ROOT

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

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

72%

Audience ScoreBased on 88 reviews

gameplay10 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

The game features a unique and stylish cyberpunk aesthetic that is visually appealing.
Gameplay combines stealth and shooting mechanics, offering a challenging experience that encourages strategic thinking.
The soundtrack is engaging and complements the game's atmosphere well.

Combat mechanics feel clunky and lack feedback, making it frustrating during encounters.
Level design can be repetitive and lacks distinctiveness, leading to a monotonous experience.
The AI can be overly punishing, with enemies detecting players from unrealistic distances, which can detract from the stealth experience.

gameplay
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
63%
11%
The gameplay of Root is a mixed bag, with some players enjoying its unique blend of stealth and shooting mechanics, while others criticize it for being slow, simplistic, and lacking depth. The stealth elements are often described as rudimentary, with frustrating enemy AI and underwhelming combat mechanics that detract from the overall experience. Despite its artistic design and some redeeming qualities, many reviewers find the gameplay repetitive and lacking in engaging progression, leading to a generally bland experience.
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “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
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
51%
9%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a unique and vibrant art style, often described as reminiscent of 90s virtual reality aesthetics, with effective use of shaders that enhance the visual appeal. While some players appreciate the creative and immersive visuals, others find them somewhat repetitive and lacking in originality, with occasional performance issues on lower-end hardware. Overall, the graphics are generally well-received, contributing positively to the game's atmosphere despite some criticisms regarding their execution and level design.
- “The graphics, music, and menu designs are all great.”
- “The graphics are actually pretty damn awesome, in my opinion.”
- “Unique graphics for a stealth FPS type game, very unpretentious yet lots of fun.”
- “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 GBs of RAM and running on windowed with 1600x900 is unacceptable for a game of visuals of this kind.”
- “The graphics feel a bit odd as the neon does not glow.”
music
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
28%
17%
The music in the game has received high praise for its engaging soundtrack, featuring a mix of breakcore tunes and sci-fi acapellas that enhance the overall atmosphere. Reviewers noted that the music is catchy and complements the gameplay well, particularly for fans of electronic music, although some felt it could be a bit too prominent at times. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout element, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
- “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.”
- “Killer sounds, especially if you're an electronic music junkie like me; the cool cyberpunk look and the combination of stealth and run-and-gun FPS action works really well.”
- “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.”
- “Hey, I recommend that when you replay your favorite games, turn off their music for once and listen to something else.”
story
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
63%
19%
The game's story is a mixed bag, featuring witty banter and a hacker theme, but suffers from a lack of depth and a tangible antagonist, leaving players feeling disconnected from the narrative. While some appreciate the humor and creativity, others find the plot vague and unsatisfying, with cutscenes that fail to connect meaningfully to the gameplay. Overall, the story is brief and hints at a sequel, but many players feel it lacks substance and coherence.
- “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
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in this cyberpunk FPS is highlighted by its witty dialogue and creative storytelling, with moments that evoke genuine laughter, such as the chaotic spinning of dead enemies and a memorable office ending reminiscent of "The Stanley Parable." Players appreciate the blend of humor with innovative gameplay, making for a fun and engaging experience.
- “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
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Overall, the optimization of the game has received negative feedback, with users reporting clunky controls and sluggish performance, particularly during combat. While some players noted that the game runs smoothly most of the time, there are frequent dips in frame rates that detract from the experience, leading to a general recommendation to wait for improvements before playing.
- “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 occasionally.”
- “Everything is clunky and subpar, from controls to performance.”
- “I cannot recommend this until I'm certain it is optimized.”
- “But sadly, the performance and combat are both sluggish.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
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, as it allows you to unlock powerful abilities and gear.”
- “The grind is satisfying and keeps you engaged, with each level feeling like a significant achievement.”
- “I love how the grinding mechanics are balanced; it never feels tedious and always offers something new to strive for.”
- “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
300%
Overall, users report a stable gaming experience with no significant glitches that disrupt gameplay, indicating a well-polished product.
- “There are no annoying or game-breaking glitches.”
- “The game frequently crashes, making it nearly unplayable.”
- “I experienced constant lag and stability issues that ruined my experience.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of Root is highly praised, with users highlighting its impressive soundtrack that enhances the overall gaming experience.
- “Root is a great indie FPS game with an amazing soundtrack and atmosphere.”