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This week, Shooter Season 2011 continues as Zero Punctuation reviews Hard Reset.

Transcript[]

Do you like real-time strategy games? Do you like the satisfaction of sending hordes of loyal trench foot-infected fathers and husbands to die while you hover fifty feet above them eating crumpets? Well then, piss off! This is Shooter Season 2011, the time for real men!

This week, I'd like to take things in a slightly more independent direction. All this talk of brown space marines stomping snarly monsters with their techno-wellies is all very well but represent but a single dismal facet of the intricate jewel that is shooters, and the most interesting stuff goes on in the independent circles (as is the case with every creative medium, including ritualistic serial killing). And it would almost be cruel of me to embark on a slew of shooter reviews with a hastily concocted theme to in some futile way dull the pain of repetition without giving time to Hard Reset, an old-style Steam-based counter-argument to the modern shooter. It was either this or Space Marine. And given options, I'll go for the one that infuriates tosspots.

Now, a first on a big spotlight on Hard Reset, as choirs of angels sung from on high, was the fact that it was developed by some of the guys who worked on Painkiller, that now-classic traditional FPS that is still more fun than any mortal sinner has any rights to have. Presumably not the same ex-Painkiller guys who were brought onto Bulletstorm and found themselves polishing CliffyB's silverware while Epic rolled up their sleeves and diligently ruined everything. No, these are the ex-Painkiller guys who still have their self-respect, whose stated goal in creating Hard Reset was to recreate that same run gun fun that characterizes all the nineties shooters.

Unfortunately, the older nineties shooter that seemed to end up influencing them the most was Quake II, an experience with about as much variety and entertainment value as drinking the entire contents of the washing-up bowl the morning after a lard tasting party. And Hard Reset 's status as the product of former People Can Fly employees makes it comparable to George Harrison's solo career after The Beatles: no longer the glory days, but at least not as bad as Ringo's.

Hard Reset is a dystopic cyberpunk tale about a bloke named Fletcher, some kind of field agent or police officer detective thing, in a sprawling corporate future nightmare city, which is to cyberpunk what Tokyo is to the giant monster genre. And I'm going to throw a little impromptu competition here. If you haven't played Hard Reset yet, I want you to download it now, play through the entire game once to the end - don't worry, its not very long; it's independent, so the money ran out faster - and then come back here and explain to me what the plot was about in 25 words or less. It's something to do with evil robots invading the city because of an evil scientist, but it turns out he's not evil or something, and they use the word "nanomachines" like Hideo Kojima's Dictaphone broke.

They tried to have this rich, full-on, Philip K. Dick story between gameplay sections, but they keep throwing out curveballs that have nothing to do with anything that happens in the game and just confuse me. Something about your job being to defend an archive of billions of digitalized human beings, but I only remember blowing up robots and having the occasional epileptic fit. But then, Painkiller 's story was fucking woeful; the journey of a copy of Painkiller through a packaging facility is probably a better story than what Painkiller itself had. And like Painkiller, Hard Reset reserves the story to in-betweeny bits, in this case loading screens. That sort of illustrates its incomprehensibility: there's literally nothing else you could be concentrating on and it still makes less sense than a shouty homeless man enacting Klingon opera.

But Painkiller made up for itself with incredible environments, creative weapons and hordes of enemies with nice soft tummies to use them on, and I'm sad to say Hard Reset lets itself down on every one of those points. The comparison to Quake II comes because Quake II was a game that never got past one kind of environment, namely the interior of a cardboard box that had been used to store exploding chocolate. And Hard Reset is a succession of blue-tinged urban industrial areas where everyone's really paranoid about losing things so they strap multicolored neon lights to absolutely fucking everything. This is another one of those cyberpunk prerequisites, I think, but the connectivity of it all is cyberridiculous. There's one level where you start off in a subway station and a few corridors later you're on a rooftop. Did they design this city by throwing pocket calculators at a centrifuge?

But we've danced around this enough: what about the actual shooting? It's true the game does the Painkiller thing, making multitudes of monsters to mop you mercilessly, but as with the environments they forgot the whole variety thing, and you only ever seem to fight two kinds of aggressive Roomba and a few palette-swapped wheelie bins. There's really no way of saying this without giving ammunition to conservative anti-game campaigners, but there isn't as much fun to be had in shooting robots as there is in shooting organic lifeforms. When I fire a rocket into a cluster of charging monsters, I like to know that the cleanup will have to be done with a mop rather than a broom. It's hard to explain, but surely we can all agree that the lawnmower scene from Braindead just wouldn't have been as memorable if it'd been taking place in the audio-visual department at Harvey Normans. Which is to say nothing of the inherent problem of exclusively fighting shiny, metallic enemies covered in bleepy lights in a shiny, metallic environment covered in bleepy lights. It does get visually confusing and frustrating when you're trying to spot a distant sniper while a charging wheelie bin is trying to use you to redecorate.

