Info about RICO: London:

Official game description:
London, New Year’s Eve 1999.
----------------------------
While everyone is getting ready to party the metropolitan police are working overtime. Detective Inspector Redfern finds herself at the scene of an emerging arms trade at the foot of a high-rise tower. Without the permission of her superiors or the support of backup, Redfern prepares to go kick off the millennium with a bang.  
**RICO London** is a gang-busting, name-taking, explosive co-op shooter. Battle your way up the high-rise tower stacked with East End gangsters solo or with a partner. Crash through doors, dodge bullets and turn the weapons of the fallen into your personal arsenal. Do whatever it takes reach the top.  
High-rise, Higher Stakes
------------------------
Ascend the dangerous gang infested tower, taking on tougher goons as you advance. The higher you get the higher the stakes.  
High Calibre
------------
The three magazines of 9mm you brought with you were never going to get you past the first floor. Chop and change from your ever-expanding arsenal to suit the task at hand as you defeat enemies along the way.  
Perks Of the Job
----------------
Customise your loadout with a series of performance enhancing perks and upgrades. Modify your skills as the night unfolds.  
Double Trouble
--------------
It wouldn’t be a buddy cop shooter without a partner by your side. Call in a co-op ride-along, either local or online.  
It is all down to you (and your partner) to bring the whole lot of them down, in the only way you can… kicking doors and shooting bad guys!
Features List
-------------
*   Arcade style game play  
*   Play through various game modes – follow the story in Operation (Easy or Normal), or jump straight in to shoot bad guys in Daily play.  
*   Compelling storyline with exhilarating gameplay to match it  
*   Buddy cop co-op shooter, in local or online  
*   Defeat different enemy types to collect new weapons and expand your arsenal  
*   Rescue civilian hostages and get them to safety  
*   Many collectible items to locate  
*   Moment-to-moment action packed gameplay  
*   Battle your way through the towers many storeys.  
*   Watch the chaos unravel in slow motion  
*   Cell shaded, graphic-novel art style

Release date: Sep 9, 2021

Categories: First-Person Shooter, Cooperative Multiplayer, Arcade, Roguelike, Prozedurally Generated Levels, Weapon Variety, Slow-motion Combat, Tower Progression


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $3.00 - $5.00
  - Reasoning: Reviews repeatedly reject the $35 asking price and anchor acceptable value around $3-$5, often describing $5 as a deep-discount ceiling. A single comment allowing up to $20 appears as a higher outlier, while the repeated $3-$5 anchors and direct rejection of $35 support a fair base-game range of about $3-$5.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 2.0h
  - Story completion: 1.8h
  - Session length: 0.3h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: Campaign completion reports cluster at roughly one to two hours: one reviewer beat it in 1.8 hours on the hardest difficulty, another says the game can be completed in two hours or less, and another says the main campaign lasts about an hour. This supports an overall game completion estimate near 2 hours and a story/campaign completion estimate near 1.8 hours. The 20-minute comment supports a very short single play session estimate of about 0.33 hours. No review provides a total endgame duration, so endgame remains null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: Players mostly report that the game does not become fun: repetition, ammo frustration, weak gunplay, and missing onboarding dominate. A few find brief intense fun or co-op value, but no consistent later turning point is reported.
  - Stance: Never clicks
  - Anchor: N/A
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: Repetitive rooms and enemies; Ammo shortages; No tutorial or visible controller bindings; Weak gunplay and bullet-spongey enemies; No map with multiple room entrances, hurting co-op; Same-looking randomized levels
  - Unlock drivers: Power-ups that make combat easier and potentially more frenetic; Co-op play with a friend; Reduced loading screens and whole-floor runs
  - Conditions: Playing co-op with a friend; Access to power-ups later; A tutorial or visible controller bindings; More level, mission, and enemy variety; Map layouts with multiple room entrances for co-op; Randomized levels on restart
- Player Archetypes:
  - Co-op Tactical Breacher (sale)
    - Motivation: Coordinated co-op breaching and tactical shooting with friends.
