The Cleaner

With a little more polish and player-driven feedback, The Cleaner could well emulate a proper first-person John Wick experience. However currently, it feels a little more like a frustration emulator designed to inspire rage quits.

56%Game Brain Score

music, emotional

graphics, gameplay

61% User Score Based on 99 reviews

Critic Score 40%Based on 2 reviews

Platforms

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About

The Cleaner is a single player shooter game with a violence theme. It was developed by Dystopia Corp and was released on May 5, 2022. It received negative reviews from critics and mostly positive reviews from players.

The Cleaner is a hardcore die 'n' retry inspired by John Wick, Hotline Miami and SuperHot. You control a highly-trained " cleaner " with a unique power. No cliché storyline, no cutscenes, start the game and play.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

61%Audience ScoreBased on 99 reviews

music14 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

The music in this game is incredible and adds a lot to the overall experience.
The combat and shooting mechanics are enjoyable and provide a satisfying gameplay experience.
The game has a unique visual style and level design that can be engaging for players who appreciate challenging gameplay.

The game suffers from significant technical issues, including poor performance, bugs, and unresponsive controls.
The platforming sections are frustratingly long and lack checkpoints, making progress feel tedious and punishing.
Visual clarity is a major issue, with enemies often blending into the background, making it difficult to engage in combat effectively.

music
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
39%
11%
The music in this game has received overwhelmingly positive feedback, with many reviewers praising its incredible quality and impact on the overall experience. While some players found the soundtrack to be a standout feature that enhances the gameplay, others felt it didn't quite fit their personal taste. Overall, the consensus is that the game boasts a powerful and engaging soundtrack that significantly contributes to its appeal.
- “The music in this game is incredible, definitely check it out on YouTube.”
- “I think if any game were ever to try and demonstrate how powerful music is to a game - this would be it.”
- “A stylish shooter with a bang-on soundtrack, outrageous physics, and some jank thrown in.”
- “But the music was not my thing.”
- “My god, the music.”
- “...however... the music.”
graphics
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
62%
23%
The graphics have received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the art style while others criticize it for making enemies difficult to see, which hampers gameplay. Many users report issues such as rough visuals, bugs, and poor level design, suggesting that the graphics do not meet the expectations for this type of game. Overall, while there are elements of good graphics, the execution leaves much to be desired.
- “The graphics are good.”
- “There are many problems that other users already stated, like the bad visuals when it comes to seeing enemies or finding the guns that have been ragdolled.”
- “Like the art style and visuals make it hard to see enemies, which feels intentional, but I need to see them to clear a room quickly.”
- “The visuals are just too rough for this type of game.”
gameplay
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The gameplay is characterized by fast-paced action that requires players to master mechanics and strategically eliminate enemies in each room. Recent updates, such as a brightness patch, have improved visibility, enhancing the overall experience despite minor bugs that do not significantly impact gameplay. Overall, players find the concept engaging and recommend the game for its interesting mechanics.
- “However, the game increasingly challenges you with every room, requiring you to master its mechanics and take your time to eliminate every enemy in the room.”
- “Edit: My original review came out prior to the brightness patch. Enemies are now clearly visible in almost every situation. I have run into a few small bugs and flaws, but none of them have detracted from my gameplay. I'd definitely suggest snagging this, even if solely because it's a pretty interesting concept!”
- “- Fast-paced, mostly fun gameplay.”
- “However, the game increasingly requires you to master its mechanics with every room, and you need to take your time to eliminate every enemy in the room.”
- “The gameplay can feel tedious as you have to meticulously learn and adapt to the mechanics in each new area.”
- “While the concept is interesting, the gameplay often feels repetitive and lacks the excitement needed to keep players engaged.”
stability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is a significant concern among users, with many reporting frequent crashes and numerous bugs that suggest it is still in a beta-like state. Reviewers feel that the game requires further development and polishing to reach its full potential, leading some to seek refunds due to the frustrating experience.
- “Whether this game needs more development and more polishing, or the fact that the game is still beta-like and buggy, it's not where it 'could' be with its amount of potential.”
- “I wanted to give this game a go but it kept crashing and was buggy, so I had to get a refund.”
- “Also, this game is buggy as hell.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization has been criticized for poor visual quality, with flashy effects that significantly impact performance.
- “This game has poor optimization, resulting in frequent frame drops and stuttering during gameplay.”
- “The optimization is lacking, making it difficult to enjoy the visuals due to constant lag.”
- “The game looks great, but the optimization issues make it almost unplayable on mid-range systems.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players report that the game evokes intense emotional responses, with some describing their experiences as causing "severe emotional damage." This suggests that the game's narrative or themes may be particularly impactful, leaving a lasting impression on its audience.
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere of the game is heavily influenced by a John Woo aesthetic, characterized by stylized action and dramatic settings that enhance the overall experience.
- “It definitely has a John Woo vibe with its setting and atmosphere.”