ArcRunner PC Review

Trickjump Games Limited is a new contender on the gaming front and they definitely have a diverse interest in gaming. So far they’ve released Battle Royale Trainer, while it’s not exactly a game, it’s a great tool for practice against AI opponents. Their other release is 10 Miles To Safety, a top-down Indie game where you’re objective is simple, survive and make it through 10 miles of zombies using any tools or weapons you can find. Both these releases are vastly different from each other in the genre, and their latest release, ArcRunner which released on 27 April 2023, is just as different. Much like Returnal, ArcRunner follows a similar formula for the roguelike shooter genre, but the key difference here is that ArcRunner is a lot more forgiving.

 

Your epic adventure begins in the most unconventional way possible. Instead of being human, you are a personality that was downloaded into an android body. You’re greeted by Chip, a lesser controlling AI on the Arc and also the only other form of conversation you’ll see in ArcRunner. He tells you that you’re on the Arc, a Titan Class Space Station, but the main controlling AI was hit by a Meta Virus, causing it to go insane. The AI rounded up all the inhabitants and intended to re-process them, though we don’t know what the re-processing involves. Chip is the only remaining AI not affected by the virus because he managed to firewall himself from it before it was too late.

You are tasked with resetting the AI using a Quantum Backup Drive, but to do that, you’ll have to traverse and fight your way through hordes of rogue robots whose only directive is to annihilate you. You’ll initially have a choice between 2 body templates, or classes, with the third one requiring some serious progression to be unlocked. Each class has its own unique abilities, melee weapons, and ultimate abilities, though while the classes are limited, they’re more than enough in ArcRunner.

Your first option is the Soldier, a balanced combat class that does quite well with ranged combat. You’ll have access to a shield that you can activate to block enemy projectiles, though blocking projectiles or other attacks costs energy. Luckily, energy does recharge over time but you’ll need to upgrade your maximum energy and energy recharge speed if you want any chance at survival. As the Soldier, you’ll also have the Energy Hammer. While it is a slow and heavy melee weapon, it releases a small shockwave that will deal heavy damage and stagger most enemies in range.

 

The Soldier won’t be complete without his ultimate ability, Shield Wall. To use this, you’ll need to charge it up by completing areas and destroying enemies but once it’s charged, you’ll basically become invincible to any attack that comes your way for a short time. Sadly, the ultimate ability for any class does take quite a while to charge and it is recommended to save it for the boss fights at the end of each segment. Unless you can find an upgrade in the field that’ll speed up your charge rate.

Your next class is the Ninja. This class specializes in stealth and melee using a Katana, taking down any enemy from the shadows as quickly as possible only to go back to the shadows. The Ninja’s first ability is Stealth Cloak, it will render you invisible but it will also drain energy over time, so you’ll need to maintain a healthy balance between walking in the light and the shadows if you want to live up to the class name. The Ninja also carries a katana, while it fast and deals devastating damage with combo attacks, it does leave the Ninja vulnerable to attacks as well.

Still maintaining the Ninja aspect with an interesting twist, you’ll also have access to the Samurai Strike ultimate ability. This allows you to throw your katana, with lethal force through up to 10 targets with a short range. The range might seem short but enemy numbers multiply quite quickly and would help you carve a way through them very quickly.

 

Once you’ve chosen your class, you’ll officially get to start your unending journey to the AI core to save the inhabitants of the Ark. Unending because, just like Returnal, dying means you start over again. Though you don’t start over empty handed. As you progress through the Ark, you’ll get Nanites that you can use to buy upgrades for your class at the start of each run. You’ll have plenty of options on where to upgrade your class, but while each option’s Nanite cost might start low, the price doubles after each upgrade. Your upgrades are divided into 4 sections, Power, Health, Energy, and Other. Each section has 5 different upgrades that you can level up, these upgrades range from new passives like unlocking your class ultimate ability, more health, faster energy recharge, and even more ammo in the magazines for the guns you pick up.

The Arc is divided into 3 segments, The City, The Docks, and Eden. You’ll have to fight your way through countless rogue robots to reach the AI Core, but to do this, you’ll need some firepower. Luckily, you’ll always start off with a basic pistol, but the rogue robots you have to take down will also drop weapons for you to use. Where this becomes a bit more inspiring is that when you die and start over yet again, you’ll walk through an armory. Picking up a new gun will unlock it in the armory, but getting a set number of kills with it will allow you to start your next run with that weapon and so many others provided you can hit the kill count. This shows that progression is actually encouraged and the game is meant to be fairer towards players.

