ROOT (2015)

I found this game, just ok. I didn't really have much fun in the end, but I also didn't completely hate what I went through. It was kind of dull, but still had some cool moments and I did want to get to the end. ROOT is basically a stealth focused FPS with very tight maze like levels.You can also try to play aggressive if you want but prepare for enemies to rush you down. If you play stealth, the main way to get through the game is sneaking up on enemies and smacking them on the back of there neck. You do have guns which can help in more isolated areas, but will attract enemies from other rooms potentially. There's basically a pistol and a shotgun, and they are also kind of weak, but I think that's ok since the stealth is the focus here. You can also kick enemies, throw objects as distractions, and holler to attract enemies. For a stealth game, the enemy AI and level design are pretty lacking. All enemies have pretty straight forward walking paths. When you distract them or get caught they immediately go to the location, spin around a bit to check their surroundings, and then teleport back to their patrol path. If they detect you they stand in place and attack you (or they keep c…

A stealth game where stealth is ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ and not fun to do at all, leaving you a FPS that consists of a pistol and a shotgun and a sad hotdog that doesn't do anything because as mentioned, the stealth sucks. This is unironically that one digital set piece from Fallout 4 - Far Harbor except they took the puzzles out, added shooting from Fallout 3 and threw the guards from max scaling Oblivion to the mix. The peak highlight is knocking a guard out, shooting him in he head and then him no animation standing up and taking half my healthbar off.

ROOT is a first-person shooter with a strong cyberpunk identity that approaches digital espionage in a more physical and action-oriented way than the usual hacking game. Developed and published by Skunkape Interactive, the game places players in the role of Edward Summerton, an accomplished hacker attempting to penetrate a heavily protected corporate network. Instead of presenting this operation through terminals and programming interfaces, ROOT transforms the computer system into a strange three-dimensional environment that can be explored like a hostile facility. Programs become enemies, security systems become physical obstacles, and gaining ROOT access serves as the ultimate objective. One of the game's most interesting qualities is the balance between stealth and direct combat. Players are not forced into one particular style throughout the campaign. Moving carefully, observing enemy positions, checking corners, and avoiding unnecessary confrontations can preserve valuable health and resources. When subtlety fails or an aggressive approach seems preferable, firearms provide another solution. This freedom makes individual encounters more interesting because the decision to fig…

rubbish.

A nice, quick stealth FPS. Simple and well made. Good music.

I can see why so few players have finished this game. The story is some overwrought bs mostly dropped on you before you've even started playing. The characters you meet are exclusively uninteresting, and thankfully their constant and gameplay-interrupting text dialogue can be turned off. There's none of the charm and bleakness of a real cyberpunk thriller. It feels like the people who made this game knew some cyberpunk tropes, a few things about coding, and produced a basic product to hook someone purely on looks. The world is as shallow as the plot. Between the terrible level design, and the stupid difficulty of actually playing stealthy, you'll quickly learn ROOT is just a shooter with an enemy vision system. The level design does improve in later levels, but interesting pathing is often pointless in a world were everything is blue (abba dee, abba die) and it's so easy to get lost. If you're not careful, you can easily stumble into enemies you previously avoided. Bullet sponges are introduced, which would seem to be an attempt to encourage stealthy play, but then you're forced to fight them either as bosses or as protectors of keys in open rooms. Additionally, any and all enem…