Loopmancer Is Keeping The Time Loop Genre Alive In 2022
Time loop games had a moment in 2021, to varying levels of success. Overboard, The Forgotten City, Deathloop, Loop Hero, Lemnis Gate, Kraken Academy, Outer Wilds - Echoes of the Eye, and, unfortunately, 12 Minutes, were all released last year, demonstrating that the time loop mechanic can fit into a wide range of experiences and genres. The first time loop game of 2022 is Loopmancer, a side scrolling, roguelike platformer that plays like Dead Cells and presents like a B-movie sci-fi murder mystery. While that premise will check a lot of boxes for some, it’s definitely worth trying the Steam demo first, just so you know what you’re getting yourself into. Loopmancer has a lot going for it in terms of combat and setting, but the presentation is pretty rough around the edge, to put it lightly.
Loopmancer actually capitalizes on two big trends in gaming: time loops and cyberpunk. Set in the dystopian Dragon City in the year 2046, Loopmancer follows private detective Xiang Zixu on an investigation to find a missing journalist. That investigation is immediately interrupted by a gang of cybernetically enhanced gangsters who you’ll need to slice, shoot, and blast your way through with an arsenal of weapons and bionic abilities, as you double jump and grapple your way through randomly generated levels.
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Combat is a lot more punishing in Loopmancer than your typical side-scrolling roguelike. Though it looks like a cross between Shadow Complex and Dead Cells, Loopmancer feels closer to something like Ninja Gaiden in terms of difficulty. You’ll typically need to take on groups of enemies in groups of three or more, and their telegraphing is hard to spot
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