Sometimes an indie scene can offer something more than another inedible bagel. Small spanish studio Mecha thanks to fees on Kickstarter was able to combine the classic The legend of zelda with cyberpunk and the result was really impressive.
A distant future with a traditional set of neon signs, rain, virtual reality and androids in Neon city riders acquires the necessary scope with four gigantic zones, a mass of complex puzzles and trials tied to the use of unique abilities.
The authors force the player to research, constantly expanding the areas of backtracking. The main character, having completed a training in virtual reality and having mastered four special skills (quick movement, shield, projection reflection and the creation of invisible bridges), must get into Neon City and free the city from four criminal bosses. But something goes wrong, and you lose all abilities, being in a dangerous place the most ordinary person.
Now, studying the unique environment, from dangerous forests to acid waste and snow-capped mountains, you need to regain your skills and defeat the kings of the underworld.
The authors of the game do not limit you to research, but from time to time you may encounter obstacles due to the fact that you have not yet received the desired ability or key subject.
For example, in one of the zones you can free almost all the hostages except the last one, since you will not have a ghostly staircase. In another place, you will bury yourselves in a locked hatch, because you have not yet found the old crowbar.
The emphasis on research by Neon City Riders is really important – the game is simply impossible to pass from a snap. I got stuck so tight several times that I wrote letters to the director of the studio asking him to help in solving one puzzle or another. Thank you, George, for your patience and understanding.
Sometimes parts of one quest can be scattered in far corners of the world, and the decision to require an extraordinary approach, like photographing tips from different parts of locations on a real smartphone. At the same time, the game almost always gives tips in the dialogs, and also allows you to mark certain areas of the global map with the right color.
Unfortunately, you do not see the scheme of local dungeons, which greatly complicates your progress in the story. The same applies to your exact location, since the general map shows only the screens of the zones.
Another drawback is the lack of the ability to make notes on the map and mark important characters. The game offers for 50 coins to put random marks with key characters and objects, but this does not help much in your research, and the price is too high. With this money you can buy 10 products to replenish health.
