Hard Reset

 PC
User Score
7.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 372 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 211 out of 372
  2. Mixed: 116 out of 372
  3. Negative: 45 out of 372

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  1. metalhead980
    Sep 13, 2011
    8
    Fast, brutal arcade shooter fun. Upgrades weapons, take down waves of mechanical monstrosities.
    Hard Rest pays homage to the old school shooter, if you liked games like Painkiller you will love this game.
    Great graphics, clever upgrade system and brutal difficulty. Only negative would be its extremely short 3-4 hour campaign.
  2. digimortal81
    Sep 17, 2011
    10
    Absolutely beautiful graphics and solid sound. Colors contrast and stand out against the backgrounds, I try to imagine I am running around in Bladerunner. Atmosphere is dark and edgy similar to some Unreal maps from back in the day. Animations have weight and move smoothly. While not as great as Painkiller or other hardcore shooters this game is refreshing to play.
  3. runbmp
    Sep 14, 2011
    9
    Its nice to see such fluidity in the controls back into PC gaming. The fast pace hardcore is also a huge welcome. Hard reset's music queues usually send onslaughts of robots for you to dispose of.

    Robots with range missiles, bowling ball robots, or bad ass robots that resemble the one seen in Judge Dredd The only gripe I have is the story line which clearly wasn't its main focus, and    Its nice to see such fluidity in the controls back into PC gaming. The fast pace hardcore is also a huge welcome. Hard reset's music queues usually send onslaughts of robots for you to dispose of.

    Robots with range missiles, bowling ball robots, or bad ass robots that resemble the one seen in Judge Dredd

    The only gripe I have is the story line which clearly wasn't its main focus, and its easily forgiven given the game play provided. However given I bought it for 26$, the value provided compared to allot of 60$ titles is astounding.

    I look forward to more titles from Wild Flying Hogs, they've done a fantastic job!

    Do yourself a favor and pick up the title at 30$, you'll be supporting a developer who is dedicated to your platform and focused on value for your $.    … Expand
  4. thesisko
    Sep 14, 2011
    10
    Inccredible fun and great looking. A return to form for fast-paced PC shooters. Buy it so we can get more like this, developers like Flying Wild Hog are all too rare these days.
  5. Kaelor
    Sep 14, 2011
    9
    Even though this is Flying Wild Hog's first game. it made a good impression on me for this company. User clean interface, full throttle action combat, Importance of enviroment usage is unique elements for this game. If youre looking for some good action and avoidance combats you gotta get this. the only bad thing in game ended too soon. I've completed in 4 hours or so. This game surelyEven though this is Flying Wild Hog's first game. it made a good impression on me for this company. User clean interface, full throttle action combat, Importance of enviroment usage is unique elements for this game. If youre looking for some good action and avoidance combats you gotta get this. the only bad thing in game ended too soon. I've completed in 4 hours or so. This game surely deserve some expansions.… Expand
  6. HornyGoblin
    Sep 14, 2011
    10
    - Little indie gem with visuals of AAA titles for millions $$$
    - Great cyberpunk-noir atmosphere.
    - Wonderfully built locations.
    - Incredible weapons upgrade system.
    - Fast gunplay with a bit of tactics.
    - Relentless and fun-to-kill enemies.
    - Good replay value with room for future DLCs
    - Reasonable price/value ratio.
  7. stole38
    Sep 17, 2011
    9
    I never like shooters , but this game i can't take my eye's off ! It's so smooth and the visuals are just outstanding i've played it all Crysis , FarCry they don't have those visuals ! Wonderful Game !
  8. GhostReporting
    Sep 13, 2011
    10
    Just awesome! I've been playing this game non-stop since I got it on steam. Really fun, reminds me of the Doom days, even if the levels are linear. It's still a fun game with upgrades to your guns. Great PC Exclusive. Check it out!
  9. UNr34L
    Apr 27, 2012
    9
    I bought the Extended Edition (retail) and loved it. Nearly all the problems I had with the demo were gone or adjusted. The game also received a significant length boost in the version I played. All in all I had tons of fun. The graphics are AMAZING as well as incredibly optimized...the UI, the controls, the options and the music are all top notch. Flying Wild Hog has managed to do what aI bought the Extended Edition (retail) and loved it. Nearly all the problems I had with the demo were gone or adjusted. The game also received a significant length boost in the version I played. All in all I had tons of fun. The graphics are AMAZING as well as incredibly optimized...the UI, the controls, the options and the music are all top notch. Flying Wild Hog has managed to do what a lot of AAA studios failed. This is a true old school PC shooter. I would recommend getting the retail Extended edition though (same price), as for the time being the extra levels have retail exclusivity and are not available on steam.… Expand
  10. casinostomper
    Sep 22, 2011
    9
    Excellent game. Challenging battles that make you want to upgrade weapons and replay. great environment, and generally has an addictive quality as you try to minimise the amount of times you are killed. Could do with more upgrades for replays, and being a bit longer. not very good on sli systems - patch needed.
  11. Kugeet
    Sep 18, 2011
    10
    Great-looking-fun-to-play game. Don't believe the 4 hrs walkthrough time - it took me good 8 hours of play on normal difficulty to finish this. Yes, you die plenty, but it's a great way of dying :)
  12. Flaw
    Sep 22, 2011
    10
    Have you thought to yourself, "I'm getting sick and tired of these bulky space marines waddling in their corridors filled with waist-high obstacles, I sure wish someone would release an FPS with solid mechanics and an emphasis on the game play." If you have, Hard Reset is the thing you want.

    It's pretty much everything a decent PC shooter should be. It's not going to hold your hand. It's    Have you thought to yourself, "I'm getting sick and tired of these bulky space marines waddling in their corridors filled with waist-high obstacles, I sure wish someone would release an FPS with solid mechanics and an emphasis on the game play." If you have, Hard Reset is the thing you want.

    It's pretty much everything a decent PC shooter should be.
    It's not going to hold your hand. It's not going to play itself for you. It will challenge you, and boy is that refreshing in this endless stream of Gears of Duty: Waddling Space Marine Editions that have been rolling out non-stop for the past few years.

