Gripper

《疾速摩爪/Heart Core》是由Heart Core制作发行的一款硬核难度竞速动作冒险类游戏。 整体游玩下来，本作给我的大体印象就是一款具有挑战性的、受阿基拉启发的赛博摩托QTE隧道竞速&boss rush（两种玩法模式的衔接），其背景设定在一个充满幻想色彩的末世之中，讲述了一个充满冒险的、饱含强烈情感的故事。独特的摩托车运动和战斗机制，包括骑行、滑行和躲避，亮眼十足的升级模块都让本作的充满速度感的游戏体验显得格外极致非凡。 本作的剧情展开其实并没有太吸引我，除了一个轻快的开场CG以及消息回复外，笔者几乎没能看到太多主人公和他父母之间关系的刻画，之后许多叙事空白页基本全靠主人公和小猫Kit的对话尽力填充补足，给人一种半生不熟的抽离感，除了诡异的剧情节奏之外，由于缺乏背景故事这一关键基底，以及薄弱的脚本加持，人物代入起来就很一般。 不过本作整体游戏性还是值得肯定的。boss rush部分，玩家需要操纵摩托车释放抓钩并撕裂每个守护者BOSS的心脏，且每次战胜后都会获得一种新能力（如从解锁跳跃到护盾升级），当然本作的难度相当之高，在获得新能力后玩家可以以获得额外的升级点为目的专注于某些特定目标，所以挑战性和复玩性都相当之高；QTE隧道竞速部分，对于手残党来说纯粹就是“无他，但手熟尔”的背板性质挑战，当然综合难度也并非地狱级别，只要耐心一些总能过，其实两个部分都很考验玩家的眼力和技巧能力，一旦成功过关其成就感绝对是不言而喻的。 [quote] 我的游戏真的有那么好玩吗? 关注[url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/34823631/]“我的游戏不可能那么好玩！”鉴赏家[/url],这是你从未体验过的船新版本~ [/quote]

Gripper, developed and published by Heart Core, is a visually striking and emotionally charged action game that attempts to merge high-speed motorcycle combat with a deeply personal story about loss, guilt, and self-discovery. It tells the tale of a young man named None, who embarks on a desperate journey through a desolate, cyberpunk-inspired world to save his family and uncover the mysteries of his past. Guided and taunted by an artificial intelligence named Zero, he must confront massive biomechanical bosses, each representing an aspect of his emotional turmoil. The game blends kinetic vehicle combat with symbolic storytelling, striving to create something as introspective as it is intense. While its ambition is undeniable and its presentation captivating, the experience is uneven—bold in concept but inconsistent in execution. At its core, Gripper is built around a unique combination of racing and boss-fighting mechanics. Instead of traditional on-foot combat, the player controls None’s futuristic motorcycle, using a grappling hook as the main offensive and defensive tool. The hook can latch onto objects, tear apart enemy components, or hurl debris to expose weak points. Each boss encounter plays like a dance of movement and precision, where timing, positioning, and spatial awareness are crucial. The grappling mechanic is the game’s central innovation, providing a satisfying sense of impact when it works as intended. The feeling of yanking a mechanical limb off a towering enemy or pulling explosive cores free from a vulnerable point can be exhilarating. However, the system’s precision is inconsistent—auto-targeting occasionally locks onto the wrong object or fails to register an input at key moments, breaking immersion during otherwise thrilling battles. These inconsistencies can turn moments of triumph into frustration, as what should be a smooth ballet of destruction becomes a struggle against the controls. The pacing alternates between boss arenas and fast-paced tunnel sequences. The latter serve as transitions between major fights, functioning like high-speed obstacle courses filled with hazards and quick-time events. These moments are visually impressive, drenched in neon light and pulsing with energy, but they often rely on trial and error. The sudden appearance of traps or narrow corridors can feel punishing rather than challenging, forcing repeated retries until patterns are memorized. While this structure gives the game rhythm and variety, it occasionally interrupts narrative momentum and contributes to fatigue during longer play sessions. Still, when everything clicks—the racing, the music, the perfectly timed grapple—it’s hard not to appreciate how ambitious the design truly is. Gripper’s story strives to balance emotional intimacy with apocalyptic spectacle. Through fragmented memories and cryptic dialogue, players learn about None’s childhood, his parents’ disappearance, and the emotional trauma that drives his quest. Each boss represents a stage of grief—anger, denial, acceptance—and confronting them is both a literal and psychological act. The concept has strong potential, but the writing doesn’t always deliver the depth it promises. Dialogue often leans on clichés and lacks the subtlety needed to make its emotional beats resonate. The narrative themes are spelled out too bluntly, leaving little room for interpretation. That said, the sincerity of the story still carries weight. There is an earnestness in the way Gripper deals with grief, memory, and human imperfection. Even when the script falters, the music, atmosphere, and visuals do much of the emotional lifting, helping to evoke the introspective tone the story strives for. Visually, the game is a standout. Its cyberpunk-inspired world is rendered with strong color contrasts, neon lighting, and bold geometry that gives every location a sense of purpose and weight. The art direction recalls classic anime influences like Akira, combining a sense of speed and danger with emotional melancholy. The environments feel both mechanical and organic, mirroring the hybrid nature of the world’s creatures and the protagonist’s own conflicted identity. The soundtrack enhances this atmosphere, blending pulsing synths with emotional melodies that mirror the game’s tonal shifts—from the intensity of boss fights to the quiet moments between them. The result is a cohesive audiovisual identity that remains one of Gripper’s most impressive achievements. From a gameplay perspective, however, the game’s difficulty curve and control design can be divisive. The boss fights, while creative, often overstay their welcome due to repetitive attack cycles and lengthy invulnerability phases. Many encounters demand perfect execution with little margin for error, which can be frustrating given the unpredictable nature of the grapple mechanics. Checkpoints are sometimes placed far apart, meaning that a small mistake late in a fight can send the player back to the start. These moments can sap momentum and diminish the sense of accomplishment that comes from overcoming a difficult encounter. The lack of fine-tuned responsiveness in the controls further compounds this issue, occasionally making it feel as though victory depends more on luck than skill. Despite its flaws, Gripper’s passion and ambition shine through. It’s clear that Heart Core poured genuine care into its world-building and emotional themes, attempting to craft something distinct within the indie action space. The fusion of motorcycle combat, boss-rush intensity, and narrative introspection is rare, and while not all elements succeed, the effort itself is commendable. There are flashes of brilliance—moments when the combat, music, and story converge into a rush of cinematic energy that feels unlike anything else. It’s in these flashes that Gripper reveals its true potential, even if it never fully realizes it. Ultimately, Gripper is a game defined by its contrasts: mechanical frustration offset by visual splendor, narrative sincerity hampered by clumsy dialogue, and exhilarating moments tempered by uneven design. It’s not a flawless experience, but it’s one that lingers because of its creativity and heart. For players drawn to emotionally charged indie games that take risks with form and style, Gripper offers an experience that is flawed yet memorable—a rough, roaring journey through grief, love, and the mechanical chaos of a world that mirrors the turbulence of the human soul. Rating: 8/10

