastic metroidvanias.”
- “Pros: The game is worth the money, cool new moves you can learn throughout the story, the soundtrack is decent, and I like the game's pacing so far.”
- “The story is heavily inspired by Metroid Fusion and the art style is very reminiscent of Environmental Station Alpha, both fantastic Metroidvanias.”
- “More specifically, this is sort of a Metroid Fusion clone, just without the mission structure.”
- “It's neat seeing the station evolve as you progress through the game or during different story events.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The game offers a decent level of replayability, particularly for players interested in speed-running or experimenting with different items and strategies to achieve faster completion times.
- “Even so, replay value does exist if you want to try for faster times, more items, and what have you.”
- “Sure, but there's plenty of replay value.”
- “There's a bit of replay value if you're interested in speed-running the game.”
- “Even so, replay value does exist, if you want to try for faster times, more items, what have you.”
humor
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews on the humor aspect are mixed; some players appreciate the game's humor as enjoyable and well-integrated with its other elements, while others express fatigue with the prevalent self-aware, meta humor often found in indie games. Overall, the humor is seen as a positive feature, though not universally embraced.
- “With great synth music, challenging bosses, and great humor, anyone can enjoy it.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's optimization has been criticized, particularly during the final boss encounter, which experienced significant performance issues. However, some users noted that these problems may be more pronounced on lower-end hardware.
- “One downside is the final boss had severe performance issues for my machine, but to be fair, I was playing on a potato.”