Cyber Knights: Flashpoint

An enjoyable experience, But don't come into this game expecting "Cyberpunk XCOM", as it's combat, while being Turn Based Tactics with hit chances, feel nothing like XCOM or it's sequel. This is a game that is good because of it's own merits, not because it's just another XCOM-like. I first tried playing like it was XCOM and didn't have a great time, but once I stopped playing XCOM and started playing Cyber Knights, the experience came together nicely! Additionally, the game has gotten amazing post launch support, with updates showing up every week, adding quality of life, new features, new storylines, and the devs have made sure that no update will ever intrude on your save file! This is a good game that really oughta get more attention! Give it a try! Just don't expect XCOM, alright? (If you really just want more XCOM, have you tried modding it? it's free! I'd recommend the TedJam modpack.)

Only 12 hours in but already hooked. XCOM fans will feel right at home. However, it is missing a LOT of immersion. No environment sounds, footsteps, etc, it feels very, very quiet. Overall, an easy recommend, considering the devs are actively updating the game.

Une merveille, un vrai coup de coeur

Surely it wouldn't be too much to ask for a graphics update... Or at the very least a decent main menu background? The characters are so ugly the hideout UI is so cheap looking. Title of the game is abysmal + the very, very cheap graphics for a "modern" release is off-putting and definitely is doing some damage to games audience reach. Despite how ugly the game is, it's constantly updated with free content. With how much depth this game provides and how addictive the gameplay loop is it's an absolute steal for the cost of entry. Awesome devs!

Cyber Knights: Flashpoint is an incredibly competent and fun turn-based tactics game, that is in some ways better and more interesting than XCOM (Which I take to be my "standard" for games of this genre), being pretty much only held back by the fact that this is very clearly an indie game. The good: * Game plays very well - didn't have any performance issues, crashes, bugs or anything of the sort. Also - very fast loading times. * Classes are incredibly fun, and even though I only mostly just scratched the surface - it seems like there's quite some depth to all the builds you can make. * On that topic - Multiclassing! I usually hate multiclassing, be it in RPGs with classes or even actual TTRPGs such as DnD. Yet, somehow, Cyberknights managed to make me enjoy building out two classes at once. It feels very nice when you combo two abilities from two distinct classes as if they were part of the same skillset - my Cyber Knight, for example, was also specced into Warmachine, which made her a veritable blender of claws and energy weapons that could wipe out half a map with ease, and tank anything afterwards. * Base is actually way more interesting and interactive than XCOM's - you have your "contacts" (quest givers, merchants, informants, and so on), increase their influence (upgrading their services, or even getting special quests from them), sell specific items to each of them to get Favors (which can be traded in for some neat bonuses), and so on. Also - many more buildings that actually interact with the Tactical layer. * Respeccing is way easier and even encouraged - there's a building that every few days will spit out a token that can respec one of your characters instantly - without any need for downtime or anything of the sort. * Cybernetics are a fun take on character progression apart from leveling up. Kind of a Meld/Psi system, if we're to take from XCOM. Lots of interesting options. * Way more options during missions - XCOM 1 was famous because of the Overwatch Creep, and 2 had its turn limits. Cyber Knights, meanwhile, prefers to incentivise you through secondary objectives. * Stealth gameplay is way better - Alert status is per character, meaning you can perfectly have one guy drawing all the attention with a full auto rifle, while your sneaky characters go around and do the actual objective. * Hacking minigame which is actually fun and has some depth, instead of just relying on RNG, * Having a dedicated "Strategic Layer Support" character that actually does something and which you can level up is pretty fun, and they can even have some strong effects on the game. * Devs are very active - think the game got two updates (including one that added a whole new questline) during the time I played. And, honestly a lot of other stuff which I'm forgetting. Onto the bad: * ...Pretty much, it's very clearly an indie game. Animations are quite bad and repetitive, sound design is just ok, and the characters models are uncanny at best and ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ ugly at worst. * Weapon variety doesn't feel too notable. I didn't notice that much difference between the multiple types of rifles, nor between the two types of snipers or pistols. Shotguns also feel very clunky to use - feels like their default unmodified range is way too short. My first (and currently only) playthrough was on Normal though - which was incredibly easy. Maybe you actually need to care more about this stuff on harder difficulties. * Armors are also kind of just... There. Feels like I could've gotten through the whole game using the starter armor. Whatever bonuses I got from them also felt very much worthless. * History is very bland. Also, for a Tactics game with a proper protagonist, they feel very much like they're just "there" - you can't really inject any interesting personality into them, serving pretty much just as a bridge between Point A and Point B during the game. * No modding! I will admit that I don't know if this is part of their plans, but I hope it is - the game has a lot of content, but the reason I still play XCOM 2 nearly every year is because of all the mods it has. * Game felt a bit too easy - never did I feel like stuff was going out of control, and never did I actually feel threatened - I didn't even lose a character! I did, however, only play on Normal difficulty, and I am used to playing on max difficulties for games such as XCOM. * Tutorial is just ok. Feels like there's some stuff that's not really explained - for example, there were times where my characters were "killed" during a mission, but they came back (wounded) right after. I do not know under which circumstances this triggers. Overall - incredibly fun game, well worth the full price.

I love the XCOM games, and this was recommended as a "scratch the xcom itch" on reddit. Pros: Cool cyberpunk setting Combat gameplay is fun and challenging The maps have security devuces like cameras that can be deactivated by skills Neat music Cons: The hacking sequences, while a neat idea are inscrutable. Several times I would click on the programs and nothing would happen. A popup saying "you are out of IO" or whatever would help explain what is going on. Overall: This is a fun indie game, obviously the graphics are not as polished as what you'd expect from a huge studio like an XCOM game. Luckily the hacking sequences are mostly optional.

Even with the limited number of maps and mission types, every heist is a story—not in the written narrative sense, but in the sense of things going either incredibly right or terribly wrong, of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat or limping home mourning the death of a comrade.