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. 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
  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. 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.
  4. 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!
  5. 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.
  6. 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
  7. 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 :)
  8. 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.
  9. 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
  10. 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
  11. 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
  12. 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!
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. 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
  16. 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
  17. 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
  18. 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
  19. 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 !
  20. 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
  21. 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
  22. 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
  23. 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
  24. 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
  25. 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!
  26. 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.
  27. 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
  28. 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.
  29. 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 :)
  30. 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
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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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