Skip to main content

ROOT

If you’ve been wanting to play a meaty strategy game with cute forest animals attacking each other over parcels of forest land, check out Root.
75%Game Brain Score
gameplay, graphics
optimization, grinding
76% User Score Based on 123 reviews
Critic Score 75%Based on 6 reviews

Platforms

PCPCWindowsWindowsLinuxLinuxMac OSMac OS
Buy Nowfrom $3.62
Buy NowGet on Steam$4.99

About

Root is a single-player shooter game with hardcore stealth FPS gameplay and cyber espionage theme. As hacker Edward Summerton, infiltrate a powerful corporation's network, avoiding detection or confronting enemies, while dealing with the all-knowing Systems Administrator. With excellent visuals and a wonderful soundtrack, the game offers a challenging and immersive experience in corporate crypto-espionage.

Genres & Tags
Play Modes
ROOT screenshot
ROOT screenshot
ROOT screenshot
ROOT screenshot
ROOT screenshot
ROOT screenshot
ROOT screenshot
ROOT screenshot
ROOT screenshot
ROOT screenshot
ROOT screenshot
+4

76%
Audience ScoreBased on 129 reviews
gameplay15 positive mentions
optimization3 negative mentions
  • The game features a unique and captivating art style that combines cyberpunk aesthetics with a retro feel.
  • Gameplay is challenging and encourages a mix of stealth and action, providing a rewarding experience for players who enjoy strategic gameplay.
  • The soundtrack is engaging and complements the game's atmosphere, enhancing the overall experience.
  • Combat mechanics can feel clunky and unresponsive, leading to frustration during encounters.
  • The level design is often repetitive, with a lack of variety in environments and enemy types, which can make the gameplay feel monotonous.
  • Stealth mechanics are inconsistent, with enemies sometimes detecting players in unrealistic ways, making stealth gameplay frustrating.
  • gameplay
    48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of Root is a mixed bag, with some players enjoying its unique blend of stealth and shooting mechanics, while others criticize its simplistic and slow-paced design. Many find the stealth elements rudimentary and the shooting mechanics underwhelming, leading to a bland experience despite the game's interesting aesthetics and atmosphere. Overall, while some appreciate the innovative approach and addictive nature, others feel it lacks depth and variety, resulting in a somewhat polarizing reception.

    • “The gameplay is fun and unique, the art style is great and I enjoyed the progression and boss fights.”
    • “The gameplay is very solid and the controls are tight.”
    • “Don't make the mistake of reading into the word 'stealth' too much - at its core, this game is a hardcore FPS in the vein of early Quake games, but the stealth is added as an option and adds a nice bit of variety to the gameplay.”
    • “And the problem is that stealth gameplay is very dumb and simple down to the very bare basics of stealth gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay is also too slow for that, weapons feel very underpowered and the enemies always hit you when they shoot, even when 1 mile away.”
    • “Unfortunately, it's the atrocious gameplay that almost fails to deliver, since the shooting is simply, well, pretty bad (movement, aiming and generally the whole setting is coded in a terrible way), and the stealth mechanics are rudimentary at best.”
  • graphics
    45 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are described as unique and visually appealing, with a distinct art style that combines 90s virtual reality aesthetics and sci-fi elements. While some players appreciate the vibrant use of colors and shaders, others note that the visuals can become repetitive and occasionally clash with the gameplay. Overall, the graphics are considered a strong point, contributing to an immersive experience despite some technical performance issues.

    • “The graphics are actually pretty damn awesome, in my opinion.”
    • “Unique graphics for a stealth FPS type game, very unpretentious yet lots of fun.”
    • “I love the art style unlike any other game I've played or seen.”
    • “The initial good impressions don't last long: after the first minute, the neon visuals become rather sparse and redundant.”
    • “Seems interesting but running at 10-5 (and below) fps on a GTX 750 Ti with 8 GB of RAM and running in windowed mode at 1600x900 is unacceptable for a game with visuals of this kind.”
    • “The graphics feel a bit odd as the neon does not glow.”
  • music
    27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received widespread praise for its engaging and atmospheric soundtrack, featuring a mix of breakcore tunes and sci-fi acapellas that enhance the overall experience. Reviewers noted that the music complements the game's aesthetic well, creating a captivating rhythm that adds to the gameplay, despite some criticism regarding its occasional foreground prominence. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout element, making it a significant draw for players, especially those who enjoy electronic music.