    Sure, there might be 2 weapons. What the negative reviews "forgot" to mention is that each weapon has 10 different fire modes. That's right, 10. Making the total amount of weapons actually well above the average. And even if it didn't, the weapon modes in Hard Reset are SO FUN to use. You have your general array of plasma guns and rail guns and shotguns, but some of the modes are very original. For example the stasis grenade, which can freeze time around the impact point. Or the Smart Gun, which fires homing balls of plasma that can penetrate through walls.

    The game is an absolute blast, and if you used to enjoy games like Unreal (or Unreal Tournament for that matter) or Quake, you most surely will enjoy Hard Reset.

    PS. Do take note that I didn't even praise the graphics as that's not what makes this game stand out, but they are absolutely stellar. You'll be hard pressed to find a game that looks better.    … Expand
  13. Mancubus
    Sep 23, 2011
    9
    This game delivers not only the most pretty picture of all shooters at the moment ( I personally was impressed way more than with Crysis 2 or any other FPS), but much more - this is true old school spinal shooter. This is the Quake 2011. And I looove this.

    The only small unimportant annoyances I didn't like were lack of quicksaving (able to be implemented through console bindings    This game delivers not only the most pretty picture of all shooters at the moment ( I personally was impressed way more than with Crysis 2 or any other FPS), but much more - this is true old school spinal shooter. This is the Quake 2011. And I looove this.

    The only small unimportant annoyances I didn't like were lack of quicksaving (able to be implemented through console bindings anyway, and even I'd say not required, as checkpoints are set quite smart not to enrage be after death) and ugly comic strips delivering indistinct story script.

    This team will go far, I believe. Buy game, support the, and we will get another id.    … Expand
  14. RicochetSaw
    Nov 8, 2011
    9
    Fast, Brutal, Massive Hordes of Enemies? This game is for anyone who played Quake, Painkiller, or Serious Same. Minus the bunny hopping, this is a modern adaptation of the same game-play elements. People tent to knock it because it is short, this isn't really a problem if you play on the hardest difficulty as you will spend hours looking for all of the nano so you can upgrade fastFast, Brutal, Massive Hordes of Enemies? This game is for anyone who played Quake, Painkiller, or Serious Same. Minus the bunny hopping, this is a modern adaptation of the same game-play elements. People tent to knock it because it is short, this isn't really a problem if you play on the hardest difficulty as you will spend hours looking for all of the nano so you can upgrade fast enough to survive all of the fights. The engine reminds me of Unreal Engine 3 minus the high amount of Vaseline on everything. The Cyberpunk atmosphere reminds me of Blade Runner. Neon Signs everywhere, amazing lighting. Most recent patch added a survival mode with 2 locations. Please support Indie Developers who make great games like this, they are too rare these days. I'm really looking forward to more DLC or another game by this developer. The lack of Multiplayer, Game length, and the strange and somewhat forgettable story are the only downsides, but honestly, if you are looking for a fast paced shooter and not some gun porn, story is probably a low priority. To be honest, I'm slightly glad the developer spent time on a Singleplayer game, it added to the quality of both the coding, and the actual game-play rather then them focusing on something that would probably feel tacked on. They should try in their next game. Definitely a Flying Wild Hog fan.

    Pros: Painkiller style Fast paced single player

    Cons: No/Difficult Bunny-hopping No Multiplayer Graphics : 10/10
    Sound: 10/10
    Game-play 9/10
    Story 9/10

    Overall 9/10    … Expand
  15. bosmeeuw
    Dec 2, 2011
    9
    I've seen this game compared to Serious Sam, but for me it's a lot deeper than SS. The weapons are pretty diverse, and the game puts you in plenty of unique situations where you really need to think about your tactics and what weaponry to use, and that a furious pace. The graphics are wonderful, especially the weapon effects and the results on your enemies. Great fun!
  16. Magnus005
    Dec 4, 2011
    9
    Very fast paced fps with a decent storyline. I played the demo and was very stoked to buy the full version, but the promises made by the demo fall short for a number of reasons:
    1) As mentioned by metalhead980, the campaign is not much longer then the demo;
    2) The storyline should have been played out more. The demo promised much more cutscenes, but like a lot of movie trailers, all the    Very fast paced fps with a decent storyline. I played the demo and was very stoked to buy the full version, but the promises made by the demo fall short for a number of reasons:
    1) As mentioned by metalhead980, the campaign is not much longer then the demo;
    2) The storyline should have been played out more. The demo promised much more cutscenes, but like a lot of movie trailers, all the best shots are shown in such a way as to be BETTER than the movie itself;
    3) It's fast-paced because playability is VERY simplified; you have barely any jump clearance, a limited sprint and no crouch feature, something rarely omitted from any fps.
    Don't get me wrong, the game itself is very kick-ass and I still replay it from time to time. It just doesn't live up to the hype of the demo, which by itself is almost as kick-ass. And I totally love the cyberpunk genre immersion, which could be better with more interaction with civilians and some NPCs, as there are none. The only targets are rampaging robots. So I give it a 9.    … Expand
  17. CannibalBob
    Jul 2, 2012
    9
    Hard Reset takes a futuristic throwback to brainless, unforgiving shooters of the 90's and blends it with some modern paradigms to give us a polished, enjoyable action-fest!

    I especially enjoyed the visually spectacular graphics, specifically its detailed environments, bright, colourful effects, discernible enemies and plenty of explosions! Throw in some fast-paced music and bassy    Hard Reset takes a futuristic throwback to brainless, unforgiving shooters of the 90's and blends it with some modern paradigms to give us a polished, enjoyable action-fest!

    I especially enjoyed the visually spectacular graphics, specifically its detailed environments, bright, colourful effects, discernible enemies and plenty of explosions! Throw in some fast-paced music and bassy sound effects and explosions, and you get a very visceral and satisfying FPS.

    Being an indie game, I was surprised to enjoy such a smooth and beautiful engine. Some of the modern paradigms worked really well, including the leveling system coupled with nostalgic secret-hunting. Find more secrets, and you're rewarded with better weapons and skills via the leveling system! The only drawback was the checkpoint save system was too restrictive, inhibiting the player from "messing around", and the interface can be laggy, especially when one wants to switch weapons or jump. It took me 7.4 hours to beat Hard Reset on Hard Mode, and was excited that I can replay the campaign to max out my level with an "Ex" mode!