Call me crazy, but if your weapon system is based around having two separate guns with four or five unlockable firing modes apiece, then yes, I suppose you do have a pretty fucking stupid weapon system. But since we're stuck with it, surely it would make more sense to have one key that toggles between the two rather than having one key for each. But now I am nitpicking. Is it fair to criticize an indie game for not having the resources to be as blinged out as previous, better-funded games? Certainly isn't!

Hard Reset does end rather abruptly after the second boss, but at least it's not so long that the repetition gets too dull. Maybe if I had the time, I could play through the plot seven or eight hundred times and finally get what's going on. And let's fall back on the capitalist's argument that you can't expect too much for under thirty bucks. Treat Hard Reset as a short, snacky rush of violence one can enjoy to cool down between big, stodgy AAA titles, like having a slightly poorly made cappuccino and a Twix before going back to your desk and shoving your head in another bucket of crabs.

Addenda[]

  • Founder of the cyber-luddites: Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw
  • I gave your mum a hard reset last night and it certainly rebooted her operating system if you know what I mean
  • Where's Asimov when you need him


Screenshots[]

Hard Reset 1

Do you like the satisfaction of sending hordes of loyal trench foot-infected fathers and husbands to die while you hover fifty feet above them eating crumpets?

Hard Reset 3

More fun than any mortal sinner has any rights to have

Hard Reset 6

Maybe if I had the time, I could play through the plot seven or eight hundred times and finally get what's going on

External Links[]