    - Playstyle: Plays online co-op with a partner, communicating to breach rooms and clear enemies together.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: CSGO
  - Solo Mastery Gun Collector (buy)
    - Motivation: Mastering challenges and unlocking perks while using varied guns.
    - Playstyle: Runs solo levels on normal difficulty, learns enemy layouts, and experiments with weapons and perks.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Discount-Only Bargain Hunter (deep sale)
    - Motivation: Getting a small, cheap game with acceptable value for money.
    - Playstyle: Waits for sales, buys at a low price threshold, and may use refunds if unsatisfied.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: deep sale
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Repetition-Sensitive Content Seeker (no buy)
    - Motivation: Fresh content, enemy/room variety, and meaningful progression.
    - Playstyle: Plays through stages expecting new layouts and rewards; disengages when rooms and enemies repeat.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Fun fast-paced gameplay (weight 0.5): Players consistently describe the core gameplay as fun, satisfying, and fast-paced, with many noting it remains enjoyable across multiple playthroughs. The action is easy to jump into and provides short bursts of excitement.
- Rich weapon variety (weight 0.38): The game offers a large arsenal with many different weapons, attachments, and skins, encouraging players to constantly try new guns. Enemy weapons progress from pistols to heavy machine guns, adding to the variety.
- Stylish comic-book presentation (weight 0.35): The cel-shaded XIII-style graphics, comic-style cutscenes, and UI elements are widely appreciated for their charm and coherence. The art style fits the game's tone and is seen as more pleasant than cheap 3D.
- Improved gunplay and controls (weight 0.32): Reviewers highlight that shooting and movement feel vastly better than in the first game, with fluid and precise controls. The dive mechanic and refined animations contribute to excellent control feel.
- Sharp and appealing graphics (weight 0.31): Multiple reviewers note that the graphics are sharper, prettier, and visually appealing compared to the original. The cartoon style has its own merit and is well-liked.
- Slow-motion breach combat praised (weight 0.29): The slow-motion effect triggered by breaching doors and performing dives is repeatedly called out as a highlight, making combat feel empowering and reminiscent of Max Payne. Headshots in slow motion are especially enjoyable.
- Decent but flawed experience (weight 0.29): Some players feel the game could have been great but falls short, offering only a few playthroughs of fun. It is considered playable and worth trying once, but not outstanding.
- Dynamic action with unique features (weight 0.23): Door breaching, slow motion, and a wide array of weapons create a dynamic shooter experience. The game provides a unique and exhilarating first-person action feel.
- More content and mechanics (weight 0.21): The sequel adds a campaign, new mechanics, more level themes, bosses, and environmental variety that were missing in the first game. It addresses many issues from the original RICO.
- Enjoyable soundtrack and sound (weight 0.18): The energetic soundtrack fits the action and stays fresh due to its short length. Sound effects, especially death screams in slow motion, are fun and well-received.
- Solid local co-op support (weight 0.18): Split-screen co-op with controller support is a appreciated feature, and the co-op experience still works well. Rooms with two doors enable coordinated dual-entry play.
- Scoring system encourages pace (weight 0.18): The scoring system rewards fast consecutive kills and weapon switching, keeping the pace up and combo multipliers high. Picked-up guns starting loaded incentivizes variety.
- Improved level design and flow (weight 0.14): Levels feature more themes, elevation, massive rooms, and fewer loading screens, allowing players to clear whole floors in one go. The pre-generated design is decent.
- Good value at low price (weight 0.13): At a very low price, the game is likable and provides a few minutes of fun, making it worth the cost. It offers short, crisp action in a comic style.
- Suitable for younger players (weight 0.1): The cartoonish violence with low blood effects and simple mechanics make it a good first tactical shooter for children. The simplicity is seen as a positive for accessibility.