    Overall, I loved the experience, and really liked the game's design, but felt that it could've been perfect with a smoother interface and less restrict save system.    … Expand
  18. Alkemic
    Sep 22, 2011
    9
    When they said, that this game is going to be like old-school fps, I thought it's some cheap buzz, but they succeed. It's fun, and fast-paced game. There is TEN guns, with few types of ammo. Campaign is rather short, about 7h, but it's really enjoyable.
    And the best in this game is really good graphics, I hope more developers make pc exclusives, because playing some horrible looking games    When they said, that this game is going to be like old-school fps, I thought it's some cheap buzz, but they succeed. It's fun, and fast-paced game. There is TEN guns, with few types of ammo. Campaign is rather short, about 7h, but it's really enjoyable.
    And the best in this game is really good graphics, I hope more developers make pc exclusives, because playing some horrible looking games on FHD just burn my eyes.
    Sound effects should be tweaked, but if don't mind few glitches it's ok.    … Expand
  19. HyperMetal3000
    Sep 19, 2011
    10
    Its pretty, fast-paced and fun as hell. Hard Reset is an inexpensive indie video game made by people who love old shooters. Its deceptive because the game looks and feels so good that you think that you're in a full-blown main stream video game but hopefully anyone with a brain will realize that anything that is lacking in this game is because there really wasn't a big corporate budget toIts pretty, fast-paced and fun as hell. Hard Reset is an inexpensive indie video game made by people who love old shooters. Its deceptive because the game looks and feels so good that you think that you're in a full-blown main stream video game but hopefully anyone with a brain will realize that anything that is lacking in this game is because there really wasn't a big corporate budget to back it. Look up the company that made the game, Flying Wild Hog and you'll see that they've never made anything else. As soon as people started talking about this game I dove right into looking up information about it and when I found out that it was made by developers pretty much on their free time I knew the game wasn't going to be Deus Ex: Human Revolution. I've never had so much fun on a brand-new $30 PC game. Don't let some of these knuckle draggers bring you down, its good mindless fun, just don't go in expecting Call of Duty, its a 30 dollar video game.… Expand
  20. Nirkbirk
    Sep 27, 2011
    9
    A gorgeous looking, amazingly fun, fast and addictive game, it's a must-have for any fans of the Painkiller series. The only downside is it's quite short.
  21. pelotron
    Sep 22, 2011
    10
    Imagine "Michael Bay's Blade Runner". Now imagine yourself at the controls. That's what this game is like: non-stop explosive action in a gorgeous and compelling cyberpunk game environment from start to finish. From the moment you suck your first group of 10 robots together with a gravity grenade then blow them all into the sky with an adjacent explosive barrel, or disable them with anImagine "Michael Bay's Blade Runner". Now imagine yourself at the controls. That's what this game is like: non-stop explosive action in a gorgeous and compelling cyberpunk game environment from start to finish. From the moment you suck your first group of 10 robots together with a gravity grenade then blow them all into the sky with an adjacent explosive barrel, or disable them with an EMP pulse and then electrocute them with the NRG Blaster, you will be in love.

    While the game is full of these adrenaline-fueled scenes of chaos (where seemingly everything in the environment can blow up and kill your enemies--or you), you will also experience moments of meditative peace as you explore the beautifully crafted city while being moved by a sublime soundtrack. When was the last time you played a game that encouraged you to find the secrets and presented you with a scoreboard at the end of each level? Hard Reset brings back mechanics like that to make a game that stands in stark contrast to the cutscene-filled "interactive movies" that modern FPS games have become.

    Add to all this a dev team that has been implementing gameplay suggestions from the community and you have a winner that should get way more attention than it has. Buy this game.    … Expand
  22. caiusmisus
    Jan 12, 2012
    8
    Good graphics and atmosphere. Great shooter, better than most of FPSs in these years, but I wouldn't say that it is 100 % oldschool. The thing i most hated during my playthrough was that after you entered an area, the exit behind you got blocked, so the game was presented to you just by running through closed arenas. The second thing was that there were invisible barriers everywhere. TheGood graphics and atmosphere. Great shooter, better than most of FPSs in these years, but I wouldn't say that it is 100 % oldschool. The thing i most hated during my playthrough was that after you entered an area, the exit behind you got blocked, so the game was presented to you just by running through closed arenas. The second thing was that there were invisible barriers everywhere. The game was open, but still, very linear. No autoheal was the main reason i bought this game and it showed how the cover system is absolutely not needed for a good FPS. But great gameplay made me to forget about these things and i enjoyed the game extremely. Very simple story, but who cares? This game is about shooting and its a thing this game's good at. Could have been done better, but still : a very good game.… Expand
  23. sh4dow
    Sep 19, 2011
    9
    the incompetence in reviewing this game and the way in which gamers approach this are mindboggling to me. excuse me but did ANYONE throw away modern warfare after running through the single player campaign on easy after 5 hours or so?!
    it is simply moronic to say a game is short that is designed with a) exploration and b) multiple playthroughs in mind! if you don't want to explore and    the incompetence in reviewing this game and the way in which gamers approach this are mindboggling to me. excuse me but did ANYONE throw away modern warfare after running through the single player campaign on easy after 5 hours or so?!
    it is simply moronic to say a game is short that is designed with a) exploration and b) multiple playthroughs in mind! if you don't want to explore and don't want to try to upgrade your weapons and don't want to finish it in "ex game" mode - that's YOUR issue, not the game's. if you don't like it... fine. don't play the game. but it pisses me off to no end that these things (summed up as replayability) are barely even mentioned anywhere. everywhere, it's the same dumb "it's short".
    don't let that fool you and consider that these morons are often comparing hard reset to full price games! (i would also recommend reading the thread "4 hours my @ss, no way!" in the steam forum...)

    aside from the fact that the length is perfectly fine for the price, the only things i would criticize about it is that the graphics are "just" good but nothing groundbreaking (which many comments made it sound like), that there is no quick save and the cut scenes feel pretty chaotic at times. i respect innovative story telling but it just feels like a bit sluggish writing to me. the look and atmosphere of them is great though.
    between that and the fun gameplay and the insane amount of upgrades (again - if you only run through it once, you probably won't even see all weapons!), this is a must have for any old school shooter (as in: quake, unreal, duke nukem 3d) fan!    … Expand
  24. daveyy12
    Jan 3, 2012
    10
    Surprisingly good game. Good choice of weapons and system for acquiring more health/ammo was somewhat unique and worth checking out. Not much of a plot line and very hard to follow. However, this is an excellent shooter with plenty of challenging enemies. Give this one a try. It's a good value for the price.
  25. Mank
    Sep 22, 2011
    8
    The two weapon models are upgradable and interchange between many weapon types, beautiful aesthetics of a grubby cyber punk environment with a PC optimised engine and a cheaper selling price make Hard Reset a must buy, and Flying Wild Hog a must support if we want more.

