RUINER

83%
Game Brain Score Based on 4,314 reviews
  • music
  • story
  • gameplay
RUINER Game Cover
An effortlessly stylish cyberpunk, twin-stick shooter, RUINER is essential for fans of the genre.
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"RUINER is a single-player Science Fiction Shooter game set in the year 2091 in the cyber metropolis Rengkok. As a wired psychopath seeking truth and revenge, players can utilize an array of high-tech weapons, gadgets, and augmentations to tear down corporate titans. Experience sophisticated combat, brutal violence, and a cyberpunk-inspired arsenal in this highly emotional and replayable game, despite some bugs."

  • Mac OS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Linux
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

83%
Audience ScoreBased on 4,314 reviews
music872 positive mentions
grinding30 negative mentions
  • Visually stunning with a unique cyberpunk aesthetic and great character designs.
  • Fast-paced and satisfying combat with a variety of weapons and abilities.
  • Excellent soundtrack that enhances the overall atmosphere of the game.
  • Short playtime, with a main story that can be completed in around 5-6 hours.
  • Repetitive gameplay, especially in later levels with recycled bosses and environments.
  • Clunky controls and hit detection issues that can lead to frustrating gameplay experiences.
  • music1,512 mentions

    The music in "Ruiner" has received widespread acclaim for its exceptional quality and ability to enhance the game's atmosphere. Reviewers highlight the unique blend of tribal drums, electronic beats, and contributions from notable artists like Susumu Hirasawa, which create a captivating cyberpunk soundscape that complements the fast-paced action. Many players find the soundtrack not only memorable but also integral to the overall experience, often recommending it as a standout feature of the game.

    • “The soundtrack especially stands out for me, combining tribal drums and chanting with dreamy, low-tempo beats for a unique atmosphere that stands out from the typical modern synthwave cookie-cutter cyberpunk soundtracks.”
    • “The engaging gameplay, stunning visuals, and outstanding music create a unique and immersive atmosphere.”
    • “The soundtrack is phenomenal and keeps the whole thing high energy.”
    • “The lack of spoken dialogue and jarring soundtrack by techno artists such as 'zamilska' and 'sidewalks and skeletons' makes the future of humanity feel alien, oppressive and often hostile.”
    • “The music is suitable but not especially memorable.”
    • “The soundtrack is a mixed bag; you either love it or you hate it.”
  • story1,366 mentions

    The story of "Ruiner" is generally described as simple and straightforward, often serving as a backdrop to the game's fast-paced action rather than a focal point. While some players appreciate its cyberpunk themes and intriguing twists, many find it predictable and lacking depth, with a narrative that can feel rushed or incomplete. Overall, the game is noted for its engaging atmosphere and visuals, but the story leaves much to be desired, often feeling like a vehicle for gameplay rather than a compelling narrative in its own right.

    • “Amazing game, great story, spectacular graphics and setting, and fire soundtrack.”
    • “The story is fast-paced but good enough.”
    • “The story is interesting enough to keep you motivated, but nothing special.”
    • “The visuals are striking but the story and world never feels fully fleshed out, particularly noticeable when you're wandering through the woefully small hub world.”
    • “The story never goes for a deep or philosophical angle for the majority of its runtime.”
    • “The story is generic and you'll likely see where it's going long before the ending.”
  • gameplay1,283 mentions

    The gameplay of *Ruiner* is characterized by its fast-paced, chaotic action reminiscent of titles like *Hotline Miami*, featuring a mix of melee and ranged combat with a variety of abilities. While many players appreciate the fluid mechanics and engaging combat, some criticize the repetitiveness and occasional clunkiness of controls, particularly during intense moments. Overall, the game is praised for its stylish presentation and satisfying gameplay loop, though it may not offer the depth or variety some players desire.

    • “The gameplay is fast-paced and challenging enough, and it doesn't have a high learning curve.”
    • “Ruiner is drenched in style with surprisingly fluid gameplay.”
    • “The gameplay is fun and engaging, allowing you both ranged and melee weapons at the same time, unlike Hotline Miami.”
    • “The core gameplay is something that could've been done on a SNES and is nothing to write home about.”
    • “The gameplay loop seemed to revolve around dashing in, slapping with a pipe a couple of times and dashing away or initiating a finisher animation.”
    • “The gameplay can be a bit clunky, with obstacles hindering movement when it looks like it shouldn't.”
  • graphics1,013 mentions

    The graphics of "Ruiner" are widely praised for their stunning cyberpunk aesthetic, characterized by vibrant neon colors and intricate character designs that evoke classic anime influences like "Akira" and "Ghost in the Shell." While many reviewers highlight the visuals as a standout feature, some note that the gameplay can feel repetitive and the environments lack variety, which may detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game's art style and atmospheric presentation are considered its strongest assets, making it a visually captivating title despite some gameplay shortcomings.