- AI can be outsmarted (weight 0.06): Enemies can occasionally be ambushed in rare layouts and lose track of the player, adding a tactical layer. However, this is not a consistent feature.
- Upgrade points carry over (weight 0.06): Upgrade points are inherited after completing the game, which supports replayability and progression. This is a small but appreciated feature.
- Good Korean localization (weight 0.05): The Korean localization is problem-free, unlike the previous title. This improves accessibility for Korean players.

Common complaints:
- Repetitive gameplay loop (weight 0.99): Players repeatedly clear similar rooms and move to the next, making the game feel monotonous. Many note the loop becomes boring quickly, with little variation.
- Bugs and technical issues (weight 0.78): Players encounter numerous bugs, including getting stuck in walls, crashes, and invisible enemies. These issues significantly impact the experience and sometimes make the game unplayable.
- Downgrade from previous game (weight 0.6): Fans of the original RICO note that this sequel removes many features, such as objectives, map mechanics, and destructible environments. It is seen as a step back in terms of content and polish.
- Poor level design and variety (weight 0.54): Levels are repetitive, with identical rooms and corridors that lack variety. Many feel the design is careless, with dead ends and uninteresting layouts.
- Too short and lacks content (weight 0.46): The game is criticized for being very short, with a single playthrough taking only a few hours. It has few levels, modes, and overall content compared to expectations.
- Overpriced for the content (weight 0.43): Many reviewers feel the game is overpriced given its short length and lack of content. They consider it not worth the asking price, even at a discount.
- Ammo and health scarcity (weight 0.33): Players frequently run out of ammo and health, with limited options to recover. This can lead to frustrating situations where progress is halted.
- Weapon system and balance issues (weight 0.3): The weapon system is criticized for being unbalanced and restrictive, with useless purchases and inability to customize attachments. Some guns are wildly overpowered compared to others.
- No freedom or choice (weight 0.28): The game offers little player choice in terms of loadouts, objectives, or paths. This linearity reduces replayability and tactical options.
- Poor co-op experience (weight 0.28): Co-op mode has issues such as lag, server problems, and bugs that can ruin the experience. Friendly fire and collision can cause players to get stuck or die unfairly.
- Bullet sponge enemies (weight 0.27): Enemies, especially bosses, take excessive amounts of damage to kill, often requiring multiple headshots. This makes combat feel tedious and unrealistic.
- No replay value (weight 0.26): The game offers little reason to replay after finishing the short campaign. Daily mode is similar to story mode, and there are no unlocks or incentives.
- Shallow story and no depth (weight 0.22): The story is minimal and generic, offering little context or engagement. Players find it skippable and lacking meaning.
- Visual and audio shortcomings (weight 0.22): Graphics lack light and shadow effects, and sound design is limited and repetitive. The overall presentation feels unpolished.
- Poor gunplay and hit feedback (weight 0.21): The shooting mechanics feel mediocre, with poor hit feedback and unbalanced guns. Bullets are often blocked by objects, and aiming is inconsistent.
- Clunky movement and mechanics (weight 0.2): Movement mechanics like diving and jumping feel awkward, and aiming down sights sometimes malfunctions. These issues detract from the overall experience.
- Unbalanced economy and upgrades (weight 0.2): Currency is scarce, and upgrades are not rewarding or random. Players feel the economy is unbalanced, making progression unsatisfying.
- Removed map and objectives (weight 0.17): The removal of the map and level objectives from the original game is a major downgrade. It reduces strategic planning and co-op coordination.
- Lack of tutorial and guidance (weight 0.1): The game provides no tutorial to explain controls or mechanics, leaving players confused. This is particularly problematic for newcomers.

Gameplay feedback:
- Slow-motion door breaching (weight 0.57): Kicking doors triggers bullet time, giving players a few seconds to clear rooms and land headshots. This mechanic is central to the combat loop.
- Weapon pickup and swapping (weight 0.4): Players can pick up enemies' weapons, which often come with limited ammo, encouraging constant swapping. This ties into the scoring system and resource management.