    The campaign is quite short, but very satisfying for it's price, HR is an enjoyable, challenging, throwback to old style    The two weapon models are upgradable and interchange between many weapon types, beautiful aesthetics of a grubby cyber punk environment with a PC optimised engine and a cheaper selling price make Hard Reset a must buy, and Flying Wild Hog a must support if we want more.

    The campaign is quite short, but very satisfying for it's price, HR is an enjoyable, challenging, throwback to old style shooters, without the useless frills of modern FPS's.    … Expand
  26. Ultimate_Gamer
    Sep 27, 2011
    9
    This game came from another dimension.

    There are three FPS games which shaped the whole genre. After Half-Life FPS games started adding dialogues. Almost every FPS after Stalker had RPG elements. And finally Call of Duty made FPS more casual. Now, imagine the world where these three games were never made. Hard Reset was made in this world. It denies all the cliches and instead gives you    This game came from another dimension.

    There are three FPS games which shaped the whole genre. After Half-Life FPS games started adding dialogues. Almost every FPS after Stalker had RPG elements. And finally Call of Duty made FPS more casual. Now, imagine the world where these three games were never made. Hard Reset was made in this world. It denies all the cliches and instead gives you a good, old-school FPS, allowing you to carry around tons of weapons (technically, there's only two, but they both have five different modes) and fight giant bosses. In short, if you're kinda person who spent hours killing monsters in the original Doom and now is waiting to enjoy Serious Sam 3, this game is definitely "must have" for you.    … Expand
  27. stjernefodt
    Sep 29, 2011
    9
    Great graphics and cyber-punk atmosphere, gorgeous old style shooter in a brand new look. Little short but fun. What surely is missing is a big sign after the final boss: "TO BE CONTINUED". Looking forward to see the next episode/dlc or HR2 :)
  28. alewis21
    Nov 13, 2011
    10
    This is basically Quake 2011. And I really like it because it's first game like this since...i don't even know! All the other ones are call of $hitty ripoffs that makes true PC veterans cry. This game brings the genre back to its roots. No infinite health, no infinite ammo, carry as much as you damn well please, explore the areas to gain edge against enemies, and most importantly - haveThis is basically Quake 2011. And I really like it because it's first game like this since...i don't even know! All the other ones are call of $hitty ripoffs that makes true PC veterans cry. This game brings the genre back to its roots. No infinite health, no infinite ammo, carry as much as you damn well please, explore the areas to gain edge against enemies, and most importantly - have some ACTION instead of cowering behind a box every 3 seconds because you got hit and your screen is flashing red. I don't understand why people are complaining about relatively short SP campaign - this game has tons of secrets into it, thus great replayability value. And remember - skilled player is able to finish basically any old school FPS in matter of minutes. Even very long ones like Half Life - record speedrun is just above half an hour. Try to do this with extremely scripted modern games that won't let you progress until script finishes (and there's one every 3 steps)… Expand
  29. Buba28
    Apr 19, 2012
    8
    The game is linear but still fun to play, the monsters are a bit repetitive but as the game is indie I think it needs a bigger score. Very arcade reminds you of great days of serius sam games.
  30. magellan
    Sep 28, 2011
    10
    Great shooter. Basically its not a game for everyone, as I believe, but if you are looking for old school shooter here is one of the best. Game as overall is very nicely done - great physics, graphics, weapons and aggressive AI. Everyone is complaining about story but... Well I haven't mind it during my 1st playthrought, but after that I just wanted to dig a little, and understand itsGreat shooter. Basically its not a game for everyone, as I believe, but if you are looking for old school shooter here is one of the best. Game as overall is very nicely done - great physics, graphics, weapons and aggressive AI. Everyone is complaining about story but... Well I haven't mind it during my 1st playthrought, but after that I just wanted to dig a little, and understand its meaning - and its also quite nice - small additional flavor to overall experience.

