Info about SPRAWL:

Official game description:
“You chose exile in search of penance, in place of revenge.  
I seek to give you both - and in return…  
I will be set free.” - FATHER  
Enter the dystopian world of SPRAWL, a hardcore retro FPS set in an endless cyberpunk megalopolis. Advances in cybernetics and artificial intelligence pushed humanity into a new era, but that golden age has crumbled…leaving behind a broken world.  
Play as SEVEN, a disgraced special ops super soldier who finds herself embroiled in conflict with government forces trying to kill her while a mysterious voice in her head pushes her to survive. Betrayed by her organization and on a mission to overthrow the Junta, a military regime that rules the sprawl with an iron fist, SEVEN must escape the walled city and discover what secrets lie at the SPIRE.  
The streets of the SPRAWL are vast and the armies of the corporate government seem endless. But the dark alleys and dilapidated apartment surfaces are all compatible with the “Icarus” cybernetic implant, allowing SEVEN to perform gravity-defying wall-running maneuvers and slow down time with excess adrenaline drops from dismembered enemies. With a horde of different troop types and carefully designed weapons, she will be pushed to the limit to survive.  
The SPRAWL eventually consumes us all…will you fight your way out?  
To escape the desolate, AI-controlled city you’re gonna need to think quickly and master your weapons in a high-speed game of combat chess. Slash with your katana, keep a steady hand for headshots with the pistol, and use the powerhouse shotgun to jump up and out of range. Quickly swap weapons with no slowdown as you finish your enemies with precision aiming and slow down time for headshots.  
Get the best of your enemies and defy gravity with a cybernetic implant. Experience a new approach to wallrunning with seamless transitions from the ground to the walls, creating an entirely new dimension for exploration and combat. Solve combat situations creatively to get different rewards: ammo, health boosts, and refills of your bullet time adrenal meter.  
Explore a retro-futuristic and dystopian world filled with deep lore and visually inspired by classics like Akira and Ghost in the Shell.  
While racing to the Spire, a variety of enemies will present new challenges to overcome. You’ll need to adjust on the fly to different attack patterns. Rapid fire bursts from the SMG elite will keep you on your toes while a riot guard will charge and block your bullets. Think fast and adapt to survive.  
Immerse yourself in the environment and sounds of SPRAWL with an original industrial electronic soundtrack. The dynamic music system responds to your actions, lining up with kills and movements as you progress.

Release date: Aug 23, 2023

Categories: First-Person Shooter, Cyberpunk, Parkour Gameplay, Bullet-hell, Action, Fast-paced Combat, Precision Platformer, Single-player