- Co-op and split-screen support (weight 0.35): Players highlight co-op play, including local split-screen on consoles and online on PC, as a core feature. This enables shared door-breaching action with friends.
- Upgrade shop between levels (weight 0.31): Between levels, players spend points or medals on upgrades, weapons, ammo, health, and revives. This progression system includes perks and character enhancements.
- Procedurally generated levels (weight 0.31): Levels are randomly arranged from repeating rooms, with randomization on restart. This roguelike structure creates varied playthroughs but also repetition.
- Dive and slide movement (weight 0.3): Players can dive and slide to move quickly, smash doors, and dodge bullets. This replaces normal jumping and adds mobility options.
- Linear tower progression (weight 0.29): Players ascend a high-rise building floor by floor, with themed areas and a connected map. The design is more linear than the previous game.
- Weapon variety and upgrades (weight 0.24): A large arsenal of weapons is available, with new guns introduced over time. Players can buy weapons and perks, but cannot add attachments themselves.
- Campaign with story elements (weight 0.22): The game includes a campaign with levels, comic-style cinematics, and dialogues. Players control a police officer clearing a gang-controlled building.
- Boss fights included (weight 0.21): Boss enemies appear at the end of acts, including a final boss with a machine gun. There are three bosses in total.
- Reduced objectives and unlocks (weight 0.17): Compared to the previous title, the game has fewer objectives and unlock systems. It also lacks map planning and destructible scenery.
- Difficulty with permadeath (weight 0.17): Difficulty settings affect whether the game restarts after death, with permadeath on Normal. Players have limited self-revives before a run ends.
- Repetitive room-clearing loop (weight 0.16): The core loop involves clearing similar rooms repeatedly, with some players noting endless warehouse settings. This can lead to monotony.
- Arcade-style scoring system (weight 0.14): The game features a combo multiplier and scoring that encourages aggressive play and weapon switching. It enhances the arcade feel.
- Limited ammo and resources (weight 0.14): Ammo, health, and currency are limited, forcing players to manage resources carefully. Ammo scarcity encourages using a variety of weapons.
- Daily challenge mode (weight 0.13): A daily play mode reuses levels with slightly different room and enemy placement, competing against other players. It complements the campaign.
- Comic-book visual style (weight 0.12): The game uses a cartoon, comic-book aesthetic built with the Unity engine. It includes comic-style cinematics.
- Enemy and boss variety (weight 0.12): Enemies vary in durability, and some have wind-up attacks. Bosses are threatening and require strategy.
- Inherited upgrades and perks (weight 0.11): After completing the game, players can inherit upgrade points. Perks are earned and can be purchased with medals.
- Throwables and flashbangs (weight 0.08): Players can use grenades with explosion ranges and flashbangs. These add tactical options.

Performance notes:
- Mixed performance experiences (weight 0.21): Some players report smooth performance and better visuals than the first game, while others experience terrible optimization and frequent frame drops. This inconsistency suggests performance varies significantly by hardware or platform.
- Unstable servers cause co-op lag (weight 0.1): Servers are unstable, leading to lag in co-op sessions, and Asian servers are particularly affected. This connectivity issue hampers the multiplayer experience.
- Loading hallway frame drops (weight 0.06): Frame rate drops noticeably in loading hallways, which is jarring but generally not game-breaking except on the Switch version. This specific performance issue affects the flow of gameplay.
- High-end PC performance solid (weight 0.06): On a high-end system with an RTX 3090, i9-11900K, and 64GB RAM, the game runs above 200 FPS at near-4K max settings. This indicates good scalability for powerful hardware.
- Acceptable Unity optimization (weight 0.06): The game is built on the Unity engine and its optimization is considered acceptable by some players. This suggests that performance is generally adequate, though not exceptional.

Recommendations:
- Deep discount required (weight 0.54): Many players only recommend buying the game at a significant discount, often specifying very low prices or bundle deals. The consensus is that the full asking price is too high for the amount of content or quality offered.