    But most of all this game is all about having fun. Gameplay just feel right, its all very intense except for some moments when you can take the breath an immerse yourself with this futuristic vision. Also it looks like devs will be supporting it for a while - as least I hope to get some additional content soon.    … Expand
  31. stascom
    Oct 8, 2011
    10
    Epic PC-only FPS! Puts Rage and Deus Ex to shame. No crappy console port compares to the qulity of this project developed by a small company. Flying Wild Hog, you, guys, rule!
  32. darkzelda
    Oct 11, 2011
    10
    This is an excellent old school shooter . It's fast, brutal, good looking and hard like the old days. It's incredible how critic don't know **** about games. What the heck were people waiting, your Call Of ****ty game? This a shooter from the old times and it delivers exactly that. Keep up the good work Flying Wild Hog
  33. unc0nnected
    Feb 9, 2012
    10
    This is quite easily the greatest FPS I have ever played.. It's also by and large the best looking game you will see. It puts any other AAA FPS to shame because of the fact that it is made exclusively with PC technology in mind.. It is not created to play well on crappy antiquated console technology that is 5 years behind the PC. The mechanics and gameplay harken back to classic fastThis is quite easily the greatest FPS I have ever played.. It's also by and large the best looking game you will see. It puts any other AAA FPS to shame because of the fact that it is made exclusively with PC technology in mind.. It is not created to play well on crappy antiquated console technology that is 5 years behind the PC. The mechanics and gameplay harken back to classic fast paced, actioned packed FPS games of the past when the industry wasn't coddling the masses. If you want a challenge, if you want something beautiful and if you want gameplay like you've never experienced before this is your game. Graphics: 10/10
    Ga    … Expand
  34. Necrotaur
    Jan 6, 2013
    8
    I had Hard Reset installed for the longest time, but never got around to playing it until now, which is a shame. It's a blisteringly fast shooter that rewards both reflexes and strategy, and the graphics and level design are impressive for a semi-independant studio. There is a story in there somewhere and while I couldn't tell you the finer points, it reminds me of Blade Runner and II had Hard Reset installed for the longest time, but never got around to playing it until now, which is a shame. It's a blisteringly fast shooter that rewards both reflexes and strategy, and the graphics and level design are impressive for a semi-independant studio. There is a story in there somewhere and while I couldn't tell you the finer points, it reminds me of Blade Runner and I enjoyed the way it's presented. The only criticism I have is that switching between weapons is a little annoying, as sometimes you have to press the swap key several times to get to the weapon you want to use.… Expand
  35. Spawnah
    Dec 26, 2011
    8
    I had great fun with this game, it reminds me of older shooters I used to play when I was younger, and even when I take off the nostalgia goggles itâ
  36. NickaPleeze
    Oct 17, 2011
    8
    Who cares about plots, this game is fun! It has a great engine and I liked the shooting design and figuring out secrets. A bit short, but it's fun to replay on a harder difficulty, which helps make up for it.
  37. CHIHWAHLI
    Mar 22, 2012
    8
    This game is fun and plays differently depending on what weapons you chose to upgrade. There are 2 main types of weapons:

    Standard: shorgun, machine gun, rocket launcher, mine, etc Energy based: railgun, plasma ball gun, electric bomb thrower, etc Each weapon has 3 upgrades that give extra effects or even new posibilities. Like the railgun being able to use X ray vision and easily    This game is fun and plays differently depending on what weapons you chose to upgrade. There are 2 main types of weapons:

    Standard: shorgun, machine gun, rocket launcher, mine, etc
    Energy based: railgun, plasma ball gun, electric bomb thrower, etc

    Each weapon has 3 upgrades that give extra effects or even new posibilities. Like the railgun being able to use X ray vision and easily hit targets behind objects. Or homing electric balls, etc

    The interface with doors and upgrade terminal is cleverly using the PC mouse. If your pointer is close to the terminal screen it changes to a small pointer and you can click the button to open the door.

    The level design has destructable surroundings, that could help you defeat enemies.

    The enemies are not limited to a few, but the boss fights are nice! They are huge!

    Between the levels there is an animated video telling the story in between. Interesting way of drawing.

    This game stands out in the whole list of doom clones. Certainly entertaining.    … Expand
  38. Apeson
    Mar 22, 2012
    9
    Hard Reset is basically Serious Sam in an awesome cyberpunk sci-fi setting. The setting feels like it's placed in some brutal radical parallel universe of the movie Blade Runner.
    If you think that dying should be part of a game, you will love the challenging gameplay. No quick saves, only checkpoints like the dude once said "Even my grandmother could beat the game if she saved as much as    Hard Reset is basically Serious Sam in an awesome cyberpunk sci-fi setting. The setting feels like it's placed in some brutal radical parallel universe of the movie Blade Runner.
    If you think that dying should be part of a game, you will love the challenging gameplay. No quick saves, only checkpoints like the dude once said "Even my grandmother could beat the game if she saved as much as you do.".
    The game is full of annoying stupid enemies who will attack you in crowds and will make you yell at your computer and the bosses are unfair and will crush you dozens of times.
    If you love "old school" shooters with a challenging difficult, you will love Hard Reset also.    … Expand
  39. Breakdancer22
    Jan 22, 2012
    10
    This is how more games should be made! The graphics are amazing, there's tons of explosions and fast-paced action, cool, robotic enemies, secrets, and I love the fact that I can upgrade my weapons. Also, the boss fights are epic and challenging, and the fact that your health does not regenerate makes it more challenging. Don't pay any attention to the negative reviews. This game is worthThis is how more games should be made! The graphics are amazing, there's tons of explosions and fast-paced action, cool, robotic enemies, secrets, and I love the fact that I can upgrade my weapons. Also, the boss fights are epic and challenging, and the fact that your health does not regenerate makes it more challenging. Don't pay any attention to the negative reviews. This game is worth every penny! The only thing I didn't like was the ending, otherwise it would have been a perfect game. :)… Expand
  40. steffon
    Oct 16, 2011
    9
    Wow, what a nice sleeper game! Awesome graphics and cyberpunk and Blade Runner atmosphere, very optimized and polished engine and gameplay. Old school brutal FPS with variety of original guns. Could be little longer and little less linear, but still awesome fun!
  41. Nile3
    Nov 2, 2011
    9
    The graphics are amazing, the maps are fun and fast-paced, the gameplay holds the values of old-school FPS while innovating, in brief, it rocks. One downside is the length of the game, too short.
  42. whitespider999
    Mar 10, 2012
    8
    This is my personal favorite 'arcade shooter', -- to elaborate on what that means; A game that is primarily like quake 1 or serious sam. Shoot waves of enemies, hit switches, complete game. There is a story in this game, however it is throw away and disjointed. The gameplay however, feels fantastic. Far more than the even more recent serious sam 3. The setting is superb, and the visualsThis is my personal favorite 'arcade shooter', -- to elaborate on what that means; A game that is primarily like quake 1 or serious sam. Shoot waves of enemies, hit switches, complete game. There is a story in this game, however it is throw away and disjointed. The gameplay however, feels fantastic. Far more than the even more recent serious sam 3. The setting is superb, and the visuals are breathtaking and cutting edge to say the least. The visuals/world and physics add this incredible layer of chaos and the pumping techno music, and pumping techno lighting make the game feel like a cyberpunk rave. If you are sensitive to flashing bold lights and electronic music. Don't play this, you will have a seizure. If you are not - and this kind of thing gives you a buzz - it might be the best game of this type for you as well. It even has an rpg-like upgrade system, and a reason to explore the world attached to it - in the form of glowing orange collectibles that act as 'xp' or 'currency' for upgrades. The biggest downfall is the repetition of the enemies. Best played in short spurts.… Expand
  43. Dr-Muhannad
    Jan 25, 2012
    9
    This is a very satisfying and highly enjoyable shooter and it is highly recommended.