Feature scans:
- Steam Deck: score 30; verdict: Playable with Minor Issues; summary: The game generally runs smoothly on the Steam Deck, providing a positive user experience. However, there are notable issues with the controls and certain game mechanics, particularly with specific weapons, which can cause frustration and detract from the overall experience.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $7.00 - $15.00
  - Reasoning: The evidence shows that users find the game worth purchasing even at full price, which suggests that the community considers the full price to be fair. Additionally, mentions of the game being a good deal at standard prices around 14€ further support the upper end of the price range. The lower end is supported by users finding the game a no-brainer at 7€ on sale.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 3.5h
  - Story completion: 3.5h
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence provided gives a clear indication of the playtime metrics for the game SPRAWL. The first quote suggests that the game can be completed in a single sitting, indicating a relatively short game completion time. The second and third quotes explicitly mention the total playtime to finish the game, which is around 3-4 hours. The fourth quote supports the idea of a short campaign length, reinforcing the 3-4 hour playtime for the main story completion.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game starts fun with addictive combat and movement mechanics, but becomes repetitive and boring over time due to lack of enemy variety and tedious level design.
  - Stance: Fun then drops
  - Anchor: Mastery of movement and combat mechanics
  - Time to anchor: 0h 30m
  - Friction: Repetitive environments; Lack of enemy variety; Tedious level design
  - Unlock drivers: Mastery of movement mechanics; Efficient combat flow
  - Conditions: Short play sessions; Enjoyment of fast-paced action
- Player Archetypes:
  - Boomer Shooter Veteran (sale)
    - Motivation: Seeking high-speed, skill-based gameplay with familiar mechanics.
    - Playstyle: Fast-paced, movement-focused, and skill-intensive.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: boomer shooter fan; movement shooter enthusiast
    - Reference games: DOOM 2016; DOOM Eternal; Ghostrunner; Turbo Overkill; Ultrakill
  - Value-Conscious Gamer (sale)
    - Motivation: Seeking enjoyable gameplay at a reasonable price.
    - Playstyle: Casual, price-conscious, and varied.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: budget gamer; sale hunter
    - Reference games: DOOM; Quake; Ghostrunner
  - Aesthetic Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: Enjoying the game's visual and auditory experience.
    - Playstyle: Immersive, atmosphere-focused, and appreciative of artistic elements.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: aesthetic lover; atmosphere enthusiast
    - 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:
- Enjoyable and dynamic combat (weight 0.43): Combat is a highlight, described as enjoyable, smooth, and fast-paced. The combat loop is addictive, with dynamic and juicy mechanics that make encounters fun and high-paced.
- Strong Ghost in the Shell influence (weight 0.42): The game draws heavy inspiration from classic cyberpunk literature, particularly Ghost in the Shell. This influence is evident in the aesthetic, mood, and overall setting, appealing greatly to cyberpunk fans.
- Stunning visual and artistic design (weight 0.38): The game features an incredible art style with a coherent and gritty visual aesthetic. Players praise the fantastic art direction, gorgeous artwork, and immersive design that contribute to a visual masterpiece.
- Outstanding music and soundtrack (weight 0.31): The music is phenomenal, fitting the vibe of the game perfectly. The soundtrack is described as excellent, unique, and cool, greatly enhancing the atmosphere.
- Phenomenal level design (weight 0.24): The level design is highly praised for being one of the best in years. Levels are well-designed, flow smoothly, and contribute significantly to the overall enjoyment of the game.
- Effective use of bullet time (weight 0.23): Bullet time is a standout feature, adding a nice touch and making the game more approachable. It provides an adrenaline rush and enhances the gameplay experience.
- Cyberpunk atmosphere and setting (weight 0.15): The game excels in creating a dystopian cyberpunk city atmosphere. The setting and aesthetics are highly praised, contributing to an immersive experience.
- Additional game modes (weight 0.15): The inclusion of modes like time trial and horde mode adds replayability and extra content. These modes provide additional challenges and teach advanced tricks.

Common complaints:
- Poor level design (weight 0.23): The level design is criticized for being confusing, linear, and lacking variety and creativity. Players find it unintuitive and either too open-ended or too restrictive.
- Lacks originality (weight 0.19): The game is described as forgettable and generic, with nothing unique or stand-out. The story and overall experience are seen as mediocre and unremarkable.
- Limited enemy variety (weight 0.18): Enemies are criticized for being repetitive and lacking variety. The AI is seen as simple and predictable, leading to a lack of challenge and engagement.
- Mediocre gameplay elements (weight 0.18): The gameplay, including platforming and AI, is described as mediocre and underwhelming. Controls are seen as clunky, and the overall experience is considered mid at best.
- Generic story (weight 0.15): The story is criticized for being rote, generic, and uninteresting. It is seen as a weak point that lacks depth and originality.
- Repetitive levels (weight 0.15): Levels are criticized for being repetitive and lacking variety. The environments and soundtrack are also seen as repetitive, contributing to limited replayability.
- Short game duration (weight 0.13): The game is criticized for being very short, with a short main campaign. Players feel that the game's duration is insufficient.
- Easy to get lost (weight 0.12): Players report getting lost constantly due to unclear directions and lack of guidance. The game's signposting and mission guidance are seen as poor.
- Repetitive gameplay (weight 0.11): The gameplay is seen as repetitive and not very deep. Enemies and overall gameplay mechanics contribute to this repetitiveness.
- Limited ammo (weight 0.1): Players report issues with limited ammo and insufficient ammunition pickups. The lack of an ammo economy is seen as a problem.
- Janky wall-running mechanics (weight 0.1): The wall-running mechanic is criticized for being confusing, janky, and clunky, especially in narrow spaces. It is seen as problematic and in need of improvement.
- Dull combat loop (weight 0.1): The combat is described as lame and dull, lacking flow and feedback. Players find the combat experience unsatisfying and repetitive.
- Lackluster boss fights (weight 0.1): Boss fights are criticized for being disappointing, lackluster, and poorly made. They are seen as a weak point in the game.
- Not worth the price (weight 0.08): The game is criticized for not being worth the full price. Players feel that the value offered does not justify the cost.
- Enemies too difficult (weight 0.08): Enemies are seen as too tough and difficult, leading to frustration. The game's difficulty spikes are criticized for being unfair and poorly balanced.
- Overemphasis on wall-running (weight 0.08): The overemphasis on wall-running is criticized for getting old fast and ruining parkour runs. Players find it problematic and overused.
- Very bad story (weight 0.08): The story is criticized for being very bad and almost non-existent. It is seen as the worst part of the game and poorly developed.
- Game is too easy (weight 0.07): The game is criticized for not being very difficult and being rather easy. Players find the lack of challenge disappointing.
- Lack of double jump (weight 0.07): The lack of a double jump and limited wall jumps are criticized. Players find the movement options restrictive and lacking in variety.

