Who said old school was a bad thing?
Hard Reset Redux is a single-player FPS that feels very old-school, full of tough enemies and destruction. You can even use the environment to kill your foes by electrocuting them, while there are hidden areas and secret collectibles to find. It’s a mixture of DOOM meets Cyberpunk, which is pretty intriguing.
Some might say that this sort of shooter is showing it’s age now, but that’s no bad thing. I love old-school shooters, especially the likes of DOOM, Serious Sam or Painkiller. Hard Reset Redux may not have that level of quality, but it is definitely memorable. It’s brutally hard too, even with an upgrade system in place…some enemies will destroy you with no hesitation.
As an old-school shooter goes, Hard Reset Redux does it surprisingly well. The only criticisms I have is that it’s a bit on the short side, and the difficulty can be off-putting at times. Other than that, it’s hard not to recommend to FPS fans. Visually, it looks a little dated…but considering the original came out in 2011, they’ve done a decent job in making it look more modern.
The story does little to entice you, but it does just enough to get you to the end…if you can make it, that is. The difficulty sure seems mixed, some sections have little to no challenge…while others will make you pull your hair out.
The Verdict
Hard Reset Redux may not reinvent the shooter and may be stuck in it’s old-school ways, but that’s no bad thing. What is bad is the short campaign and difficulty spikes, but despite all that…it’s one hell of a shooter and one I would recommend trying.