    If you like shooters and the story, plot & characters are not that important to you & if you are a fan of an excellent weapons, clever upgrade system, excellent shooting mechanics & very good graphics with plenty of enemies & ammo this an excellent choice.
  44. leondaniel21
    Oct 3, 2012
    9
    Juego impresionante grandes gráficos y con una jugabilidad a la vieja escuela, a un precio módico de 20 dolares, lastima de la durabilidad pero aun así no es un pretexto para no hacerte con el.. recomiendo 100% este juego..
  45. JonesR
    Mar 7, 2012
    8
    I really enjoyed Hard Reset--a first person shooter that employs similar tactics to old school DOOM-style run and gun games, complete with secret areas for finding extra loot. The destructible environment is better than Hydrophobia, but doesn't quite match the caliber of a game like Red Faction: Armageddon. Hard Reset offers a half-decent story, sharp graphics, plus a great mix ofI really enjoyed Hard Reset--a first person shooter that employs similar tactics to old school DOOM-style run and gun games, complete with secret areas for finding extra loot. The destructible environment is better than Hydrophobia, but doesn't quite match the caliber of a game like Red Faction: Armageddon. Hard Reset offers a half-decent story, sharp graphics, plus a great mix of different weapons and upgrades. On the downside there isn't a large variety of enemies so you end up killing the same machines repeatedly, and the length can be considered short, although I thought it was reasonable. Overall, the game feels very polished--one I would certainly play again on a higher difficulty.… Expand
  46. Matseb2611
    Jan 13, 2013
    8
    Hard Reset is a fast-paced indie shooter with beautiful visuals and an interesting cyberpunk setting. Perhaps what was most impressive about the game was the fact that the presentation was so top-notch and attention to detail so good that it didn't even feel like an indie game. As probably everyone admits here, even the negative reviews, the visual aesthetics are really stunning (even onHard Reset is a fast-paced indie shooter with beautiful visuals and an interesting cyberpunk setting. Perhaps what was most impressive about the game was the fact that the presentation was so top-notch and attention to detail so good that it didn't even feel like an indie game. As probably everyone admits here, even the negative reviews, the visual aesthetics are really stunning (even on low graphics settings) and the environments are atmospheric. The gameplay is quite straight-forward. You go round from area to area, fighting off groups of robots, and then upgrading to new weapons and facing a bigger challenge. Although this may seem repetitive, I personally have had a lot of fun, because there was a very decent variety between the different weapons. You have two types: the ballistics type and the energy type. Each one had 5 different weapons you could acquire through upgrading, so that's 10 weapons in total really, plus each weapon had two different firing modes, so in a way you have up to 20 different ways to kill the enemies. And it's not like all the weapons are similar. In fact each and every weapon could be useful in certain situations. I personally found myself using every single one of them at some point. And the fighting itself was a little more engaging than what you might expect. There were a lot of destructible and explosive objects in the environment, so using environmental kills is highly encouraged throughout pretty much the entire game, which was a really nice touch, because many games of this style tend to suffer from the lack of this feature. The boss fights were pretty challenging too. In fact the whole game was challenging, and I notice a lot of negative reviews here criticised the game for being too hard. But that's what the Easy mode is for. If anyone wants a casual experience, they should play on Easy, and if they want a challenge, then they should try higher difficulties. As for story, yeah, maybe it wasn't anything too special, but it did add some spice to the game, and the comic-book style cutscenes in between the missions were a really nice addition in my opinion. Admittedly the game isn't very long. It took me about 7 hours to complete the original game plus the Exile DLC, but this is pretty standard for single player FPS games, plus the game was fun enough and I am sure I will be back to it again in the future, especially that there are plenty of Steam achievements to get. And speaking of DLC, I thought it was really decent that the DLC was actually free and comes together with the original game at no extra charge. Now this shows that the developers are really passionate about delivering a good, satisfying game to the fans and not for dishing out extra cash.… Expand
  47. sn00ze
    Aug 6, 2012
    8
    Good FPS game that in old-school style: tons of enemies, crazy action, secret places in every level, huge/HUGE bosses, and Insane difficulty, I finished the game on Hard and some levels were truly freaking hard, like it was to it in old-school games of this genre. The positive sides of this game is definitely graphic, that is simply amazing. Next is art design (specially in free DLC).Good FPS game that in old-school style: tons of enemies, crazy action, secret places in every level, huge/HUGE bosses, and Insane difficulty, I finished the game on Hard and some levels were truly freaking hard, like it was to it in old-school games of this genre. The positive sides of this game is definitely graphic, that is simply amazing. Next is art design (specially in free DLC). There are also quite a few downsides: short campaign (around 7 hours, with DLC on Hard), weak story that simply ends, and weak/bad voice acting.… Expand
  48. fhouse
    Nov 30, 2012
    8
    The Extended Edition of the game (Extension was free for early Steam buyers!) is basically more of the same formula. More types of enemies, diverse locations and even darker, metallic, shining, cyberpunk atmosphere, and more achievements of course. Relatively cheap game, looks nice, runs well even on mediocre PCs. Fun.
  49. KingShree
    Dec 1, 2013
    8
    True Old School game. It is repetetive, sometimes boring but overally its very good and it brings back a lot of memories. With the new free DLC the games lenght is acceptable and the new final boss is a bit of challenge. Great game!
  50. MS227
    Dec 14, 2013
    8
    (Review En Español) qué puedo decir?.Primero que nada, que el Unreal Engine 3 hace que el juego se vea estúpidamente bien y que las armas se sienten ponchudas y poderosas (Como curiosamente ocurre con otros juegos hechos con este motor), como en la vieja escuela, donde incluso el arma más debil se siente cabrona. Hard reset es un shooter old-school que vale cada centavo invertido en el.(Review En Español) qué puedo decir?.Primero que nada, que el Unreal Engine 3 hace que el juego se vea estúpidamente bien y que las armas se sienten ponchudas y poderosas (Como curiosamente ocurre con otros juegos hechos con este motor), como en la vieja escuela, donde incluso el arma más debil se siente cabrona. Hard reset es un shooter old-school que vale cada centavo invertido en el. Eso si, debes de estar consciente de que es lo que estás comprando, ya que este no es un shooter que trata de mostrar una historia épica y situaciones pendejas, sino uno donde todo se resuelve como debe de ser, a tiros con múltiples explosiones. Pero de todos modos, ¿qué importa la historia cuando puedes pegar de tiros a todo lo que se mueva? Esto es algo así como la carta de presentación del juego, y lo demuestra MUY bien.… Expand
  51. Captain_Chaos
    Jun 22, 2016
    9
    7/29/2015: Hard Reset represents everything that used to be good about FPS games. It comes to us by the grace of some of the folks behind Painkiller, and is comparable to games like that and Serious Sam in its sensibilities. Numerical health, hordes of enemies, very big guns all with alternate fire options and no need to be reloaded, gigantic bosses and lots of secret areas to find. It7/29/2015: Hard Reset represents everything that used to be good about FPS games. It comes to us by the grace of some of the folks behind Painkiller, and is comparable to games like that and Serious Sam in its sensibilities. Numerical health, hordes of enemies, very big guns all with alternate fire options and no need to be reloaded, gigantic bosses and lots of secret areas to find. It even has a new game plus function, so you can keep on buying upgrades and try out weapons you missed. The story is a bit thin, being the tale of a gruff, alcoholic enforcer who rebels against his corporate overlords, but that's not what games like this are about. It's a game about fun, and blowing up robots in the most graphically pleasing way possible. All of the weapons are useful, and you will have to switch between them quickly. Luckily, switching your CLN firearm or NRG weapon's modes does not reset their cooldowns, so you can to keep up a sustained fire rate, which you will need to do to keep up with Hard Reset's incredibly aggressive enemies. It's also extremely affordable. So if you dare, then let Hard Reset take you back to the golden days when men were men, cover was for amateurs and pulling the trigger made things go boom. I recently replayed this game and enjoyed it even more then the first time I played it, as I also had the chance to play the free Exile DLC, which adds several new levels to the campaign. It seriously beefs up the game's total length and adds a more satisfying conclusion, as well as another boss fight. If you didn't play Hard Reset when it first released, or you did and found it lacking, you'd be doing yourself a favor to give it (another) shot.… Expand
  52. Potitoman
    Aug 20, 2015
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Do you like those dumb and frantic FPS games of the late 90's?
    Well, they don't come much dumber and frantic than Hard Reset.

