Often there are movies or video games that take on the cyberpunk aesthetic. Hyper Jam is one of those games and does so in an enjoyable and flashy manner. A free-for-all arena combat game, Hyper Jam packs excitement of finishing off foes with flashy weapons such as rocket and grenade launchers, a giant hammer, and a personal favorite of mine, a bow and arrow, while setting the arenas in visually clean and colorful environments.
Taking on a top-down perspective like Diablo, Hyper Jam fills the screen so nothing is missed and you can plan out your method of attack. There are multiple arenas to choose between, from a bright jungle cliff-side, a hotel rooftop, to an underground subway and more. Each arena has various hazards to avoid in addition to your enemies, and I found my kryptonite to be the edge of the cliff on the jungle level. Being aware of your enemies but also your environment in Hyper Jam is key, and a lot to focus on, but not overwhelming.
Combat is fast-paced and exciting right from the start of each round. At the beginning of each round, you are weaponless and can choose to come out fighting with your fists. After a couple of seconds though, the first weapon appears on the map. Most of the time it is a mad dash and a resulting confusion for half of a second on whether you got it or not. Each weapon in Hyper Jam has power to it, whether you are up close with the katana slashing away, or taking precision aim with the bow from across the arena. You can also throw the weapon you currently possess in favor of a different one or wanting to finish off the opponent by throwing the hammer for the killing blow. Players can also parry attacks, including incoming rocket fire, which can stave off premature death. Each attack, whether it is by fist or by weapon, can be charged as well, adding more power to the attack, but is also released automatically after a short period of time.
Hyper Jam possesses an interesting mechanic to the progression between rounds. At the start, you are just your character fighting the others, after each round though, you get a choice between four power-ups. These can range from extra health to the ability to freeze your enemies after dealing damage. The kicker that goes with this power-up selection is that the person with the lowest score gets to choose first among these power-ups. Each time a power-up is selected, it disappears, leaving three, two, and then finally the last one. I found this to be a great mechanic as it keeps the game balanced. Each power-up is not a ridiculous boost though, so even though you might get the first pick, it doesn’t mean you will have a drastic advantage in the next round.
Each round is quick and to the point, usually lasting no more than a minute. While there is no on-screen time clock, one of my matches lasted approximately 45-seconds before a sudden death countdown happened. I’m unsure as to if it appears after a set time, or if it was because there were two combatants left for a certain amount of time. Once sudden death happens, there is a shrinking red ring that appears and will do damage to you if caught outside of it. This forces players who may be shooting from across the map to come together and duke it out in close quarters.
When death does occur, you are not completely out of the match and you can still influence the outcome. When a player is on their final round before they win, they have to simply survive that round and be the last person standing. Knocked out players have a chance to land a sort of airstrike in the form of a beam resembling a lightning strike. When used effectively, a knocked out player could make it so that the person about to win is not the last person standing, therefore extending the rounds and allowing a chance for another player to make a comeback.
Hyper Jam has a disco/club/dance soundtrack which doesn’t feel too repetitive. The sound design is clean, with audio cues from certain weapons providing a minor warning such as if you are about to be hit with rocket fire. The only hiccup that bothered me so far was on the jungle level that has a waterfall on the backside of the arena. In between rounds, the audio becomes muffled, although on this arena, the waterfall sound doesn’t drop, providing a minor almost static that is slightly bothersome.
Overall, Hyper Jam is a thrilling entry to the arena brawler genre that is backed up by smooth gameplay, dazzling visuals, and clever mechanics to keep the game balanced. Hyper Jam is available on Steam, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on February 12th. Steam review code provided by Bit Dragon.
