HYPERCHARGE: Unboxed Review

Action figures, toy soldiers, or LEGO minifigures are likely the first things that come to mind when you think of your childhood. Being able to imagine inanimate objects coming to life and making them fight on makeshift bases or cause chaos on your living room floor is something that's hard to recapture as an adult. 

Here's HYPERCHARGE: Unboxed, a game that does just that. It's a first-person shooter with tower defense elements that brings toy-based combat and nostalgia to life. HYPERCHARGE: Unboxed was first released on PC and later on PlayStation 5 this May.

HYPERCHARGE: Unboxed, made by Digital Cybercherries, is a unique mix of fantasy from childhood and modern gameplay. It features both single-player and multiplayer modes, with the main idea being that toys are fun. This type of game is fun for people who remember fighting giant toy armies or protecting their plastic army from certain death in the sandbox when they were kids. Does this game live up to the hype, or is it just another game that plays on nostalgia for the 1980s and 1990s? Let's take a look and see.

Hypercharge: Unboxed has a simple but effective story. When you play as a toy soldier, you fight waves of enemies in places that remind you of your childhood, like bedrooms, living rooms, and toy stores. It's not about a deep, complicated plot; it's all about the action. Real charm comes from the setting itself; every level is full of memories. 

As you play, the enemies will attack in different ways and at different levels of difficulty, but your main goal is to protect the Hypercore units. There aren't any shocking turns or complicated character arcs in this story—just toys fighting to stay alive.

The way you play HYPERCHARGE: Unboxed is like a first-person shooter, but with tower defense added on top of it. Before each match, you are put in an area with a number of Hypercore units. Waves of enemy toys will try to destroy these, so you need to keep them safe. Your Hypercore is pretty much your lifeline; if it breaks, it's game over. You have to protect yourself from waves of enemies while keeping an eye on your defenses and being ready for new threats.

When you want to shoot your weapon, press the R2 button or the assigned button for your device. The first-person controls are smooth. Although there is no limit on ammo, the game adds a reload feature that becomes very important as the action heats up. The Triangle button lets you reload at any time, but it's a risky move when enemies are coming at you quickly. 

With the L2 button on PlayStation, you can zoom in and aim more accurately, which makes it easier to aim. Gyro controls add another level of control, letting you make even smaller changes to your aim. There are two weapons you can carry at once. To switch between them, press the square button.

Weapons are spread out across the levels, hidden in plain sight, or can be bought at shops inside the game. The packaging for these shops resembles that of old action figures. Guns and upgrades come in boxes that look like they belong with your figure. 

The most fun part of the game is getting the in-game currency, which you get by beating enemies or completing tasks like putting batteries around the map. These parts make up the overall gameplay loop and give you plenty of reasons to go through each stage carefully.

The combat system is based on protecting your Hypercore while killing waves of enemies. You'll face different kinds of enemies, each with its strengths and weaknesses, which will force you to change your strategy. You have to use some strategy to deal with each wave, especially when deciding how to build defenses between rounds.

Building defenses is a significant part of the game, which is heavily influenced by the tower defense style. You'll have time between waves of enemies to use the in-game money you've earned to build defenses around the Hypercore. 

As a way to stop the wave, you can build walls out of LEGO, glue traps, or even toy guns. As you play, you'll be able to use more types of defense, such as anti-air guns and stronger barriers. Different types of defenses keep things interesting, and the game feels like it's always changing.

The game's main focus is on first-person shooting, even though the puzzle and defense-building parts are fun. Building defenses could be a little more detailed in later versions. The system works, but it's a bit too simple now.

XP and leveling up become important as you move through the stages. You gain experience by completing goals, collecting items, and defeating enemies. This experience lets you get new upgrades and abilities for your character. 

To get to the next level, you have to collect coins that are hidden in different parts of each level. Some coins are in tricky areas where you have to jump or use platforms. This gives the game an extra challenge and makes you want to look around more.

It's surprising how well the first-person shooting and tower defense mechanics work together, resulting in a fun and engaging experience. The fact that you have to balance shooting enemies with managing your defenses gives the game depth. New types of enemies are added regularly to the wave-based combat, so you're always having to change your strategies to deal with new threats.

However, there is no doubt that the defense-building mechanic could be expanded. It feels like a secondary part of the game right now, and while it's fun, it could use more depth in updates or sequels to come. Some ideas for improvements would be to have more control over where defenses are placed or to add more types of defenses that interact with the environment in different ways.

The graphics in HYPERCHARGE: Unboxed are great. The environments are incredibly detailed, and every stage makes me feel like I'm back in my childhood. Every level is beautiful to look at, from a toy store with shelves full of action figures to a kid's room with a bed that can be used as a fort. A lot of work went into making sure that each environment feels like a memory from childhood come to life.

The toy soldiers and other characters are brightly colored, and their animations and actions show that they each have their personalities. The environments are not only useful for playing but also designed to evoke nostalgia about playing with your favorite toys as a child. 

Small details, like the action figure boxes that look like the ones we're used to seeing or the nods to old toys, make it even more charming. The graphics do a great job of adding to the nostalgic theme while also being technically sound. The game runs smoothly without any major visual issues, whether played in handheld or docked mode.

HYPERCHARGE: Unboxed has a lively soundtrack that complements the action. During the build phases, the music changes from ominous background tunes to intense, high-energy scores when combat starts. This change in the music really amplifies the action, making each round more exciting and important.

The sound effects for the weapons are great, and each shot sounds like a real meat punch. Assault rifles and toy rocket launchers are both used as weapons in this game, and the sound effects make it feel real. Small sounds in the environment, like the rustling of plastic or the distant hum of a toy robot, help you get into the world and make it feel real.

This is an exciting and nostalgic trip into a world where toys come to life and fight back. With its blend of first-person shooting, tower defense, and childhood memories, it's the perfect blend of fun and nostalgia. The game's gameplay is good, with both action-packed parts and strategic defense-building that could use more depth. The graphics and sound design help bring the world to life, and numerous references to old toys evoke nostalgia in older players, reminding them of their childhood.

HYPERCHARGE: Unboxed has a lot of content, even though it has a few small problems, like defense mechanics that aren't very complex and no story mode. The multiplayer modes are the most fun, and the fact that you can play both locally and online means that you'll always have someone to fight. For people who loved toys as kids in the 1980s or 1990s, this game was made just for them.