7th Sector Review on Xbox

7th Sector is best described as a cyberpunk puzzle platformer, where you take control of a spark and make your way through levels solving puzzles, whilst hacking different robots to help get you to the next location.

The game boasts four endings and collectibles in the form of HDD screenshots.

Gameplay

The game starts of quite abruptly, with you as a character on a TV. It took me more that a few moments to realize that I could move said character. Quickly you then push yourself outside of the TV’s constraints and become a spark of energy in order to begin your journey. Why are you here?, what is happening? and to where you are going?... well that’s for you all, to find out.

The first hour or so is there to help you understand your controls and you begin by hopping between mundane pieces of electrical hardware, and manipulate devices in order to solve puzzles. They start out simple with basic fuse-boards to rewire, but puzzles become more complicated and before long, you are using a remote controlled car to start a lift, or use a digital gramophone to open a door. But in the midst of these puzzles, its the background story that will really start to intrigue you. There’s clearly something going wrong with the you city you inhabit, and you will see things that will make you question what is really happening and you place within it.

There is no hand holding here, as its all up to you to figure out how to progress. This will mean a lot of death by trial in order to understand how to move forward. Now this may sound like a pain, but there is enough close checkpoints to keep things from feeling too much of a pain and a decent enough intrigue in the story for you to want to keep going till you find out what this is all about. A perfect example of this is the careful placed TV’s showing of static, which will reveal something if you hang around long enough. Once you find one, you find yourself searching for other to work out what they mean.

You won’t be a spark for long, as you will soon inhabit a variety of robots that will create their own unique challenges. They vary from a cleaning droid where being the smallest, weakest robot can be an advantage. The armed Robot, who even with a head-mounted gun will have to work out if its their weapon or size which is best suited in order to progress. The floating servitor drone was my favorite as it gave me more freedom to explore, but also came with its own unique risks.

Regardless of your form, there is a drive to push forward and see what the unfolds and what’s your role in this. All to often I found myself lost in the games narrative and well crafted world, trying to think outside the box as well understand that I’m constrained by it. The control system here is great, with a two buttons for your actions and movement controlled by analogue. Your secondary abilities, when in robot form, are often controlled by the d-pad which meant you had to stop moving in order to use it effectively. Only one area I did find the controls a little problematic, and this was with a particular puzzle where I had to lift a box using the floating servitor drone. The controls aren’t sensitive enough, and I often found myself not pushing hard enough to keep it on my head or too hard and smashing it off. A quick patch or sensitivity bar would greatly resolve this.

Graphics

The Visuals in this game are superb. The cyberpunk theme works profoundly well and the colour palette ensures a mood that is poignant and revealing. With the main storyline being told, piece by visual piece, in the background, you are forced to look at the whole picture rather than what’s in the foreground. The tone of the city, the struggles of its inhabitants, the subtle and sometimes brutal prejudice against robots are placed carefully to make you think. Many will take a quick look at the games visuals and instantly judge it to be a simplistic platformer in a cyberpunk world, but nothing can be farther from the truth.

Sound

Sounds and music has been used in a sparing manner, with mostly ambient and background noise being used as its forefront. This ensures that the background is taken seriously, with screams, gunfire and robotic clanking ensures that poignant story plots are thrust into view. However, it’s your own spark ability which is the games consistent source of sound is the one I grew to love. When music was employed, it provided you with a great sense of dread and crushing weight that fitted this dystopian land. The mood of this game is set perfectly, and regardless of your location and with no voice dialogue, the story is conveyed easily. Overall the music and sounds when used are tone and pitch perfect, any good gaming headphones or soundbar will only amplify this.

Verdict

This leads me onto the rating of the game:-

Now I rate games in order of, avoid, on sale, great purchase and must own. My rating for 7th Sector is "Must Own’’

The game is fun and cleverly engaging, with it’s unique puzzles whose difficulty is perfectly balanced. I thoroughly enjoyed every single moment in this game, and the storyline is still floating around my head even now. Keep an eye out on this developer, I foresee great things ahead in their future.

The game is currently priced on Xbox at £16.74 or approx $20, and depending on skill and patience would give you about 6 hours worth of gameplay if you don’t get stuck on the puzzles, and with 4 endings, it would give the game quite a bit of replay ability.

This is game more than the some of its parts and one that should be in most peoples collection, if only to prove that a small budget can still produce a big impact.