Do not let the weirdly spelled name distract you. Cybertrash Statyx is an approachable, 90-minute 2D linear shooter with a simple presentation and straightforward gameplay. It is straightforward all the way around but still carries enough entertainment value to justify the cost.
It might look like a Contra clone, but it is slower paced and much more methodical. Playing as a female that looks like Samus in her Zero Suit, gameplay isn’t much more than moving to the right and shooting all the evil T-1000 robots that are taking over everything. The narrative stays in the driver’s seat the entire time as there are some lengthy cutscene conversations to enhance the plot and give the player a reason to shoot things. Memory loss. An evil corporation. Flashbacks. All the stuff you might expect from your usual tropes are here.
While the gameplay is all about running and gunning, there is a tiny amount of depth thanks to the upgrade system. By killing robots, you gain experience points which in turn yield skill points to enhance abilities. Then, destroying crates will provide currency to use at vending machines spread throughout each stage. There dispensers can provide new weaponry, ammo, health, shields, and even offer level upgrades. In other words, the game provides plenty of reason to kill all the repeating enemies you see. By the time I saw the credits roll, I maybe unlocked half of all the upgrades available. So there is plenty to see and there is no need to grind, which is appreciated.
The weapon system also is a little different. Instead of using that gun until you die, both the standard and heavy weaponry have limited ammo supplies. When depleted, the default weapon, which has unlimited ammo, offers plenty of firepower to get the job done. Each stage is capped with a non-difficult boss battle too.
The biggest gimmick comes from the slide-jump maneuver. The standard jump doesn’t have much height. However, when a jump is combined at the end of a LB slide, a high jump is performed. At first, I thought this high jump was confusing and tedious. I mean, why not just give the player a double jump? But a couple stages into the campaign, it grew on me and I was high jumping my way through each stage without a second thought.
For a low budget indie game, Cybertrash Statyx isn’t the best action game you recently played, but I still enjoyed it quite a bit despite the simple presentation and lack of replay value. The hour-ish quest is actually the perfect length as the overall presentation and enemy types start to repeat a bit too much just as the final boss is defeated. The depleting weapon system, minor RPG mechanics, and slide-jump based control sets it apart from other 2D run-and-guns, making it worth a play for those fans of the genre.
Also Try: Metal Slug Advance
Not As Good As: Metal Slug 2nd Mission NGPC
Wait For It: Contra: Operation Galuga
By: Zachary Gasiorowski, Editor in Chief myGamer.com
Twitter: @ZackGaz
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RATING
OUR RATING - 8
8
SCORE
Cybertrash Statyx is a small indie developed action run-and-gun with a simple presentation but contains just enough depth to the combat, story, and slide-jump controls to make it stand out.
Editor in Chief - been writing for mygamer,com for 20+ years. Gaming enthusiast. Hater of pants. Publisher of obscure gaming content on my YT channel.
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