Giga Wrecker review

Reviewed on: PC

Getting past the strangeness of seeing the Game Freak logo on a game that isn’t Pokémon is really hard, but that doesn’t stop you from enjoying this good title. GIGA WRECKER is a good 2D Action-Adventure game with platforming.

Although it doesn’t have a very brilliant story ─ it isn’t bad, it’s just not something you applaud for creativity ─ the setting of GIGA WRECKER is quite inviting. Robotic machines from space, called Ajeet, begin to dominate the Earth and tyrannically impose an empire: the old and sick are killed and the young are forced into slavery until they die. You play as Reika, who, after a strange assassination attempt by a survivor of the machines’ tyranny, receives the addition of a cybernetic arm capable of controlling debris from obstacles and enemies you destroy through electromagnetism. This debris, as the game progresses, can be turned into tools and weapons that will help you with the game’s puzzles.

As said before, the story isn’t brilliant. It isn’t entirely bad, either, and has its moments that grip the player. But the Story is something that bothered me. The main characters don’t have as much depth as you’d expect from an apocalyptic setting, and the dialogue is unnecessarily full of anime clichés with not much to add, shallow and sometimes even unnecessary. The antagonists, the world-building and the setting are quite interesting, on the other hand. The ajeet have an intricate caste system, recalling what Indians used to do in the past with a bit of European feudalism thrown into the mix, which makes good sense of the use of the machines and even their design, for example. This framework becomes even more unique and intriguing when the Astras (the equivalent of feudal lords) show unique and human personalities. The first Astra we face, for example, has a motherly affection for the ajeet under her command, fueling a pretty cool discussion: what does it mean to be human?

Even with this heavy-handed part of the narrative, the game’s audiovisuals are impressive. Even with Reika’s somewhat clumsy movement, the game is a feast for the eyes. Clean, hand-drawn sprites over fantastic backdrops as well. The art is chaotic and unsettling ─ on purpose ─ to reflect the tense climate humans live in this new “life”. Although the schoolgirl anime look doesn’t really match this kind of setting, it’s easy to let it slide, because Reika’s visual design is very well done. The ajeet have innovative and very functional designs, matching their functions properly. GIGA WRECKER‘s soundtrack is quite interesting and doesn’t feel out of place in the game, providing a good atmosphere through very ambient, soft house and, of course, industrial tracks. Nothing that makes your jaw drop, but it does its job well

Now, the game’s brilliance comes in the mechanics. We’re talking about a 2D Action-Adventure game, so elements of a metroidvania and a platformer will be glaring. Of course, there are points where you may get a little frustrated with the slight imprecision of the controls (the protagonist sometimes runs more than she should…), but I can guarantee this is small compared to the very fun and unique mechanics of GIGA WRECKER. The game is based on Reika’s ability to control and manipulate certain types of debris (which in the game’s lore has the ajeet‘s “blood”, liquid nanomachines) and use it for the most varied purposes. All of this is sprinkled with puzzles that must be solved using the ability to turn this debris into weapons and objects, relying on simple ─ but well implemented ─ physics. It’s fantastic how things fit together and work well in this game. The sword you make from debris, for example, besides serving as a weapon, serves as a tool for more precise cuts of obstacles; the javelin spears can be used as platforms, etc.

Combat is simple ─ but not simplistic ─ and effective, punctuated by the growing amount of rubble Reika carries in the form of a sphere: certain enemies can only be defeated if hit with a sphere big enough to knock them down (which earns you crystals that can be exchanged for upgrades on a gigantic skill tree). Add the fact that if an enemy is killed near a breakable obstacle, the nanorobotic “blood” stains it, and it can be used as a debris repository for you. This adds even more layers of strategy and nearly infinite gameplay possibilities. This type of concept is very little explored in games of the genre and GIGA WRECKER does it meticulously well. The only catch is the game’s difficulty, which can put off younger and/or casual players. But if you like a more challenging game, it’s a feast.

GIGA WRECKER is a very interesting experience. If you are a lover of classic platform games and were starved for games of the genre, GIGA WRECKER is worth its price. For now, it’s only available for PC via Steam

STORY: 6
AUDIOVISUAL: 8.5
MECHANICS: 9.5

FINAL SCORE: 8

PC version