Gameplay feedback:
- Wall-running mechanics emphasized (weight 0.45): The game heavily features wall-running and related movement mechanics, including wall-jumping, sliding, and vertical surface running. These mechanics are central to both traversal and combat.
- Slow motion and bullet time (weight 0.32): The game includes slow-motion and bullet-time mechanics, allowing players to slow down time for strategic advantages and precise shooting.
- Fast-paced shooter gameplay (weight 0.28): The game is noted for its fast-paced, action-packed shooter mechanics, combining classic FPS elements with modern movement and combat systems.
- Variety in enemies and weapons (weight 0.24): The game offers a range of enemy types and weapon loadouts, though some players note limitations in variety.
- Boomer shooter influences (weight 0.21): The game draws significant inspiration from 'boomer shooter' mechanics, blending them with modern elements like parkour and cyberpunk settings.
- Inspired by Ghostrunner and DOOM (weight 0.18): The game combines elements from Ghostrunner and DOOM, creating a hybrid experience that blends fast-paced movement with intense combat.
- Quick weapon swapping (weight 0.15): Players can quickly swap between a variety of weapons, enhancing the fluidity and strategic depth of combat.
- Dynamic and strategic combat (weight 0.13): Combat is designed to be dynamic and strategic, with a focus on movement, resource management, and precision shooting.
- Cyberpunk rebellion story (weight 0.09): Set in a cyberpunk dystopia, the game features a storyline centered around rebellion against a oppressive government.
- Parkour and movement mechanics (weight 0.09): The game includes parkour and various movement mechanics, though some players find the parkour aspects underwhelming.
- Precise and satisfying gameplay (weight 0.08): The gameplay is designed to be precise and satisfying, with a focus on timing and accuracy.
- Varied level design (weight 0.08): The game features varied level design, though some areas may lack diversity.
- Shotgun-jumping mechanics (weight 0.07): The game includes unique movement mechanics such as shotgun-jumping, adding depth to the traversal and combat systems.

Performance notes:
- Optimized performance and high FPS (weight 0.26): The game is noted for its smooth and well-optimized performance, with high FPS settings and the ability to run on various hardware configurations.
- Various bugs and errors (weight 0.17): There are several bugs reported, including sound bugs, collision bugs, and specific issues like the laser wall bug and boat bug. Some errors like LowLevelFatalError and BulkData compressed header read error are also mentioned.
- Steam Deck compatibility (weight 0.08): The game runs beautifully and works well on the Steam Deck, indicating good compatibility with this platform.
- Graphical issues causing discomfort (weight 0.08): Some players experience motion sickness due to lighting and graphics, and there are issues with motion blur and bloom.
- Input detection issues (weight 0.05): Some players report that the game does not detect their inputs properly, including issues with mouse left-click.
- Game freezes and crashes (weight 0.03): Some players experience game freezes and crashes, which can disrupt gameplay.
- GPU overheating (weight 0.03): The game causes GPU overheating for some players, which can be a significant issue.
- Borderless window issue (weight 0.03): There is an issue with the borderless window mode that some players have encountered.

