Ridiculously Fun!
Hypercharge Unboxed is a ridiculously fun blend of nostalgia and fast-paced action, developed and published by Digital Cybercherries. This game combines the charm of childhood action figures with the excitement of wave-based shooter gameplay.
Story
There isn’t much of a story to Hypercharge Unboxed, just a loosely outlined plot to explain why players need to defend the hypercores (a tiny plastic brain that contains all your childhood memories of playing with your toys.) But the story is not the point of this game. The point is to point and shoot!
Rather than a well-developed plot, this game tells its story through the setting and arenas where gameplay takes place. The environments range from store shelves to bedrooms to bathrooms to backyards. The game’s art style is fantastic, with each level designed to make you feel like a tiny toy in a giant world. The environments are richly designed, and I genuinely appreciated each level’s detail levels, from the half-eaten head of garlic behind the bed of a teenager’s room to the punny movie references scattered throughout.
The devs didn’t just focus on making the bathroom floor fun; they also made the walls, the bookcases, and the windowsills worth exploring. The verticality of the levels adds an extra layer of depth to the gameplay, requiring players to master parkour in order to navigate successfully.
Thankfully, players will have plenty of time to look around each environment between waves of enemies. They will be able to collect coins, uncover bonus build parts, and appreciate the developers’ sense of humor.
Gameplay
The core gameplay is simple and addictive: Players and up to three friends (or AI teammates if you don’t have friends) defend the hypercores from waves of Mean-Bots and Model Airplanes.
The arsenal at players’ disposal is diverse, featuring everything from a classic machine gun to lasers to grenade launchers. This ensures that players can customize their play style or sample from the buffet of destruction.
Additionally, the downtime between waves means players will have time to reinforce any defenses that were damaged in a previous wave. Players can access the build menu to build turrets, walls, and traps to slow down enemies bent on destruction.
To be honest, I found build mode the clunkiest part of the gameplay experience, and I was never entirely sure how to select the defenses I built. I was distracted by my cat during that part of the tutorial, and afterward, I just adopted a strategy of mooshing buttons until something happened. Shockingly, this seemed to work. My hypercores were always defended by stink traps and tower walls. I have to appreciate this level of accessibility, which told me that players of all ages, or cat owners, could enjoy this game without too much trouble.
The level of build time players get depends on the difficulty you’re playing on, but the game also offers the option to skip downtime altogether and just focus on the waves.
The game offers a variety of modes, including single-player, campaign, exploration, and couch co-op multiplayer. This ensures that there’s always something new to experience, whether you’re completing objectives or just exploring the levels for hidden goodies. The inclusion of multiple difficulty levels means that both casual players and hardcore gamers can find a suitable challenge.
Overall
Rating: 8.5/10
Hypercharge Unboxed is a must-play for fans of wave defense games and anyone fond of action figures. Its engaging gameplay, extensive customization options, and nostalgic charm make it a standout title. Whether you’re playing solo or with friends, this game offers hours of fun and plenty of reasons to keep coming back for more. Hypercharge Unboxed delivers a thoroughly enjoyable experience that will bring out the kid in everyone and is available now on all systems.
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Related: Reviews by Michelle Jones
I'm a completionist gamer who just needs to find that one last object and clear that final dungeon. I love all video games, from open world sandboxes on a console to a mindless match three on my phone. In addition to gaming and writing, I am a graduate student working on a thesis about the ancient Icelandic Sagas. Feel free to ask me anything about Vikings.
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