However, alongside your weapons you’ll also pick up gadgets from fallen enemies. Gadgets can be lifesaving in most situations, as long as you use them at the right times. There is a multitude of gadgets that you can find like the ‘Holo Decoy’ which will distract most enemies and draw their fire to it, the ‘Auto Turret’ that will work like a second gun in a fight, or even the ‘Plasma Grenade’ that will do devastating amounts of damage, and so many others. Though gadgets do unfortunately come with a cooldown period after they’ve been used, while there are upgrades you can buy or pick up to speed up the cooldown, you’ll need to choose the right times to use them.

 

Anything can happen on a run that will take massive chunks of health or you need a new edge to help make the fights easier. Progressing through the segments means you move from one area to the next in a linear fashion, but most areas will have Loot Boxes. The Loot Boxes can have anything from weapons to small ‘medpacks’, on rare occasion, you’ll find weapon upgrades too. Though if you’re looking for something bigger or a few extra options, you’ll find challenges in most areas that will reward you with a loot chest if you can complete the challenge. The loot chests can reward you with large medpacks, weapon upgrades, armor shards, and weapons, this is typically a big help when you need it most.

As fun as it would be to attempt to finish a whole segment in one shot, it would also be nearly impossible. This is why when you’re fighting through the segments, you’re moving between sub-segments. At the end of each sub-segment, you’ll be given a free augment to choose from. These augments can make or break a run and it becomes purely a matter of luck. To name a few – Micro Missile Launcher will fire off several missiles every now and then that home in on the nearest enemies to deal an impressive amount of damage. Boost Assisted Jump will basically give you a double jump. Fusion Emitter is a class specific to the soldier but it will weaponize his shield ability. There are many other augments to choose from and each of them gives you a unique bonus that you’ll need in the long run.

Running and gunning for your life can become boring after a while, this is where you’ll encounter mini boss fights halfway through each segment and a major boss fight at the end of a segment. Mini boss fights consist of two elite robots with empowered damage and obscene movement tactics. Major boss fights are much worse though, while it’s only one robot to take down, they have multiple phases you’ll have to fight through. You’ll need to keep an eye on their movements and attack patterns to outmaneuver them or they’ll cut you down before you even get a chance to make a dent in them. However, at the end of a long fight, they’ll drop health boosts, weapon upgrades and nanites for you to use. This does make the fight well worth the effort in the end.

 

What keeps ArcRunner interesting is that the rogue robots you’ll face off against are quite diverse, and they gain more variety as you progress through each segment with more dangerous enemies dropping in. You’ll notice that each new type of robot you encounter is also quite unique and use different attack methods from electrocuting you to using assault rifles. You’ll also encounter shielding robots, they don’t attack, but they do shield any other robot from damage, meaning you’ll need to take them down first.

What sets ArcRunner apart from its counterparts is the multiplayer co-op. It does mean using a separate save file apart from a single player, but having an extra player join you can make a world of difference. More enemies will drop in but the rewards are also just so much better and you’ll have someone to cover your back. Though teamwork is absolutely necessary for the co-op to work. It doesn’t help if everybody runs in different directions during an onslaught, it’ll take a fair amount of coordination to complete your objective.

ArcRunner features a very minimalist 3D art style and a much more technologically advanced world, the color palettes used for each segment on the Ark work quite well and you can see that each object was placed with intention. While the sub-segments can seem a bit repetitive, you’ll notice minor differences until you move to the next segment, where you get to explore everything all over again. All of this combined does help immersion in a big way, but when you’re done gunning down robots, you can also just explore a bit and see the world for what is.

 

Sound engineering took a few pages from psychology when it comes to music. The music is repetitive but you don’t get tired of it, with the mix of electronic and techno beats, the music helps immersion and gets you hyped to keep moving. The sound effects and sound directions play a massive part for those who rely on sound to know where the gunfire is coming from and this aspect was nicely implemented. If you can’t see where the gunfire is coming from, you’ll definitely hear it.

Overall, ArcRunner is a brilliant cyberpunk inspired roguelite that just keeps giving. The art style might not appeal to everybody but the combat mechanics and enemy patterns will definitely appeal to most, making this game approachable to anybody looking for a rush in a game. With its multitude of weapons and gadgets, you’ll have plenty of options to build your own playstyle and claim your prize at the end.

Jay Claassen
Editor, NoobFeed