SPRAWL zero

Норм игра

What happens when you ask “what if mid 2000s FPS game, but cram it with lots of indie stuff that has popped up since 2019?” That game happened, and it is called Sprawl Zero! A very 2004-2008 looking title that combines low poly counts with more experimental gameplay that separates it from the 90s styled boomshoots. As prequel game to the original 2023 Sprawl that not only surpasses its predecessor, but also completely sidesteps the direction it was taking and moves off in a completely different furrow. Sprawl Zero is arguably one of the best FPS titles of 2026 and will likely be seen as one of the major turning points towards 2000s FPS games in the future. Like the FPS titles of the 2000s, it has some deep flaws and they really stick out like a sore thumb, but they are minor issues compared to the whole. [h1]It happened before[/h1] For the sake of covering the game’s background, this is a prequel to the 2023 title, Sprawl. A cyberpunk (and very concrete) dystopia based FPS title that has a big mid 2000s energy to it. Overall it was quite good, but it had some serious issues with showing the player how to play it. A textbook 6 to 7 out of 10. Interestingly, you played as a very nimble assassin, named Nine, seeking vengeance on her former employers in the military Junta who ran the hellscape city, known as the Sprawl. Her main claim to fame in the game world was her ability to wall run and initiate bullet time, highlighting enemy weak points. This oddly enough felt a lot like the 2020 title, Ghostrunner. In Sprawl Zero you play another numbered killing machine of the Junta, Five. Here you are still part of their forces as you take on a doomsday cult who seem to be trying to either trying to take over the city or are maybe trying to destroy it. Where Nine was a spry and nimble character, Five is a far more grounded and tank like character. He is still fast, but don’t expect any wall running. Like Nine, he can initiate bullet time to gain an advantage over his enemies, though here it is far less significant. Generally he relies on his gravity hand armour, that essentially gives him a Half-Life 2 style gravity gun built into his hands, meaning he can grab and throw objects in the world such as barrels and crates as well as eventually gain abilities to stop bullets in the air in front of him (before throwing them back) as well as becoming a human battering ram. [h1]Magnetic personality[/h1] The most unique feature Five has with his gloves mirrors the original title’s apparent lifting of other games styles to make their own. For firearms, Five tends to pull in dropped guns from his enemies, though rather than put them in his backpack or whatnot, when empty he will throw them away, allowing him to grab another dropped weapon. This is somewhat reminiscent of how Severed Steel worked, only here you have very limited parkour abilities, where weaponry is mostly situational. This leads you to not really get too attached to your weaponry, meaning the ebb and flow of the game is mostly dictated by how well the combat scenarios function. Thankfully, Sprawl Zero is phenomenally designed. While it must be pointed out that the level design is mostly linier, it functions somewhat like F.E.A.R. does; with one high octane combat scenario flowing into the next, occasionally interspersed with some mild platforming through aesthetic vistas while radio chatter occurs. This stop-start action is very well paced and keeps the game moving well. Similarly, and like so many mid 2000s titles, the scenery, despite being predominantly urban, stays varied. This will have you running through residential districts, commercial areas, industrial zones and, eventually, high tech citadels and weird, ancient under-cities. These are all peppered with hints at the old world, such as old Shinto shrines and whatnot, somewhat like the 80s and 90s Japanese cyberpunk that this is no doubt massively inspired by. [h1]The fine art of imitation[/h1] All these elements mixed together is how Sprawl Zero really hits its stride. It is an amalgamation of so many other games and styles, but with deft design choices and no doubt a lot of experience from the first game, hones all the elements and adds just enough for everything to work well. Where the original Sprawl seemed to be designed to encourage player experimentation, it was very bad at explaining that. In Sprawl Zero, the way that weapons and player abilities work flow so very naturally into how the levels are designed, you almost instinctively act how the designers seem to have envisioned the game. Regardless of how pretentious that may sound, that is Valve levels of combat, level and scenario design competence, and I’m not sure I could praise it any higher than that! [h1]Too much in the mix[/h1] Not everything is perfect though, and that is sort of expected. Like so many titles in the mid 2000s that branched out from the basic 90s designs, this can become a little muddled at times. The abilities are sometimes a little difficult to pull off in fast succession, meaning if you want to do a rushdown right after a gravity shield move you are going to have a slight delay between each move. Understandable considering the dependence on a resource (adrenalin), but some of the late game scenarios require fast chaining of these abilities, which can cause some issues with fumbling moves as well as being resource starved. The last boss is a prime example of this, where he pulls out random moves in fast succession, meaning you need to perform a rushdown and then you need to instantly follow up with a gravity shield, and in most cases that happened I found myself to run out of adrenalin before his attack had finished, killing me and making me play from the checkpoint. Ah yeah, checkpoints. As a mid 2000s styled game this has checkpoints. Mostly this is fine, but during a couple of the tougher fights you may end up getting killed just before a checkpoint, forcing you to have to replay a few minutes of game over and over. Again, the last boss was an egregious example of this, where even after beating a phase it throws some tough enemies at you at low health. Annoying, but not the end of the world. Truth be told, these issues only really showed up during the last level with the final boss. Not the end of the world, but a bit of a sour note to end the game on. [h1]Conclusion[/h1] Aside from the final boss highlighting the game’s worst elements, Sprawl Zero is one of the best games to come out this year. In a period of time where the FPS genre is moving away from the basic boomershooter design, the 2000s styled game is the next logical nostalgia step. Sprawl Zero stands as one of the highlights of this and will no doubt be held in high regard for many years. Absolutely advised!

Juegazo, me sorprendió la verdad. El nivel de detalle, la musica, lo dinámico y bien que se siente disparar, las referencias a Half Life. No lo duden es una gran experiencia

AUTONOMY be damned, my FIVE can EXECUTE!!!

В целом, игра довольно хорошая. Конечно, не всем она понравится. Геймплей нормальный, но не для хомячков. Игра как будто соединили с Ghostrunner и F.E.A.R. Хоть ты не бегаешь по стенам, как в GHOSTRUNNER. Но всё же, схожесть с Ghostrunner есть. Сюжет неплохой, хотя читать субтитры, когда стреляют в тебя, не очень удобно. Если появится русская озвучка, даже если неофициальная, я снова пройду эту игру. Было бы здорово, если бы GamesVoice сделала озвучку. В общем, игра не плохая, были баги, например, когда враги оказывались под полом и убивали меня. Я с этим сталкивался дважды. К тому же, на уровне с акрофобией, я как-то ударил, и танк-паук улетел за пределы карты из-за этого, я не мог пройти.

An amazing shooter with an incredible soundtrack. This game is a new all time favorite. If you like Half-life, Doom or Timesplitters get this game.

A fine game! Top notch. Really takes you back to playing Halo 2.

Like other said this is a real gem for FPS fans. Between the tight gameplay, smooth sharp graphics and overall storyline. A lot of unique game dynamics as well, this is a top must have for 2026 gamers.