- Not recommended at all (weight 0.44): A substantial group of reviewers outright does not recommend the game at any price, citing lack of fun, poor value, or dissatisfaction. Some explicitly advise against purchasing or playing it.
- Worth recommending overall (weight 0.24): A few players give a positive recommendation, describing the game as fun, unique, or worth playing. They often highlight specific appealing aspects like easy jump-in or comic style.
- Better with friends (weight 0.21): Several reviewers recommend playing the game in co-op with a friend, suggesting that the experience is more enjoyable in multiplayer. However, some note that even co-op doesn't salvage the fun for them.
- Short but worth one play (weight 0.13): Some reviewers find the game worthwhile for a single playthrough or a short session, but not for extended engagement. They caution against expecting more than a brief experience.
- Refund or wait for more (weight 0.13): A few players plan to refund the game or advise refunding if disliked, and some would only return after more content, bug fixes, and a discount. This suggests dissatisfaction with the current state.
- Tolerable only for specific tastes (weight 0.09): Some reviewers recommend the game only if players enjoy repetitive room clearing and restarting after death, or if they seek short, crisp action in a comic style. This indicates a niche appeal.
- Fans of original should skip (weight 0.09): One reviewer advises fans of the original game to skip this title, implying it does not live up to the predecessor. Another considers the original RICO a better buy.
- Mediocre FPS, not great (weight 0.05): One reviewer approves the game but notes it is not a great FPS, indicating mixed feelings about its quality in the shooter genre.
- Skip if expecting smart AI (weight 0.05): One reviewer warns that the game is not suitable for players who expect intelligent enemy AI, indicating a potential shortcoming in the game's AI design.
- Normal difficulty recommended (weight 0.05): One reviewer suggests playing on normal difficulty without extra lives, possibly indicating that the game is balanced or more enjoyable that way.

Other player notes:
- Unfavorable comparison to RICO 1 (weight 0.46): Many reviewers feel this does not feel like a proper sequel and is a downgrade from the original RICO. Some note missing features and reduced variety compared to the first game.
- Very short campaign and content (weight 0.32): Multiple reviewers report the game can be completed in roughly 1-2 hours, with one citing 1.8 hours on normal. The campaign is described as very short overall with little to do afterward.
- Price too high for content (weight 0.26): Reviewers consider the full asking price unreasonable given the limited amount of content. Several state the game is only acceptable at a very low price or in a bundle.
- Comic book style presentation (weight 0.17): The story is presented in a comic style with comic-style cutscenes and UI. The story is voiced in English and described as a generic cop story.
- Obtained through bundle deals (weight 0.16): Several reviewers acquired the game in Fanatical bundles or other bundle deals. This suggests the game is often purchased at a discount rather than full price.
- Little replay value and variety (weight 0.15): After the campaign there is little to do besides replaying or daily mode, and repeated playthroughs offer little variation. Weapon variety is also noted as low, limiting replay value.
- Generic and unoriginal shooter (weight 0.14): The game does nothing that countless other shooters have not done before and fails to utilize established genre tropes well. It is described as a poor version of Counter-Strike and compared unfavorably to other titles.
- Dumb enemy AI and single mode (weight 0.13): Enemy AI is described as dumb and only activates when a door is damaged. The game also has only a single game mode and a handful of maps.
- Abandoned with no updates since 2021 (weight 0.13): The game has not received an update since September 2021 and is considered abandoned by the reviewer. The reviewer believes it failed due to lack of advertisement and no announcement for RICO 1 players.
- Compared to XIII and The Raid (weight 0.11): The game is compared unfavorably to XIII, which the reviewer liked as a child. It is also compared to the film The Raid, with fighting up from the first floor through rooms of bandits.
- Korean language support works well (weight 0.09): The game supports Korean localization with a problem-free translation according to the reviewer.
