SPRAWL Review

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SPRAWL Delivers High-Octane Action in a Cyberpunk World

Imagine the scene. Wave after wave of enemies approach and, despite your best efforts, it seems never ending. Just as you’re about to give up you notice only two enemies remain. They’re on a cold, metal platform in front of you, the only thing stopping your bullet in their heads being the void below. You won’t let this stop you, you know you can make the jump, you’ve done it countless times in the past without the high stakes. A leap onto the left wall initiates shots from the opposition and you must alternate between avoiding the eternal void below, and viciously present soldiers opposite you. One more jump is all you need and as you soar through the air you activate your adrenaline, lock your crosshair between their eyes, and fire. 

That is what it is like to play SPRAWL. A constant, high stakes adrenaline rush.

SPRAWL Review 1
A constant, high stakes adrenaline rush

SPRAWL is the debut title from developers MAETH, telling the story of SEVEN, a soldier equipped with a cybernetic implant titled Icarus. Combined with her adept combat skills, she must listen to the voice in her head and investigate the city.

Familiar But Fun: SPRAWL’s Gameplay Mechanics and Level Design

To kick things off I’ll get the obvious out of the way, SPRAWL is extremely similar to other titles in the genre. It plays like Doom, Titanfall and many other platformer-FPS hybrids. Does this mean the game is bad? No, not at all. In fact, I believe it to be a compliment of the highest degree to be named in the same vein as those titles. 

My issue comes with the fact that SPRAWL doesn’t bring much new to the table. Does the game suffer from this? Well, let’s go over on the pros and cons and you can make up your own mind.

“Simplicity is effective” seems to be the motto MAETH took when developing the mechanics, being simple yet a blast to master. The level design complements them in various ways, never insulting the player’s skill, and simultaneously allowing a gradual increase in your abilities. This can be shown through booting up the game where you’re initially shown how to run on walls, before falling to your demise like a bird thrown out of its nest. 

Slow-Mo Mayhem: SPRAWL’s Adrenaline Mechanic and Combat System

With some perseverance and persistence, you’ll be intricately bouncing from wall to wall, laughing at the ground below, and if you do happen to fall, it will be with stylistic grace, and most likely in slow motion thanks to the adrenaline mechanic.

This mechanic allows you to slow time with your adrenaline meter which will deplete upon use. It can be utilised for tactical reasons i.e., lining up a headshot, or, as is often the case, to kill enemies in style. Adrenaline is the sole thing that sets SPRAWL apart from other similar games and, whilst it is extremely fun and unique, it is not enough to give SPRAWL its own distinct identity.

The combat is practically pulled from Doom 2016, right down to even the glory kills (or decapitations as they have been dubbed in SPRAWL). It’s not inherently a negative, but with combat being so pivotal in this title it creates repetitive gameplay. 

SPRAWL Review 2
Utilise your arsenal

A Cyberpunk Arsenal: Weapons, Replayability, and Game Modes

Yet in a strange turn of events, combat was the aspect of the game I wanted to over, moved aside for the more unique and creative platforming; although this could be due to my platformer roots. I appreciate the enemies, along with the weapons fitting the environments surrounding SEVEN, and the bullet time mechanic added a new layer to the game that initially provided intrigue. Yet by the end, the only combat sections I enjoyed were boss battles. 

SEVEN’s weapon arsenal has a broad selection for many different situations. Need some up-close action? Use your trusty boom-stick. Want to stay in the shadows and drop your enemies like flies? A sniper rifle will be your best friend. Or as I did, want to have a ‘blast’ with your frags? The grenade launcher says hello. 

Cheesy monologue aside, SPRAWL does give the player a variety of weapons to choose from, allowing more replayability along with personal preference which always improves a game. Speaking of replayability, SPRAWL has a good amount of game modes to keep you entertained. The classic campaign will take up the bulk of your time, but if your thirst isn’t quenched a time trial mode is available along with a mode titled Horde. Imagine the Mercenaries DLC from Resident Evil 4 and that’s more or less this game mode, which should tell you how much fun you can have with it.

MAETH gave SPRAWL just the right amount of content for you to enjoy and get your money’s worth, whilst also leaving their audience craving for more.

World-Building and Story in Sprawl

Exploration often inhabits this genre, being crucial to extras and collectibles and yet, aside from codex entries, there really isn’t that much to collect in SPRAWL. Whilst there is this great platforming system that allows you to run on walls and parkour, there are no rewards for doing tough challenges leaving little to no incentive to explore all these stages.

SPRAWL Review 3
An extremely solid debut

The story is a pleasant change of scenery from the usual stuff found in the genre though. A cyberpunk post-apocalyptic city seems like a perfect setting for a game like this, making it surprising to be so uncommon, yet without doubt one of the highlights of SPRAWL. The world building is undeniably immersive and gives the player that much more motivation and reason to keep searching until they inevitably complete the game. Whilst it has great world building, the story is not the main aspect which works in the SPRAWL’s favour; focusing on the gameplay gives players a chance to immerse and lose themselves in engaging platforming/FPS action. Few games allow players to sit back and blast away, attempting to weave a complex story in somehow, so I give SPRAWL kudos.

A Solid Debut with Room to Grow

To put it simply, you’ve played SPRAWL before – just under a different name. Whether that title was Doom or any of the countless other similar games, SPRAWL feels too reminiscent of games within the genre, yet it still manages to lay down an entertaining foundation for MAETH if they wish to expand on their fun but repetitive debut. 

All in all, you will enjoy SPRAWL if you like either platforming or first-person shooters; it is safe to say that MAETH have debuted with a solid outing. But – with their potential – there’s the chance they can move forward with a bigger, even better follow up.


SPRAWL: A Cyberpunk Boomer Shooter with a Killer Soundtrack and Gravity-Defying Action – https://www.thexboxhub.com/sprawl-a-cyberpunk-boomer-shooter-with-a-killer-soundtrack-and-gravity-defying-action/

Buy SPRAWL on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/p/9NMJ011K0V1R/0010


SUMMARY

Pros:
  • Adrenaline mechanic makes you rethink how to play an FPS
  • Fun and well-designed platforming segments
  • Good range of weaponry
Cons:
  • Not unique enough from other similar games
Info:
  • Massive thanks for the free copy of the game, Rogue Games
  • Formats - Xbox Series X|S (review), PS5
  • Not Available on Game Pass Day One
  • Release date | Price - 21 November 2024 | £12.49
Leon Armstrong
Leon Armstrong
An aspiring gaming journalist, after an exposure to gaming from a young age I knew this was my lifelong dream. With a soft spot for platformers and RPGs, my favourite games range from The Elder Scrolls and Legend of Zelda series, to the Sonic the Hedgehog and Ori games. I’ve played on many consoles growing up with the original Xbox, N64, Dreamcast and so many others. If I had one word to describe gaming I would say ‘magical’ as it can do things no other art form can for me, I love gaming.

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Khashmal
Khashmal
29 days ago

Thanks for your well-thought-out and written review. I bought the game from CD Keys at 0:59p and look forward to trying it out.

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<b>Pros:</b> <ul> <li>Adrenaline mechanic makes you rethink how to play an FPS</li> <li>Fun and well-designed platforming segments</li> <li>Good range of weaponry</li> </ul> <b>Cons:</b> <ul> <li>Not unique enough from other similar games</li> </ul> <b>Info:</b> <ul> <li>Massive thanks for the free copy of the game, Rogue Games</li> <li>Formats - Xbox Series X|S (review), PS5 <li>Not Available on Game Pass Day One <li>Release date | Price - 21 November 2024 | £12.49</li> </ul>SPRAWL Review
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