Ruiner

Not without some significant problems, Ruiner is still a satisfyingly difficult slice of twin stick grimdorkness. [Issue#267, p.73]

A brutal, chaotic top-down shooter that offers great focused gameplay but little else.

Ruiner's cyberpunk carnage and soundtrack evoke Hotline Miami, even if the gameplay doesn't quite measure up. It's a spectacle, but it's over too soon.

Ruiner is a dizzying affair in combat, offering tons of things for players to consider as music pounds their senses. However, a lack of weapon impact, fights that often feel too similar, and a lifeless world takes away from its appeal.

Ruiner is a competent top down sci-fi shooter that boasts an emphasis on difficultly, but a lacking in story. The gameplay sells it, for sure, just don't be shocked when the plot doesn't draw you in.

When a game is purposely difficult solely due to the amount of overpowered enemies it can throw at you, it makes for an unsatisfying experience. This blended with clunky gameplay only amplified my disappointment. I would not be surprised if someone stopped playing twenty minutes into Ruiner with its uninviting gameplay.

A game that’s far more pleasing to look at than to actually play. [Issue#226, p.67]

Skills and arsenal are the only bright spots in this otherwise uninspired linear romp.

Ruiner has an amazing soundtrack and cool action, but when it comes to gameplay this is not a surprising game. The setting makes us long for more, especially combined with the black humor, but the gameplay is too repetitive to really enjoy it.

Ruiner has lofty ambitions but its frustrating, non-stop combat gets in the way.

Fighting my way through Ruiner felt like work, and if I weren’t obligated to finish it for the review I probably wouldn’t have bothered. It’s too bad it focuses on being difficult over being fun, because the combat totally works when you’re given access to the full range of weaponry and gadgets and can finally stand up to the nearly endless waves of varied enemies thrown at you. This one is definitely better the second time around. Games should be fun right from when you hit the start button – that’s kind of the whole point – but Ruiner puts you through too much of a hazing ritual to get there.

In the genre of top-down action games there are far more competent choices. Ruiner seems to be over the top hard just for the sake of being hard, neglecting in the process to incorporate satisfying melee or shooting gameplay. Moreover, it may have the looks, thanks to the use of Unreal Engine 4, but its factory focused environments are extremely tiresome.