Neon Lights. Cyborgs. Strange wardrobe choices. it is indeed the dystopic future of the 22nd century. Regardless of how things are, rest assured, there will always be violence and fighting, and that is what Hyper Jam is all about. Hyper Jam is a new fighting and action game form the Australia-based Bit-Dragon. After several years of hard work, the game is finally ready for all to enjoy. Hyper Jam certainly shows promises, with a unique isometric-focused fighting experience that everyone should experience, but it also leaves quite a bit to be desired.
Hyper Jam is a pure, straightforward fighting experience. There are no campaigns, missions, or over-arching narrative. There is only the sport of fighting to the death. in this dystopic world of incredible technology within a futuristic society, there is one form of entertainment that everyone can get around and that is brutal relentless fighting. In this fighting game, there are several characters to choose from across several unique stages. These characters all have special attributes, but perform the same for the most part. What will really matter is your skill in the arena, which will rely on your quick reflexes in combat as well as how wisely you choose your perks.
Hyper Jam is an arena brawler, and each fight is a free-for-all for his who is left standing. After a quick tutorial, players may take to the ring in offline and online combat. Players can utilize both their fists and various weapons scattered throughout the level. These weapons range from neon-lit bow and arrow to rocket launchers and sizzling purple katana blades. Using dash, block, and the environment itself, players must fight hard and stay fast in order to survive. Each level has its own environmental hazard whether it is being high atop a neo-city skyscraper or dodging subway trains in a grimy underground train station. The combination of deadly enemies, weapons, and unpredictable environments will certainly keep players on their toes as they fight to stay alive.
One of the most unique aspects of this particular fighting experience is the perk system and its focus on survival. While this is a free-for-all focused game, the game can go on for several rounds. At the end of each round, each player gains a score, based on the number of kills and damage dealt. The objective is to build that score, until a certain threshold. When that threshold is reached, a last-round is activated. if the leading player wins, the entire fight is over. But if the winning player is slain, another round will play. The winning player will keep the threshold, but the fighting focus shifts from staying alive to slaying the leading fighter immediately.
The pendulum of advantage constantly switches as the game introduces the perk system. At the end of each round, players may choose a perk. to help enhance their combat skillet set. The traditional perks are present, such as more health and offensive power, but other perks will siphon health, freeze enemies, or light them on fire. These perks leave a large range of experimentation for the player, making each match refreshing, unique, and distinctly different.
All of these systems wrap into a very unique and engaging fighting experience. The fighting is fast, fierce, and furious, with each move made deciding the outcome between victory and defeat. Using the different weapons, perks, and even the environmental hazards make for fulfilling and satisfactory victories, as well as leave the opportunity for a reigning champion to ultimately become defeated in the final round. Hyper Jam can also be played locally with others, as well as online through a crossplay between PC and PS4 gaming communities. The game visually looks sharp but is compounded by a roaring soundtrack from licensed artists in the synthwave scene, such as Carpenter Brut and Dance of The Dead. With a solid presentation that screams cybernetic dystopian futures and a well-constructed fighting system, Hyper Jam is a thrilling joyride of fighting games.
However, there is a setback to Hyper Jam and that is content. As mentioned before, there are no missions, campaigns, or any other game modes. There is no Team Death Match or CTF modes of any type. Hyper Jam is focused fighting experienced that is incredibly polished in its own version of arena fighting. With no other game modes or single player campaign, the price of entry for Hyper Jam is rather high. Unless players have a dedicated group of friends or online capabilities, they will not last terribly long in their fulfillment of playing Hyper Jam. I would have wanted to see more levels, more characters, perhaps a narrative-driven game mode. It feels as if Hyper Jam is a great multiplayer mode, but the rest of the game is missing.
Hyper Jam is a solid fighting experience with its unique take on arena brawling. The mechanics are smooth, fun, and fluid, and stylistically, Hyper Jam is unique. Whether you play with friends or wage the fighting online, Hyper Jam is certainly a different experience. Let us hope that this is a new beginning for the studio and we get to see more of what Bit-Dragon can offer.