SPRAWL zero – in the boot flow. review

Played on computer

Over the past decade, many “old school” shooters have been released. They both appeal to nineties nostalgia, competing against each other for the speed of their shots and the depth of their arsenals. But few attempts are made to diversify the usual recipe, making it highly addictive. One such project is SPRAWL, which combines time-dilation photography with the style of megastructures. The success was not shocking, but enough for the author to start a sequel. To be more precise, a prequel – SPRAWL 0. Its events precede the story of the previous installment, but instead the gameplay takes a step toward a more modern shooter.

Landscapes have become more diverse and detailed than in the previous game

⇡#This directive will implement

In a future apocalypse, only a ruling group remains in the last inhabited city. Private armies maintained order. As in the previous game, we take on the role of a special forces soldier – one of seven cybernetically enhanced soldiers. But we’re now controlling a heavier five instead of an agile and athletic seven.

The change to the protagonist affects virtually every aspect of gameplay. First, there’s a change of pace. Wall running and other parkour techniques are a thing of the past. The fifth person can, at best, pull himself to the edge of the cliff. The main tool in his arsenal is the Gravity Gauntlet. It lets you pull up and throw a variety of utensils within sight, from barrels and boxes to weapons and enemy grenades.

The hero does not burden himself with a bunch of guns – he takes the barrel, unloads the magazine on his opponent, and throws the empty iron block to the next cultist. You can’t even pick up cartridges from similar weapons lying around. And, to be honest, I really don’t want to do it. You manage to shoot a few shots to the head, pick up a box and immediately smash it over the enemy’s head, smashing it into pieces, use the remaining ammunition for reinforcements that arrive just in time, catch a grenade on the run and return the explosive package to the sender – SPRAWL Zero offers fast-paced but at the same time meaningful action.

There are dozens of weapons in the game, divided into five rare categories. Color helps make the best choice in the heat of battle

Gunfights don’t descend into chaos. There are plenty of enemies on the screen, but the game doesn’t try to overwhelm you with cannon fodder. It won’t make you run up the wall, and it won’t require eSports reflexes. Shoot-throw-get into cover-exhale-repeat. Every movement is very tactile.

As you progress, special abilities are added to the combat mechanics. At level one, you’ll learn to slow down time. The skill itself isn’t of much value – the effect only lasts a few seconds. But the important thing is that all fired bullets will fly towards the enemy at this time, even if your aim is not accurate. This applies to every bullet in a shotgun volley—it’s in these moments that it becomes a deadly rifle.

Over time, the arsenal will replenish the energy shield, which not only blocks bullets but also reflects them back. Finally, Five will learn how to encounter enemies and introduce them to his punches – a situational opportunity, but one that can be very effective against certain opponents. Skills not only help you deal with your company’s enemies more effectively, they also help you replenish your health.

Some enemies can only be defeated with their own weapons

In combat, you use all your abilities in one way or another, and they complement each other perfectly. The game encourages you to keep shuffling the cards. Is the clip empty? Throw out the nearest box. The enemy lost his gun? Quickly grab and deal with the nearest opponent. The last cultist hiding on the roof? Turn on time slowdown and the shotgun will knock away snipers at any distance.

The key mechanics are polished so that you won’t get bored even if you play for five hours. At the same time, the developers are working hard to diversify the external conditions for filming… but unfortunately, things are not so good. Some ideas are good. In one level, for example, you have to escape a spreading poison cloud. Or rush along the rooftops to avoid sniper fire.

On the other hand, trying to add an open level with a free order of objectives seems clumsy. In alleys, slums and corridors of houses you will instantly get lost and only with the help of markers you will know where you need to run. Linear levels work better for overall fast tempos. But the part where the fifth loses its power is less fun to play.

Capture the Flag in single player is almost a cry of despair

Like its predecessor, gameplay is the main driving force in SPRAWL Zero. It’s this precise pacing that keeps you glued to the screen, even when it’s not making the most successful attempts at staging combat conflicts. At least for the first two-thirds of the article—near the end—the author remains disappointed with the sense of proportion. Opponents have become so “fat” that throwing garbage at them is no longer useful. You start looking for only the most powerful guns, as the rest are rapidly losing effectiveness. The same rhythm is gone.

Even if the shooter is loosening control, you still want to get to the finish line. That’s unlikely because of the storyline – which does little to justify what’s happening on screen – but at least because of early 2000s aesthetics. Its look is reminiscent of Red Faction or Soldiers of Fortune, and in some places the more technologically advanced Dread and Half-Life 2.

** **

The small studio MAETH achieved excellent results. SPRAWL Zero is a focused and fleeting experience. It harkens back to a period in the industry that shouldn’t be forgotten, when developers built shooters around fun additional mechanics.

advantage:

• hurricanes and colorful gunplay;
• Perfectly recreates the shooter aesthetic of the early 2000s.

defect:

• It’s not the most successful attempt at diversifying a game.

More information about the rating system

Rating: 7.5/10

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