    • “The graphics are incredible, with a vibrant color palette and attention to detail that really helps bring the world of Rengkok to life.”
    • “The visuals are striking, and the cyberpunk aesthetic is beautifully executed, making for an immersive experience.”
    • “The art style is iconic, making use of simple strong tones that resonate with the game's atmosphere, creating a visually stunning experience.”
    • “The game was not interesting, and had mediocre graphics and poor visuals.”
    • “Ruiner is what happens when all the budget goes into graphics, but not into making the overall aesthetic feel like a cohesive and complete product.”
    • “While the graphical fidelity is nothing to write home about (it is an isometric game, after all), the gore and particle effects are satisfying.”
  • atmosphere432 mentions

    The atmosphere of "Ruiner" is widely praised for its immersive and striking cyberpunk aesthetic, characterized by stunning visuals, a unique color palette, and an exceptional soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. Reviewers highlight the game's ability to create a gritty, dystopian world that captivates players, making it one of the standout features despite some criticisms of gameplay depth. Overall, the combination of art direction, music, and environmental storytelling effectively draws players into its dark, atmospheric setting.

    • “Ruiner is one of those rare pieces of media that elevates its mediocre substance with striking style and atmosphere.”
    • “The soundtrack especially stands out for me, combining tribal drums and chanting with dreamy, low-tempo beats for a unique atmosphere that stands out from the typical modern synthwave cookie-cutter cyberpunk soundtracks.”
    • “Ruiner isn't merely challenge without substance, because it has plenty of character and atmosphere, but these things are often overshadowed by the needlessly drawn out gameplay.”
    • “The atmosphere is fittingly oppressive and grimy for its cyberpunk aesthetic.”
    • “While the game is pretty tight, there were a few places where I found myself wondering, 'why am I running through this long, empty hall?' part of the established atmosphere is the consistency of ambushes, a level of inundated attack that felt claustrophobic.”
  • replayability121 mentions

    Overall, the game offers a mixed bag of replayability. While many players appreciate the inclusion of modes like New Game+, speedrun challenges, and various difficulty levels that enhance replay value, others find the game too short and linear, limiting long-term engagement. The combat mechanics and aesthetic appeal contribute positively to replayability, but some players feel that the lack of significant content and choices diminishes its overall potential for repeated playthroughs.

    • “Ruiner’s gameplay is simple, addictive, and endlessly replayable.”
    • “There's a lot of replayability here between trying to improve your rating and testing different skill combinations.”
    • “The game offers a lot as far as replayability for those who didn't get enough on their first playthrough.”
    • “The problem is there's not much replayability here.”
    • “But, over a longer period of time, I think it's too short overall with narrow options and achievement flexibility, which makes the replay value also low.”
    • “It doesn't have much replayability, unless you want to challenge yourself with higher difficulties.”
  • character development37 mentions

    Character development in the game is generally viewed as lacking depth, with many reviewers noting that while the character designs are visually striking and unique, they often do not translate into meaningful interactions or growth within the story. The aesthetic and art style receive high praise, particularly for their vibrant cyberpunk elements, but the narrative fails to provide substantial character arcs or emotional engagement, leaving players wanting more in terms of storytelling. Overall, while the character designs are celebrated, they are seen as underutilized in the context of character development.

    • “The world of Ruiner is a visual feast, with its vibrant neon lights, gritty urban landscapes, and intricate character designs.”
    • “Character designs are spot on in my opinion; while no character is ever fleshed out or heavily focused on, the character design and what dialogue is there conveys more than what is said.”
    • “Ruiner displays a well-developed yet morbid world, great character designs, and an amazing soundtrack that complement the story.”
    • “Character designs are a standout feature, as you might tell by the main character, and it's a shame they rarely amount to more than the briefest of interactions throughout the story.”
    • “The game's style is unmatched: the character designs are unique, but the character development feels shallow and lacks depth.”
    • “While the character designs are well drawn, the interactions and development of the characters throughout the story are disappointingly minimal.”
  • grinding35 mentions

    Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly due to the lack of enemy variety and the long levels that can lead to boredom. While some appreciate the satisfying combat and engaging atmosphere, many feel that the grinding detracts from the overall experience, especially in the latter half of the game where encounters become formulaic. Overall, grinding is seen as a significant downside, with some players suggesting it may require multiple playthroughs or adjustments in difficulty to manage.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “A bit grindy sometimes.”
    • “Still, they're there and not tedious from what I saw; you end up doing much of it anyway just doing what you would normally.”
    • “There is so little variety in what you fight that it ends up feeling really grindy, sort of like an MMO.”
    • “The combat is more grindy than fun, especially when you get to the second half of the game where every encounter follows the same formula and every enemy is just recycled from earlier.”
    • “I can't recommend it because although it has excellent atmosphere, a pretty cool world for such a linear game, fascinating lore and story, great action, fun combat, challenging and often times thrilling gameplay, most of the time it feels tedious, tiring, and despite playing it not nearly as long as other games that grab my attention, I found myself constantly wishing it was over long before it was.”
  • optimization33 mentions

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant performance issues such as stuttering, crashes, and poor frame rates, particularly on lower-end systems. Conversely, others report smooth gameplay and excellent performance on mid-range hardware, highlighting that load times are minimal and the game runs well overall. However, there are consistent mentions of optimization problems, especially related to graphical settings and controls, indicating that while some players enjoy a seamless experience, many others face challenges that detract from the overall enjoyment.

    • “The game is optimized like a god; load times, even without an SSD, are pretty much non-existent.”
    • “Well optimized with performance never skipping a beat and lovely dark visuals that really add to the game's cyberpunk atmosphere.”
    • “At first glance, this game seems like it would be really good, and to its credit, it does look really nice and is highly optimized; I got a silky smooth 120 fps nearly constantly.”
    • “Very bad performance, stuttering, crashes, and bugs.”
    • “After a lot of troubleshooting to make the game run better, I have come to the conclusion that this game is poorly optimized, seeing as the quality of my hardware meets more than the game's max requirements.”
    • “The style comes at a cost - this game is kind of underoptimized.”
  • stability27 mentions

    The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting various bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay, such as issues with NPCs, visual distortions, and interaction problems. While some players experienced no major crashes or game-breaking bugs, others found the glitches to be frequent and frustrating, detracting from the overall enjoyment. Overall, the game is described as slightly buggy and unpolished, but some players were still able to appreciate the gameplay and atmosphere despite these issues.

    • “I would say though that the game can be a bit buggy sometimes, like not being able to interact with crates or unable to fire weapons.”
    • “Way too buggy to be enjoyable.”
    • “That game could be damned good if it wasn't so buggy; sometimes you don't know why but you may escape the boss zone fight, or else I fell from a deck into an abyss of nowhere, or else I found myself stuck along an element of the scene and couldn't move away from it, and then I have to stop the entire game and restart...”
  • humor24 mentions

    The humor in the game is described as a blend of dark, surreal, and sometimes naive elements, effectively complementing its brutal gameplay and cyberpunk atmosphere. Players appreciate the witty writing, amusing character interactions, and the occasional hilarious glitches, which contribute to an overall entertaining experience. While the humor may not be the main focus, it adds a lighthearted touch to the game's intense action and narrative.

    • “The game is even funny sometimes, not in a bad way.”
    • “The story is quite enjoyable, keeping players aptly entertained with its grim humor, perfect in a cyberpunk shoot-em-up.”
    • “The characters are funny and pretty surreal, and well written.”
  • emotional23 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game elicits a wide range of responses, from deep affection and connection to feelings of frustration and discomfort. Players express being touched by specific moments, such as character interactions and the game's music, while others note a lack of impactful storytelling or character development. Overall, the game offers an emotional roller coaster that can be both heartwarming and unsettling, leaving players with mixed feelings about their experiences.

    • “Not even an hour in and being called 'puppy' has made me feel something that I cannot explain.”
    • “Ruiner made me feel a certain way that I can't describe in words.”
    • “Truly a soul-touching experience to remember.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game appears to be a mixed bag, with some users expressing skepticism due to the stylized advertisements that feel disjointed. However, the engaging cyberpunk theme and fast-paced combat may still entice players to make a purchase despite these concerns.

    • “I thought this had a chance of not being well-rounded looking at the very chopped-up, stylized advertisement, despite the cyberpunk and fast combat pulling me towards purchase.”
    • “You respond in head nods, head shakes, knuckle cracks, deep breaths, and LED-lit advertisements on your face.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

75% average critic score

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Play time

6hMedian play time
7hAverage play time
5hMain story
14hCompletionist
5-10hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 28 analyzed playthroughs

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