    First of all, the game looks technically great! I can't say I'm crazy about the art direction, but it does look shiny and technically competent.

    The story is... um... I have no idea. Something about AI and robots or something. The plot is paper thin and it's just there as an excuse for stuff to go boom.

    The level design is OK if a little contrived. It's all very linear with the odd secret room or had to reach area sprinkled around the map.

    Thankfully, the shooting justifies the price of admission. Frantic, crazy shooting with plenty of weapons and lots of enemy hordes to mow down.

    If you liked Painkiller or Serious Sam, you'll probably enjoy this brainless but very fun roller-coaster ride of destruction.    … Expand
  53. sft
    Dec 18, 2015
    8
    Trouble and strafe

    HARD RESET sets out to provide old-school run and gun fun, and it succeeds admirably. The combat is frenetic (and tough at times) with waves of enemies being punctuated by simple puzzles and a light story line. The graphics are good for an indie game and the environments are impressive and immersive (it’s clearly influenced by Blade Runner, and that’s no bad thing).    Trouble and strafe

    HARD RESET sets out to provide old-school run and gun fun, and it succeeds admirably. The combat is frenetic (and tough at times) with waves of enemies being punctuated by simple puzzles and a light story line. The graphics are good for an indie game and the environments are impressive and immersive (it’s clearly influenced by Blade Runner, and that’s no bad thing). Physics play an important role: there are plenty of explosive and electrifying objects in the environments to help with the frenzied firefights. The enemies are well-designed and quirky (some even have propellers on their heads) and, although there aren’t that many classes, their attack methods develop as the game progresses to keep things mixed up. Although you only get two weapons both can be upgraded to add lots of additional fire modes (I liked this aspect -- some games have too many weapons). I really enjoyed this game despite the fact that I normally prefer a more nuanced shooter. It’s fast, furious, and a whole lot of fun.    … Expand
  54. Neddy
    Nov 24, 2014
    8
    It feels like I have been dropped into the 2000AD comic series. It's like being right there.

    I seriously love the way this game looks. The city graphics are second to none for me, but I haven't played all the most modern games. Combat is great, if a bit tough at times. Although slightly short it has become one of my favourite gaming experiences. I played the demo a few times. I have    It feels like I have been dropped into the 2000AD comic series. It's like being right there.

    I seriously love the way this game looks. The city graphics are second to none for me, but I haven't played all the most modern games. Combat is great, if a bit tough at times. Although slightly short it has become one of my favourite gaming experiences. I played the demo a few times. I have played though on hard difficulty twice. My second play through took 12 hours including DLC levels. My first play through took longer partly because I was gawping at all the graphics.

    Combat with robots is extreme sublime.

    Really though I feel I am there in the comics, like they came to life, and I am in it. Incredible feeling. Awesome engine and concept. A good i5 and GTX650 Ti will keep frames rates above 25fps with settings maxed. It will be well over 25fps, but this type of hardware will keep it smooth in the most heated battles.

    Hint:
    Make the shotgun your first upgrade. It is a game changer.
    Take the railgun and RPG upgrades as soon as you can, as again they are game changers. (Other weapons may be just as effective, but I found these worked excellent. Other weapon types I did not even try.)
    These weapons are the game winners for me. I took them and all the combat gear upgrades.

