The Legend of Cyber Cowboy is a controller-breaking experience. The lack of balance will make you angry and I wanted to quit regularly. However, if you get lucky and have a clean run, you’ll cherish this hellish indie experience.
This bullet hell adventure was developed and published by Eastasiasoft Limited. Furthermore, it is a single-player top-down game that is gloriously brutal. Yet, this tough nature makes it hard to put down. No matter how many times I cursed and swore, I kept going. Yet, I can see many people binning this off early as it is often unfair and this undermines the enjoyment factor.
The Legend of Cyber Cowboy tells a silly sci-fi story.
The Wild West is a tough place at the best of times. However, if you throw in some gangs and demented robots, things take a turn for the worse. For reasons unknown, you are an android cowboy who must protect the land. Yet, bosses and robots wish to stand in your way and cause you no end of misery.
This twin-stick shooter comprises 5 unique landscapes. Each area has plenty of minor arenas to discover and a boss battle to overcome. As you enter each room, a new wave of monsters appears. You must dodge their advances as you blow them to smithereens! Once they perish, you may collect their gold and move on to the next room. This cycle continues until you complete the game or die. The latter option is the likely outcome, so be prepared.
Frustrating action.
Though the core concept is simple, the gameplay lacks balance. Unfortunately, the hitboxes are a little off and your pistol is as powerful as a fart in the wind. Accordingly, you must learn to dodge and time your attacks perfectly. To make matters worse, the bosses are overpowered and avoiding their advances is somewhat tricky. Thankfully, the developer has included some tools to balance the field.
Each world has a vendor who sells 2 weapons. These strong tools are the difference between success and failure. But things aren’t quite as simple as they should be. The rifle is ridiculous and this is the only tool you need for victory. Everything else is underpowered by comparison and that was frustrating. If the developers can adjust the action to make things fairer, it would improve the overall experience.
The Legend of Cyber Cowboy looks dated.
The pixelated approach works well. The Legend of Cyber Cowboy has an old-school appeal that won’t impress everyone. However, I liked the clear character models and the simple animation. Additionally, each world had a varied style that kept you coming back for more.
The audio was basic but effective. The simple soundtrack was repetitive but it doesn’t matter. What’s more, the shrill sound effects could have been annoying, but they worked well. Though the audio won’t blow you away, it was good enough.
Easy to understand controls.
The Legend of Cyber Cowboy is easy to master. You may dash, shoot, and move. This is the depth of the control system and genre newbies will love the basic design. I wish the hitboxes were more accurate, but this wasn’t to be. Instead, you must adjust your aim to account for the slight issue.
Unfortunately, this lacks replay value and longevity. Once you nail the final boss, there is little reason to return. If you add in the roguelite elements, then this will cause frustration. Consequently, I won’t be returning to play this again.
The Legend of Cyber Cowboy is short and tough, but fun.
This isn’t the best indie game ever. There are faults and the balance isn’t quite right. However, when things work, it is enjoyable and you can lose a few hours to its tough ways. If you want a retro experience that tests your patience, I recommend buying it here! Can you overcome every robot and save the day? Master your pistol, explore every room, and pray for some luck.
