Master Reboot Review

Master Reboot Screenshot 3

Wales Interactive, of Gravity Badgers fame, have churned out another unusual sci-fi title in the form of Master Reboot – a game which doesn’t quite stick to a defined genre. A mixture of platform, stealth, arcade, racing and shoot ’em up styles makes this game quite unique and – for the most part – makes this game quite enjoyable.

Master Reboot fails to stick to traditional gaming conventions and opts for a more fragmented approach, pieced together by different genres of gaming that would not normally meet but in this case, they blend in quite nicely.

Set inside a ‘Soul Cloud’, a virtual reality realm created by the very mysterious ‘Mystery Foundation’. It is inside this very Soul Cloud that people can upload the memories of near-death family members and recreate their personas online so anybody can visit them long after they’ve passed away. Quite an interesting idea I must admit, but that doesn’t take away its absurdity.

This unique and interesting premise is utilised to great effect throughout the course of the game and is easily the game’s flagship selling point.

Master Reboot Screenshot 2

The game follows the memories of Madison, the founder of the Soul Cloud. It doesn’t quite stick to conventional narratives, in fact it doesn’t really have one, instead the story unfolds as it happens through very well thought out environmental storytelling that really makes the player fill in the gaps as to what’s happened, what’s going on etc.

Madison’s story unfolds quite dramatically, you get to see – through the form of her memories – how major events in her life as well s the influence of others has made her life what it is and got her to where she is.

Set in a first person perspective, Master Reboot is played by examining the environment and solving puzzles rather than through violence. Your character is given full freedom of movement despite its puzzle-solving game style. These puzzles mostly involve using items on specific objects and solving logic challenges. The majority are reasonably straightforward although there are a good few mindbenders in there too.

Platforming elements are also included, which for the most part provide quite a poor experience due to a lack of positional awareness and difficulty in timing jumps as well as maligned camera angles – which cannot be adjusted.

Master Reboot Screenshot 1

The game makes use of digital effects and shading in a creative and impressive manner. Combined with unconventional but generally well-aimed camera angles these factors contribute to a very emmersive atmosphere.

Master Reboot is a well thought out affair, with an outstanding premise that is executed very well in most senses. My only gripe is that it’s pegged back by its first-person platforming modes, which do take away from the suspenseful and well-tuned atmosphere the rest of the game paves the way to portray. Overall however, the game is very enjoyable and is definitely an experience that cannot be had from any other title out on the market at present.

REVIEW CODE: A complimentary PC code was provided to Brash Games for this review. Please send all review code enquiries to editor@brashgames.co.uk.

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