JYDGE Review

From the creators of Neon Chrome, 10tons Ltd brings Judge Drea-- I mean JYDGE. Players take on the role of a fearsome cybernetic JYDGE with one goal, cleaning up the streets of Edenbyrg, a megacity overrun by crime.

Before I begin my review I need to explain that to confuse this title with a clone of Neon Chrome would be a mistake. Yes, JYDGE reuses assets from Neon Chrome, however many of the core fundamentals that make up Neon Chrome are not present or have been redesigned and overhauled for JYDGE.  In combination these adjustments and new content are enough to make 10tons' new title stand out from its sibling.

Missions each have three objectives, which award the player a medal once completed, only one of these medals is needed to progress. However to unlock all of the acts, a certain number of medals need to be obtained, this means replaying missions to collect enough. Whilst sounding cheap, this is actually done quite cleverly as obtaining each medal may require a different loadout and a totally different approach to the mission. For example, one mission I played had the objectives of: rescue hostages, do it in a short amount of time and kill all enemies in the level. To rescue the hostages and kill all enemies in the short time slot was impossible, instead I had to first complete the kill all enemies objective which meant my loadout was geared towards damage and health buffs. For my second run into the mission I switched to a loadout that gave me extra speed and prevention of friendly fire so I could rush past enemies, rescue hostages without fear of accidentally shooting them and finish the mission in time. Once an act is completed it unlocks Hardcore mode, this changes the objectives of each mission and enemies are much tougher than before. Despite replaying the same mission, the variation in objectives makes JYDGE feel engaging and fresh.

Upgrades are plentiful in JYDGE and are easily unlocked by completing objectives; once unlocked they can be purchased with credits. Fortunately credits are abundant and as a JYDGE, confiscating ill-gotten credits is just a perk of the job. Upgrades come in the form of Cyberware and mods for the Gavel-gun. Cyberware primarily focus on the JYDGE, providing passive bonuses such as health and armour, to personal hacking tools and robotic drones that will automatically fire at nearby enemies. The Gavel is a multipurpose gun that has a primary fire mode and a secondary. Want to use a pistol that shoots ricocheting lasers and launches missiles? No? How about a lightning gun that can deploy robotic spiders that will attack nearby enemies? The amount of firemodes, cyberware and specials avaliable in this title is staggering and had me playing every mission slightly differently.

Most of the environment in Edenbyrg is destructible, the JYDGE can easily walk through glass windows, punch a JYDGE-sized hole in the wall or completely remove the wall with the Gavel-gun. Taking this and all of the aforementioned mechanics, JYDGE sways between being a bullet hell twin-stick shooter to a slow methodical stealth shooter. I found myself approaching each encounter differently, analyzing the situation and my environment. Are the walls thin enough to shoot through and make a sprint for the objective? Should I hack the back door and activate my camouflage to remain undetected, or should I waltz through the front door with rockets and a shotgun? There is a tool for every job that allows the player to play the game their way.

Music and sound effects can either make or break a game, and JYDGE’s music flows from soft electronic to harder more upbeat tracks that fit the futuristic dystopian cop theme very well. Guns sound heavy and impactful and the monotone robotic voice of the JYDGE never fails to make me smile as I imagine my JYDGE to be a cross between Robocop and Judge Dread. I found myself shrugging off failed missions because I knew it was extra time I would get to listen to the soundtrack.

What’s better than one JYDGE? Two JYDGE’s. Supporting local co-op and split screen, a friend can jump in at any time to join in with throwing the book and grenades at the bad guys. My only gripe with this is that  both players have to use the same loadout. The lack of this simple option is a missed opportunity, being able to synergise with a friend would have taken JYDGE to a new level of tactical play.

JYDGE is a well polished title that will keep you coming back for more and more, whether it's the soundtrack or the multiple ways to approach a situation this is a game that demands you give it the justice it deserves. With non stop action and seemingly never ending progression JYDGE stands out from its fellow twin stick shooters making it a must have for fans of the genre.