Ruiner: Watch 15 Minutes Of Cyberpunk Slash-O-Shoots

Of course I was excited by the announcement of Ruiner [official site] last week. A top-down shooter with cool murders and cool dodging in a grim cyberpunk future? Mate, I've got blue hair and was wearing a leather jacket while I wrote that post (it was cold, okay). But can Ruiner accomplish what I cannot: have both style and substance? Have a gander at fifteen minutes of straight gameplay footage and see what you make of it:

Hmm, yeah? I dig the dashing and dodging and slow-motion dodge-planning, and the shooting and slashing seem pleasant enough by sight. Dunno. Hard to tell without touching it myself. What's up with the health and energy regen, though? Combat flow seems stilted at times by Murderman needing to run away to stand on health and energy recharge points. Kills recharge a little energy, but after Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance I'm appalled by the idea that a cyborg with a cybersword wouldn't recharge health and energy by slicing people up (snacking on spines is optional).

It is an awful shame that the demo level is a cybercar park when Ruiner seems to have several far more interesting environments. And most of those cutscenes seem pointless?

But hey, I'm only going on what I see in this video. What do you see, reader dear?

Ruiner is coming to Windows, Mac, and Linux later this year, made by Reikon Games and published by Devolver Digital.