- Good for kids and low-end PCs (weight 0.09): The game is suitable as a child's first tactical shooter due to cartoonish, low violence and simple gameplay. It is also playable on non-high-end PCs due to its simple style.
- Improved graphics compared to original (weight 0.09): The graphics were improved compared to the original, and some reviewers note the sequel has increased location themes but less room variety.
- Split-screen co-op available (weight 0.09): The game supports split-screen co-op, though one reviewer compares co-op unfavorably to Quake 1 co-op.
- Repetitive room patterns and short stages (weight 0.09): A stage takes about 20 minutes and then repeats the same room pattern. The game is also compared to procedural level-run games that call each new environment a new floor.
- Buggy like Vampire Bloodlines launch (weight 0.05): The game is compared to Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines at launch, similarly buggy according to the reviewer.
- Refunded by reviewer (weight 0.05): One reviewer refunded the game, indicating dissatisfaction with the purchase.
- Reviewer holds off on Xbox version (weight 0.04): One reviewer is holding off on purchasing the Xbox version, suggesting uncertainty or negative reception.

Emotions:
- Disappointment (weight 0.32): Players feel let down by a very short campaign and repetitive room-clearing loop with little story depth or replay value. The sequel is seen as a downgrade from the original, lacking content, mechanics, and polish, and failing to live up to expectations.
- Frustration (weight 0.19): Frustration arises from numerous bugs, glitches, and balance issues such as invisible enemies, getting stuck, and weapon imbalances. Clunky movement, scarce resources, and unfair combat further compound the irritation.
- Boredom (weight 0.17): The highly repetitive gameplay loop of clearing identical rooms with little variety leads to boredom. A lack of enemy diversity and meaningful progression makes the experience feel monotonous.
- Annoyance (weight 0.05): Annoyance is caused by permadeath adding extra steps, bullet-sponge enemies, laggy co-op, and repetitive music. A complicated weapon system and generic story elements also contribute.
- Excitement (weight 0.04): Excitement comes from fast-paced shooting, slow-motion breaching, dive moves, and weapon variety. Improved performance and graphics over the previous game enhance the thrill.
- Regret (weight 0.03): Regret stems from purchasing the game and finding very little content, leading to a feeling that the money could have been better spent. Some players refunded the game and cannot recommend it.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.03): Enjoyment is derived from fun breaching and shooting mechanics, slow-motion headshots, and a scoring system that rewards gun-switching. The comic-book style and fluid controls add to the experience.
- Mild enjoyment (weight 0.02): Players experience mild enjoyment from dynamic shooting with door breaching and slow motion, but the fun is short-lived and limited to a few minutes.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.02): Satisfaction comes from the slow-motion door-kick combat and weapon variety, especially for the low price. The game offers about an hour of gameplay that feels worth it at a budget cost.
- Love (weight 0.01): Players who loved the first game also love this one, indicating strong loyalty to the series.
- Fun (weight 0.01): Fun is attributed to improved controls and weapons compared to the original game.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Anger is provoked by glitches like invisible enemies and unfair enemy behavior, such as crowbar enemies dealing damage before their swing animation.
- Mild disappointment (weight 0.01): Mild disappointment arises from repetitive maps and an experience that compares poorly to games like Counter-Strike.
- Shame (weight 0.01): Shame is felt over the developers releasing the game in its current state at the asking price.
- Concern (weight 0.01): Concern initially arose from worrying the game was broken due to its repetitive room design.
- Pleasant surprise (weight 0.01): Pleasant surprise comes from the gunplay being much better than expected, especially compared to the first game.
- Reluctance (weight 0.01): Reluctance to recommend stems from finding the game flawed but still fun when bought on sale, making the recommendation difficult.
- Dislike (weight 0.01): Dislike is directed at the thought of paying more for the game, suggesting the current price is already too high.
- Mild boredom (weight 0.01): Mild boredom results from the repetitive room-clearing process.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Surprise is expressed because the game is much better than its negative reviews suggested.}