I remember first hearing about this game when it went under the title of Project Downfall and thought it looked like a fun first-person shooter, but that’s as far as I got with the game as it was, at the time, a PC exclusive. Now, with it getting a console release under the new name of Neckbreak (or, as I called it by accident, Neckbrake), I’m happy to say that, outside of a few small issues I had, the game was worth the wait.
The best way I know to describe the gameplay of Neckbreak is it’s basically a more forgiving Hotline Miami. What I mean is that, unlike that game where you get hit once and you have to restart, this game allows you a few extra hits before you have to restart, depending on the difficulty. In fact, the combat of Neckbreak is another highlight as it’s very frenetic and, at times, brutal, with a fun combo multiplier and end-level scoring system to get you to replay the level multiple times for that coveted S-Rank. I enjoyed how useful all the weapons you can use are, from melee weapons like knives and bats to firearms like shotguns and assault rifles. You can even dual wield pistols if you can grab one that’s fallen from an enemy at the right moment, which is easier when you pop a pill, which is an interesting mechanic and one I’m sorta mixed on.
So, when you pop a pill in Neckbreak, the game will go all slow-motion, allowing you to get easy kills, super-kick enemies, and dodge incoming fire. Very handy in some areas and I did find myself using the mechanic (gotta be careful how I word that) a lot during my gameplay. There are also other types of pills you can find that will help you out, like a ‘Slingshot’ Pill that extends the focus/slow-motion after every kill and a ‘Chainlink’ which speeds you up with each kill. However, and this is where I said I was mixed on the pill usage, using the pills will have consequences and will lead you to one of eleven(!) endings, each one requiring certain steps to be done and each one requiring you to either go crazy with the pill taking or taking it easy with the pill taking. The steps for each ending did give me flashbacks to doing the easter eggs in Call Of Duty Zombies (I hate calling them easter eggs, personally) and I will admit that did slightly annoy me. Lastly, the game features a scoring system which does encourage multiple playthroughs to better your score, which you can do from your apartment, and I actually enjoyed this system a lot, especially with some of the names the combos have…except for one. Every so often after some combos, the name ‘G-Man’ pops up and I’m not sure if this is a reference to the YouTuber GManLives, the G-Man from Half-Life, or just a slang word that I am unfamiliar with.
So, my issues with Neckbreak are minor but they do add up and I should address them. Firstly, I’m not a fan of the artstyle. Now, in some areas of Neckbreak, the art style looks good, especially the outdoors sections. They all have this grimey, almost Judge Dredd MegaCity-1 feel to them and, after playing so many games with pitch perfect cities and picturesque landscapes, seeing a dirty one was pretty refreshing. Though, a few level’s usage of a garish combination of orange, yellow, and red was really eye-bleeding. No, I mean the artstyle of the humans that populate the world. Compared to the rest of the game, they really stand out like a sore thumb and, at times, were, at times, a bit distracting, especially in the animation department. Mind you, it wasn’t enough to ruin the game but it was enough to be distracting. Actually, speaking of the world, at first I thought the game was going for a cyberpunk-like style as some of the loading screens had this Japanese-style look to the text going on. However, throughout the game, I never really got that sense as nothing really screamed ‘cyberpunk’, which was evident when the loading screens talked of Europe and some of the enemies looked like a stereotypical gangster from that part of the world while some I couldn’t really tell where they were from (or if they were wearing any clothing). But, maybe that’s also a good thing as, speaking personally, I’m getting just a tad bit bored of the whole cyberpunk-aesthetic and would like to see games explore other ‘punk’ styles.
Another minor issue I had was with the story or lack thereof. According to one website where I got this plot from as I couldn’t find any resemblance of one while I was playing, the game is set in the year 2042 and your character has suffered some sort of massive brain injury, resulting in damage to his short-term memory and inhibitions. While on a subway, something happens and he ends up killing the mobsters on the train he’s on, which sends him down a path of being a vigilante of sorts. Now, that alone is not a bad plot. In fact, I dare say it’s one of the more interesting plots for an Indie FPS I’ve seen in a long time. However, my issue was that I never really got this sense from within the game itself. There were some hints here and there, like how in your apartment you can get messages about your acts, but I never really felt any sort of connection to the overarching story. I’m not asking for TellTale levels of storytelling here, just some sort of acknowledgement of the story would’ve been nice.
I honestly say my biggest issue is, surprisingly, the combat. When using firearms, the combat felt nice and chunky and I enjoyed how you can ragdoll the enemies in the game. Melee combat, on the other hand, never really felt good nor did it ever click for me. I don’t mean with the melee weapons, those felt fine. No, I mean with the actual hand-to-hand combat. Now, I’m not entirely sure if I was just not doing it right or what, but the usage of my characters' fists never seemed to work, no matter how hard I tried. The kick worked and that was satisfying as all hell, especially when “powered” with a pill, but the fists? Even when I popped the pills, the fists never really worked. Again, I don’t know if I’m not doing something right and I’m just missing that key ingredient to make the combat work, but that is honestly my main issue because, otherwise, I really don’t have much in the way of any major complaints, which is actually surprising.
It’s funny. Everytime I thought I had a negative about this game, it turned out to either just be a minor inconvenience or just a non-issue. What I listed above were, honestly, my only real complaints with the game as, overall, I actually really enjoyed this title. Yeah, it won’t set either the indie world or FPS landscape ablaze, but what’s on offer is still enjoyable! It’s one of those games I see myself returning to better my score and to try to achieve one of the many endings. Honestly, if you liked Hotline Miami and wondered what a first-person version of the game would look like, then Neckbreak is for you.