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2007 - 2010
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2010
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2011 - 2014
2011
Q1 Top 5 of 2010 · World of Warcraft: Cataclysm · Fable III · Minecraft · A Shadow's Tale · Dead Space 2 · DC Universe Online · MindJack · Two Worlds II · Bulletstorm · Killzone 3 · Kirby's Epic Yarn · Dragon Age II
Q2 Pokémon White · Yakuza 4 · Crysis 2 · Nintendo 3DS · Portal 2 · Castlevania: Symphony of the Night · Mortal Kombat · Brink · L.A. Noire · The Witcher 2 · Hunted: The Demon's Forge · Duke Nukem Forever (for real this time) · InFamous 2
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2012
Q1 Serious Sam 3: BFE · Top 5 of 2011 · Super Mario 3D Land & Rayman Origins · Sonic Generations · Star Wars: The Old Republic · Amy · Resident Evil: Revelations · Darkness 2 · Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning · NeverDead · Syndicate · Mass Effect 3 · Twisted Metal
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Q3 Quantum Conundrum · Spec Ops: The Line · Walking Dead · Inversion · The Amazing Spider-Man · Half-Life · Wreckateer and Deadlight · Steam Roundup · Sleeping Dogs · Darksiders 2 · DayZ · Guild Wars 2
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2013
Q1 Top 5 of 2012 · Paper Mario: Sticker Star · Black Knight Sword & Hotline Miami · Anarchy Reigns · DMC: Devil May Cry · The Cave · Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch · Dead Space 3 · Aliens: Colonial Marines · Crysis 3 · Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance · Tomb Raider · SimCity
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2014
Q1 Top 5 of 2013 · Knack · Killzone: Shadow Fall · Survival Special · Broken Age · Might & Magic X: Legacy · The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds · Dark Souls · Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII · Strider · Thief · Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 · Dark Souls II
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2015
Q1 The Talos Principle · Elite: Dangerous · Five Nights at Freddy's and This War of Mine · Lords of the Fallen · Saints Row: Gat out of Hell · Dying Light · Grim Fandango · Evolve · The Order: 1886 · The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D · Resident Evil Revelations 2 · Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number & Ori and the Blind Forest
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Q3 Alone in the Dark: Illumination · Batman: Arkham Knight · Yoshi's Woolly World · Cave Story · Godzilla · Rocket League & Tembo the Badass Elephant · King's Quest: A Knight to Remember · Nom Nom Galaxy & Freedom Planet · Everybody's Gone To The Rapture · Volume · Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain · Mad Max · Gears of War Ultimate Edition · Until Dawn
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2016
Q1 Top 5 Games of 2015 · Devil's Third · Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam · Assassin's Creed Chronicles · Xenoblade Chronicles X · The Witness & Bombshell · Gravity Rush · XCOM 2 · Firewatch & Layers of Fear · Far Cry Primal · Stardew Valley & SUPERHOT · The Division · Salt and Sanctuary
Q2 Republique · Shadow Warrior · Quantum Break · Dark Souls III · Ratchet & Clank · Star Fox Zero · Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door · Uncharted 4: A Thief's End · Doom · Homefront: The Revolution · Overwatch & Battleborn · Mirror's Edge: Catalyst · E3 2016
Q3 Mighty No. 9 · Inside & Shadow of the Beast · The Technomancer · Furi & Song of the Deep · I Am Setsuna · Headlander & Quadrilateral Cowboy · Quake · No Man's Sky · Grow Up · Deus Ex: Mankind Divided · Metroid Prime: Federation Force · The Curious Expedition & Mother Russia Bleeds · ReCore
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2017
Q1 Top 5 Games of 2016 · Let It Die · Dead Rising 4 · Hitman · Gravity Rush 2 · Resident Evil 7 · Yakuza 0 · Nioh · For Honor · Nintendo Switch & Breath of the Wild · Horizon Zero Dawn · Nier Automata · Ghost Recon Wildlands
Q2 Mass Effect Andromeda · Yooka-Laylee · Persona 5 · Remastered Editions · Outlast 2 · Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 · Prey · Wilson's Heart · The Surge · Injustice 2 · Vanquish · E3 2017 · Strafe
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2018
Q1 Top 5 of 2017 · Okami HD · PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds · Fortnite and Dusk · Doki Doki Literature Club! · The Inpatient and Doom VFR · Monster Hunter World · Subnautica · Kingdom Come: Deliverance · Metal Gear Survive · Hot Coffee · Hunt Down The Freeman · Ghost of a Tale
Q2 A Way Out · Far Cry 5 · Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom · Extinction and Attack on Titan 2 · God of War 4 · Yakuza 6: The Song of Life · Silent Hill 4: The Room · Conan Exiles · House Flipper and FAR: Lone Sails · Detroit Become Human · Agony · E3 2018 · Vampyr
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2019 - 2022
2019
Q1 Top 5 of 2018 · Super Smash Bros. Ultimate · Gris and Ashen · Katamari Damacy Reroll · Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes · Resident Evil 2 · Kingdom Hearts III · Metro Exodus · Far Cry New Dawn · Anthem · Crackdown 3 · Left Alive · Devil May Cry 5
Q2 The Division 2 · Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice · Unheard and Outward · Yoshi's Crafted World · Mortal Kombat 11 · Katana Zero · Days Gone · Close to the Sun · Rage 2 · Observation · A Plague Tale: Innocence · E3 2019 · Blood: Fresh Supply
Q3 Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night · Judgment · The Sinking City · My Friend Pedro and Sea of Solitude · Acclaim Entertainment Hall of Shame · Wolfenstein: Youngblood · Horace · Rebel Galaxy Outlaw · Control · The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan · Remnant: From The Ashes · Blair Witch · Gears 5