    • “The soundtrack turned out to be good too; it makes up for the 90's hacker vibe with its choice of solid breakcore tunes coupled with deeply enveloping sci-fi acapellas on top of the usual synthy ambient.”
    • “Root is a great indie FPS game with an amazing soundtrack and atmosphere.”
    • “This is a very solid shooter with a unique art style and some really good music.”
    • “With the literally lame dodge mechanic, it feels like a crappy version of Shadow Warrior 2013, or a stealth-oriented knockoff of Desync (cyberpunk action shooter without any stealth mechanics or terrible soundtrack).”
    • “I think there are several music tracks, but they only play rarely.”
    • “That's what it's all about here, not the background story, not the simplistic graphics, not the nice music.”
  • story
    21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is characterized by witty banter and a creative premise involving a hacker navigating a mainframe, but it suffers from a lack of a tangible antagonist and a coherent narrative progression. While some players appreciate the humor and atmosphere, others find the plot vague and disconnected, with cutscenes that fail to contribute meaningfully to the overall experience. Overall, the story is seen as a mixed bag, with potential for depth but ultimately leaving players wanting more.

    • “For what it's worth, the whole main quest is chock-full of witty banter with your system assistant.”
    • “The story is told through inter-level text boxes, where the player is a 'hacker' that works with the 'root shell' of a mainframe, to defeat the 'sysop' (who the shell doesn't like).”
    • “One of the best games since it made you feel like the character and it has a great story and good colors to different levels.”
    • “One thing I do not like in this vague blueprint of a plot is the total absence of the antagonist in the flesh, because it's pretty much implied that you cross swords with him.”
    • “I was confused when the story did not really go anywhere... there were just some meaningless things, some cutscenes that did not lead to anything or nothing related to them happened later.”
    • “I did not connect with the characters or story goals; the FPS gameplay was not any better than other games, there were no upgrades or levels or skills, and there was nothing in the level design that made me curious to see more.”
  • humor
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is praised for its creative story and witty humor, featuring funny dialogue and amusing moments, such as chaotic enemy physics that add to the comedic experience. Players find the humor enhances the overall enjoyment, making the gameplay both fun and challenging. Notable highlights include a hilarious ending reminiscent of "The Stanley Parable."

    • “This cyberpunk FPS offers redeeming qualities such as innovative gameplay (at least it tries) with its mixture of stealth and shooting, and some funny dialogue.”
    • “The only glitch I've encountered throughout my playthrough is that sometimes dead enemies would chaotically spin and fly all over the place, although it doesn't provoke other enemies and looks strictly hilarious.”
    • “The Stanley Parable office ending was hilarious, and I noticed it right when I saw those two doors in the large empty room. XD”
  • optimization
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing poor performance and sluggish controls, particularly in certain areas, while others noted that overall performance is generally smooth but marred by occasional frame rate dips. Many users express a desire for further optimization to enhance gameplay experience.

    • “The performance is perfect, and the different enemies, guns, and levels getting bigger are a plus too.”
    • “The engine or the maps could be optimized a bit better: it's all smooth most of the time, but I did notice some lower FPS dips sometimes.”
    • “This game embodies everything I hate about taking a risk with indie games: poor game performance (Unity engine specifically, gave me poor framerates in some parts) and terrible controls.”
    • “Everything is clunky and subpar, from controls to performance.”
    • “But sadly, the performance and combat are both sluggish.”
  • atmosphere
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of Root is highly praised, with users highlighting its amazing soundtrack and engaging story that enhance the overall experience. The game's atmosphere contributes significantly to its appeal, making it a standout indie FPS.

    • “Root is a great indie FPS game with an amazing soundtrack and atmosphere.”
    • “The gameplay is fine; the atmosphere and story are interesting, and I didn't mind the difficulty.”
  • grinding
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players indicate that grinding in the game can be quite demanding, often requiring significant time investment or additional lives to progress effectively.

    • “Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding and keeps you engaged.”
    • “The grind is challenging but satisfying, making every achievement feel earned.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
    • “I spent hours grinding, and it felt like I made no progress.”
  • stability
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, users report a stable gaming experience with no significant glitches or game-breaking issues, contributing to smooth gameplay.

    • “There are no annoying or game-breaking glitches.”
    • “The game suffers from frequent crashes that disrupt the experience.”
    • “I encountered several bugs that made it difficult to progress.”

75%Critics’ scoreBased on 6 critic reviews

Buy ROOT

Videos

Games Like ROOT

Intravenous Image
91%2.5kreviews

Intravenous

2021Tactical Shooter
PCPCWindowsWindowsSteam DeckSteam Deck
Solarix Image
58%459reviews

Solarix

2015Shooter
PCPCWindowsWindows
Tokyo 42 Image
67%376reviews

Tokyo 42

2017Shooter
PCPCiPhoneiPhoneXboxXbox+10
12 is Better Than 6 Image
This game contains adult content
72%2.4kreviews

12 is Better Than 6

2015Arcade Shooter
PCPCWindowsWindowsNintendo SwitchNintendo Switch+2
Dex Image
This game contains adult content
77%1.8kreviews

Dex

2015Open World Role Playing
PCPCXboxXboxXbox Series X|SXbox Series X|S+9