"Gripper" is an exhilarating rush of adrenaline! The motorcycle action, hook mechanic, and post-apocalyptic setting make it an addictive and thrilling experience. Highly recommended!

It's fine for what it is but very short- I finished it in 104 minutes. Buy only at the right price point for your time.

That game is kind of peace of art! God, I didn't see a lot of styles in one combination, even don't want count. You MUST buy this game if picture for your eyes already incredible. Glad to be present in this story and action. Highly recommend! Thanks for this heart;)

I literally caught fire playing this. The graphics are impressive and the controls are simple, but at times the complexity can be frustrating. Overall, a great choice for hardcore fans. Separately, I will note the great music

Pretty fun fast-paced action game about riding a motorcycle. Graphically it looks good, like any other cyberpunk styled game, especially the effects and world development. The gameplay is exciting and challenging at some points (I only passed the first 2 bosses, and already the game was quite difficult). Gripper has a simple plot, but as for me, there is nothing particularly interesting in it. I recommend giving it a try.

Gripper is a game that combines quite unusual mechanics. It's dynamic and fun to play. I realize that in many aspects this game is behind the others, but that does not mean that the project is bad at all.

From the trailers I thought this game would be akin to Furi+Akira, but sadly Gripper is not either of those. It clearly wears shows its inspiration from Furi however Gripper does not have the same depth or fluidity of controls as its spiritual predecessor. The best way to describe the controls as feeling inconsistent, the range of the grabbing arm, the direction an utility of the drift/sliding mechanic, the damage attacks to do to bosses. It makes the the act of fighting the bosses feel more like fighting the controls. Additionally the runner segments are really lack Cool Math Games Run-esque sections which are only broken new and unlocked mechanics are actually just quick time events. They were what i was looking forward to most and honestly I didn't wanted to skip them every time I encountered them. That being said I think the art design is really great, the sound design is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ fantastic, and the cut scenes with the split perspective and art style is really interesting. It is an indie game after all, and for $20 they get a lot of slack from me so they still get a thumbs up. Just know that these are my issues with the game and I wish the gameplay could be better but Heart Core still deserve congratulations for shipping their first game.

Similar structure and vibe to Fury. A little clunkier to play and a different mechanic where instead of shooting you tether items on the arena and launch them. Instead of walking between bosses you play that minigame from Sonic where you go 3D and run down and endless tunnel with obstacles you clear by steering or using QTEs. Worth it at the price if that all sounds up your alley.