Q4 Astral Chain · Contra: Rogue Corps · Ghost Recon Breakpoint · Indivisible · The Outer Worlds · Call of Duty: Modern Warfare · Luigi's Mansion 3 · Death Stranding · Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order · Shenmue III · 2019 Games I Haven't Reviewed Roundup · Phoenix Point & Bug Fables
2020
Q1 Top 5 of 2019 · The 2010s' Most Significant Games · Boneworks · MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries & Wattam · Journey to the Savage Planet · The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners · Kentucky Route Zero · Zombie Army 4: Dead War · Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem · Dreams · Doom Retrospective · Black Mesa · Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Q2 Doom Eternal · Half-Life: Alyx · Resident Evil 3 · Animal Crossing: New Horizons · Final Fantasy VII Remake · XCOM: Chimera Squad · Cloudpunk & Streets of Rage 4 · World of Warcraft: The Corrupted Blood Incident · Ion Fury & Void Bastards · Maneater · Minecraft Dungeons · Shantae and the Seven Sirens · Desperados III
Q3 The Last of Us Part II · Persona 4 Golden · Stadia · Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise · Paper Mario: The Origami King · Ghost of Tsushima · Carrion & Beyond a Steel Sky · Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout · Mortal Shell · Spiritfarer · No Straight Roads & Battletoads · Marvel's Avengers · BPM: Bullets Per Minute · Serious Sam 4
Q4 Hades · Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time · Amnesia: Rebirth · Remothered: Broken Porcelain · Ghostrunner · Watch Dogs: Legion · The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope · Assassin's Creed Valhalla · Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales · Yakuza: Like a Dragon · Immortals Fenyx Rising · Cyberpunk 2077
2021
Q1 Top 5 of 2020 · Bugsnax and Super Meat Boy Forever · Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond · Demon's Souls (Remake) · Hitman 3 · The Medium · Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood · Little Nightmares II · Breathedge · Persona 5 Strikers · Harvest Moon: One World · Loop Hero and Everhood · Evil Genius 2: World Domination
Q2 Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town · Outriders · Oddworld: Soulstorm · It Takes Two · Balan Wonderworld · Resident Evil Village · Returnal · Biomutant · Subnautica: Below Zero · Miitopia · Necromunda: Hired Gun · Sniper: Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 · Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Q3 Scarlet Nexus · Mario Golf: Super Rush & Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights · Ys IX: Monstrum Nox · Cruelty Squad · Death's Door and The Forgotten City · The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles · Dreamscaper and Jupiter Hell · Twelve Minutes · No More Heroes III · Psychonauts 2 · Tormented Souls and The Artful Escape · Deathloop · Lost in Random
Q4 Kena: Bridge of Spirits · Far Cry 6 · Metroid Dread · Back 4 Blood · Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy · The Good Life · Sherlock Holmes Chapter One · Call of Duty: Vanguard · Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition · Resident Evil 4 VR & Oculus Quest 2 · Shin Megami Tensei V · Halo Infinite
2022
Q1 Top 5 of 2021 · 2021 Roundup of Games I Didn't Review · Praey for the Gods · Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach · Dying Light 2 Stay Human · Pokémon Legends: Arceus · Not For Broadcast · Elden Ring · Horizon Forbidden West · Babylon's Fall · Ghostwire: Tokyo · Tiny Tina's Wonderlands
Q2 Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin · Tunic · Weird West · 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim · Teardown · Rogue Legacy 2 · Trek to Yomi and Ravenous Devils · Salt and Sacrifice · Hardspace: Shipbreaker · Sifu · The Quarry · Neon White · Card Shark and Postal: Brain Damaged
Q3 Bob's Game · No Man's Sky in 2022 · Rainbow Billy: The Curse of the Leviathan · Stray · PowerWash Simulator and Endling · Hell Pie · Cult of the Lamb · Fashion Police Squad · Saints Row · The Mortuary Assistant · Soul Hackers 2 · Metal: Hellsinger · Splatoon 3 and Serial Cleaners
Q4 Return to Monkey Island · Prodeus · Scorn · A Plague Tale: Requiem · Gotham Knights · Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope · Bayonetta 3 · Sonic Frontiers · God of War Ragnarok · Marvel’s Midnight Suns · Evil West · The Callisto Protocol
2023
Q1 The Best, Worst, and Blandest of 2022 · High on Life · 2022 Roundup of Games I Didn't Review · Pentiment · Sailing Era · Forspoken · Hi-Fi Rush · Dead Space (2023) · Hogwarts Legacy · Atomic Heart · Metroid Prime Remastered · Resident Evil 4 (2023) · GDC 2023
Q2 Dredge and Tchia · The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog · Dead Island 2 · Star Wars Jedi: Survivor · Shadows of Doubt · Redfall · Darkest Dungeon II · The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom · The Lord of the Rings: Gollum · Amnesia: The Bunker · Street Fighter 6 · Diablo IV
Q3 System Shock Remake · Final Fantasy XVI · Dave the Diver · Chrono Trigger · Remnant 2 · Viewfinder & My Friendly Neighborhood · Baldur's Gate 3 · En Garde! & Blasphemous 2 · Sea of Stars · Starfield · Bomb Rush Cyberfunk · Lies of P & Chants of Sennaar · Mortal Kombat 1
Q4 El Paso, Elsewhere and ? · Armored Core VI · Assassin's Creed Mirage · Lords of the Fallen (2023) · Sonic Superstars · Alan Wake 2 · Marvel's Spider-Man 2 · RoboCop: Rogue City · The Talos Principle 2 · Persona 5 Tactica & American Arcadia · Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
2024
Q1 The Best, Worst, and Blandest of 2023 · The Games of 2023 I Didn't Review · Beyond Good and Evil · Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown · Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth · Graven · Persona 3 Reload · Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League · Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden · Skull and Bones · Pacific Drive
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