Discover, kill, die, repeat. Like many a loop-style game before it, Loopmancer takes the core gameplay of games like Death Loop and 12 Minutes and throws them into a blender with a side-scrolling world and a few scoops of death and destruction. Developed by eBrain Studio and published by eBrain Studio, Yooreka Studio, and Xu, Loopmancer is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PlayStation 4|5, and PC on the Steam storefront.

So what exactly is Loopmancer? Loopmancer is, to its core, a roguelite platformer set in a loop. When you die you restart the day, but you keep any intel discovered through your previous playthrough, much like the games I listed above. Any upgrades and unlocks made in previous “lives” are also permanently unlocked, and skills purchased are also kept upon death to help aid with the following loops. Now, the game is a side-scrolling platformer set in a cyber punk-like world within a Chinese Dynasty setting. If you have just read that and thought, “damn, this is gonna be so repetitive”, it’s not. After each “loop”, the levels, placement, and tier of enemies you encounter are changed, with only the main boss levels in the areas staying the same.

You play Xiang Zixu, a detective who takes on a disappearance case. The person who has disappeared is a female journalist. Unfortunately, while on the case things go terribly wrong and Xiang Zixu dies, only to awaken in his apartment. While they are busy trying to put the puzzle pieces together of what the hell just happened, the phone rings. It’s their boss saying a new case has just come in and it’s on the disappearance of the female journalist. Welcome to the loop. Now you must risk life and limb to discover what is going on. Die, repeat, and eventually discover what has happened in this twisted storyline.

The gameplay of Loopmancer is practically hack-and-slash. Equipped with melee weapons, guns, throwable gadgets, and cybernetic augmentations, the almost endless amount of enemies thrown at you give the game a super fast pace for a side-scroller. Loopmancer features over 100 usable weapons, from machetes to shotguns, and fire-palm blasts to throwable bottles and slippers, even a massive fish melee weapon makes an appearance. Each weapon is upgradeable by spending currency earned from defeating enemies, completing in-level challenges, and even asking your boss for a bit of dosh. Having such a variety of usable items increases the replayability of the game.

Not only do you get to play with the items and randomized levels, but every decision you make in-game affects the story and characters within Loopmancer. The game features 7 endings and 7 levels, all featuring different enemies and bosses, including gang members, mechs, and even the occult. Tiger City is a weird and wonderful place. When restarting a loop, you can either choose to restart the level, where you seem to lose all equipment, or you can wake up again and restart that way with an arsenal at your side.

During the levels, you can come across black market merchants who will sell you weapons and unlocks, which are great if you restart the level and have nothing more than your fists. If you do wake up again, the starting of the loop can take a while. You have to leave your home, go into the office, speed run through it, and then get to your vehicle to get back into the action – all a bit tedious if you ask me. There is an option, however, at your home where you can pet your kitty, and although it may look scuffed due to strange textures, it’s still pretty damn cute. The kitty will also grant you some buffs in the form of melee damage or extra HP sodas, so make sure you pat the Overlord whenever possible.

Loopmancer was great to look at. Vibrant colors and explosions, the easy-to-follow UI, and even the effect when going into Overkill Mode were mesmerizing. As I said with the kitty, there were some scuffed models and textures, but it was mainly around hair and fur. Everything else looked pretty solid. The levels all felt different as well. Being a platformer set in a city, it’s hard to set different levels without them feeling repetitive, but I feel that with the drastic contrast in locations, the developers pulled it off.

The only thing that fell dull upon the senses was the soundtrack. It lacked the ability to pump me up mid-fight, and I think this was because it’s too quiet and very bland. It lacked violence, speed, and momentum. I would constantly be in low health, and with the flat music, it didn’t make me feel like I was in danger of losing any of the progress I had made. In contrast to the soundtrack, the voice acting is where the audio shined. A great cast made the dialogue not feel like it was read from a script – it didn’t feel forced or robotic like some indie voice acting does.

Altogether, Loopmancer is a great game to pick up, hack, slash and repeat. The game is launching at $28 NZD and is definitely worth it. With the amount of replayability featured in it, you will be playing for hours. Loopmancer could easily be one of the best indie games I’ve played this year!

Written by: Bigfoot