    Minor bad point:
    One or two of the checkpoints are a bit far apart.
    My fight with the first boss nearly stopped me playing, but youtube showed me I had to use different weapons.
    One particular secret I can not work out. I could look it up online.
    Shame it is slightly short, even with the free DLC. I just haven't had enough for such a superb concept game.
    Occasionally very difficult. Especially in the free DLC content.    … Expand
  55. lock3r
    Dec 28, 2013
    10
    GOOD: Nice video, good audio, WOW gameplay
    BAD: short campaign
    Hard Reset is probably the best "classic" FPS i played in the last 9 years (I say 9 to avoid a conflict with HL2): it combines 90s FPS tipical gameplay with modern elements. Its core is the interaction with the enviornment, that one can (in practice must) use to kill enemies. There are 2 weapons that can fire each in 5    GOOD: Nice video, good audio, WOW gameplay
    BAD: short campaign
    Hard Reset is probably the best "classic" FPS i played in the last 9 years (I say 9 to avoid a conflict with HL2): it combines 90s FPS tipical gameplay with modern elements. Its core is the interaction with the enviornment, that one can (in practice must) use to kill enemies. There are 2 weapons that can fire each in 5 different modes with different effects.    … Expand
  56. Homerlvsbeer
    Jan 11, 2016
    10
    I truly believe back in 2011 2012. game development was in competition with other games developers. and there was a growth in games graphics. and its games like this one hard reset that make me feel like that interest in making great quality games that work on release that interest has gone. the interest to build and create amazing games seems to have died a death. this is truly a marvel.I truly believe back in 2011 2012. game development was in competition with other games developers. and there was a growth in games graphics. and its games like this one hard reset that make me feel like that interest in making great quality games that work on release that interest has gone. the interest to build and create amazing games seems to have died a death. this is truly a marvel. if you have never played this game on high settings you need to. there are games out today in 2016 that dont look as good as hard reset. or feel as good and as well put together. the weapons are amazing. the light shines all around and when you run you see camera blur that was done very very well. this game has alot to offer. and has to be one of the greatest designed games ive ever seen. its beautiful. its like doom 3 but it kicks ass. its a sci fi shooter. and i really love it. and i really mean it when i say there is not alot out today that looks this good. so what happened. ?… Expand
  57. RumThief
    Jul 24, 2015
    9
    A beautiful game and terrific throwback to fps roots. Only two weapon systems in the game but with a nice triple-tree upgrade system your two weapons morph into a great many more giving a satisfying array of combat options. There are a lot of old design mechanics at play in this game which I loved: static health with pickups to replenish instead of regen, large ammo pools with noA beautiful game and terrific throwback to fps roots. Only two weapon systems in the game but with a nice triple-tree upgrade system your two weapons morph into a great many more giving a satisfying array of combat options. There are a lot of old design mechanics at play in this game which I loved: static health with pickups to replenish instead of regen, large ammo pools with no reloading, no crouching, very fast movement, and expansive levels with minor puzzles to unlock new areas. All in all an enjoyable find. Help support this developer if you're a fan of these style games.… Expand
  58. Nevermore-0
    Sep 25, 2014
    10
    Hard Reset
    Too good to miss!
    No this is nothing like those old games. It's 2014 and I play 30+ games in rotation, including the GoG Doom 3, and this gem shines above them all as a vacation from the typical... Have you ever kicked a vending machine? Knocked over a newspaper dispenser. Smacked an ATM? Tisk-tisk. The machines fight back in this one. Hard Reset is one of the unsung triumphs    Hard Reset
    Too good to miss!
    No this is nothing like those old games. It's 2014 and I play 30+ games in rotation, including the GoG Doom 3, and this gem shines above them all as a vacation from the typical...
    Have you ever kicked a vending machine? Knocked over a newspaper dispenser. Smacked an ATM? Tisk-tisk. The machines fight back in this one. Hard Reset is one of the unsung triumphs of its time. It's a wonder this isn't an episodic franchise. The greats do slip past us. Get ready to be hit hard by this Monster-sized madness as you hit back with its unequaled weaponry set in a desolate dystopic future.
    If nothing else it has the greatest upgrade station in gaming.    … Expand
  59. KARF4GEN
    May 10, 2018
    8
    Хороший, годный шутер "старой школы".
    Было очень интересно бегать, прыгать и стрелять. Больше Хард ресет вам предложить и не сможет.
    А оно нужно? Это игра для ненапряжного времяпрепровождения.
  60. kimi1775
    Nov 9, 2020
    8
    ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎ ‏‏‎
  61. The_D4RknesS
    Jul 16, 2023
    8
    In love with the game! It's amazing, it has an immersive soundtrack, great scenery destruction, perfect physics, "blood" when you kill the robots and the best... What I liked the most when you kill a robot EVERY PIECE SPREAD STAYS ON THE GROUND AND DOESN'T disappear from nowhere. If this game has a little problem, it's the amount of robots that appear at once in a way that there are soIn love with the game! It's amazing, it has an immersive soundtrack, great scenery destruction, perfect physics, "blood" when you kill the robots and the best... What I liked the most when you kill a robot EVERY PIECE SPREAD STAYS ON THE GROUND AND DOESN'T disappear from nowhere. If this game has a little problem, it's the amount of robots that appear at once in a way that there are so many and you don't know what to do… Expand

Awards & Rankings

99
#99 Best PC Game of 2011
52
#52 Most Discussed PC Game of 2011
35
#35 Most Shared PC Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 49 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 49
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 49
  3. Negative: 1 out of 49
  1. Armchair Empire
    Apr 27, 2012
    65
    Hard Reset isn't a bad game, but it's rote old school sensibility has passed me by. I don't have the same kind of reflexes I did 5 or 10 years ago to properly appreciate the twitch elements, so maybe I have to take some responsibility on that front. For me, Hard Reset is unremarkable because it seems about 5 years too late for me.
    Read full review
  2. Gaming Age
    Nov 17, 2011
    75
    Hard Reset also does a lot of cool things in games that I wish we'd see more of, and it does them well. Interfacing with fictional computer terminals is fun, and scoping the strong art direction does a lot to set the game in a fairly original virtual setting.
    Read full review
  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Nov 15, 2011
    70
    Short life span but budget price – this science-fiction inspired first person shooter has a lot to offer with stunning visuals and perfect old-school playability. Pity there's not a multiplayer option. [Nov 2011]
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