Recommendations:
- Highly recommended for fans (weight 0.5): The game is highly recommended for fans of various genres, including cyberpunk, fast-paced shooters, and classic FPS games. It is often compared to games like Ghostrunner, Titanfall 2, Ultrakill, Quake, and DOOM.
- Recommended on sale (weight 0.29): Many players recommend buying the game on sale, suggesting that it offers good value for money, especially at a discounted price.
- Worth buying (weight 0.23): Several reviews suggest that the game is worth buying, either at full price or on sale, indicating that it provides a good experience for its cost.
- Gameplay tips (weight 0.09): Players offer various gameplay tips, such as adjusting stick sensitivity, using the shotgun to jump further, and utilizing sliding movement frequently.
- Mixed recommendations (weight 0.08): Some players recommend alternative games like Turbo Overkill, Severed Steel, or Devil Daggers, indicating mixed feelings about the game's quality compared to others.
- Potential for improvement (weight 0.07): Some players mention the game's potential for greatness and express interest in future updates or a sequel, indicating that it has room for improvement.
- Refund and price issues (weight 0.06): A few players mention issues leading to refunds or suggest waiting for patches to improve gameplay, indicating some dissatisfaction with the current state of the game.
- Not for experienced players (weight 0.05): The game is not recommended for experienced FPS players, suggesting it might be more enjoyable for newcomers to the genre.
- Game length (weight 0.05): The game is described as short, with some players mentioning it can be beaten in one sitting, while others find the length perfect for a few sittings.
- Try before buying (weight 0.03): Some players suggest trying the first chapter before deciding to keep or refund the game, indicating that it might not be for everyone.
- Lack of creativity (weight 0.02): Some players mention a lack of creativity as a reason for not recommending the game, suggesting it might feel derivative or unoriginal.

Other player notes:
- Server shutdown issues (weight 0.04): Players have reported experiencing server shutdowns, which disrupt gameplay and cause frustration.
- DLSS irrelevance (weight 0.03): There are mentions that DLSS is not relevant to the game's requirements, indicating a possible mismatch in technology or expectations.
- QR code system for notes (weight 0.03): The game features an original QR code system for notes, which players have highlighted as a unique aspect of the gameplay.

Emotions:
- Enjoyment (weight 0.19): Players enjoy the game's fun and dynamic gameplay mechanics, including fluid movement, weapon variety, and unique mechanics like the shotgun reloading. The combination of great music, level design, and visuals enhances the overall experience, making it engaging and enjoyable.
- Disappointment (weight 0.18): Players feel disappointed due to repetitive gameplay, lack of innovation, and poor enemy AI. Comparisons to better games and issues with level design, story, and combat mechanics contribute to this sentiment.
- Frustration (weight 0.16): Frustration stems from janky mechanics, difficult parkour, and confusing level design. Players also report issues with game crashes, poor enemy behavior, and difficulty spikes, which hinder the overall experience.
- Excitement (weight 0.13): Players are excited about the fast-paced gameplay, unique movement mechanics like wall running, and the engaging combat loop. The game's atmosphere, soundtrack, and dynamic gameplay contribute to this excitement.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.1): Satisfaction comes from the game's well-balanced mechanics, enjoyable combat, and great soundtrack. Players appreciate the variety of weapons, level design, and the overall polished gameplay experience.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.03): Enthusiasm is driven by the game's engaging mechanics, levels, and positive comparisons to other popular games. Players enjoy the gameplay elements and find the experience highly recommendable.
- Appreciation (weight 0.03): Players appreciate the game's artistic style, soundtrack, and unique features like QR code collectibles. The developers' efforts and the game's aesthetic qualities are highly valued.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.02): The game evokes nostalgia through its old-school gameplay mechanics and level designs reminiscent of classic 90s shooters. References to games like Unreal Tournament and Quake enhance this nostalgic feeling.
- Excited (weight 0.02): Players are excited about the upcoming release of Sprawl Zero and the overall positive gameplay experience. The game's movement mechanics and combat dynamics contribute to this excitement.
- Mixed feelings (weight 0.01): Players have mixed feelings due to a combination of positive experiences and criticisms. While they enjoy parts of the game, issues like wall mechanic puzzles and AI flaws create a balanced but somewhat conflicting view.
- Joy (weight 0.01): Joy comes from the unique combination of classic FPS elements and a cyberpunk theme, along with an enjoyable soundtrack. Players find the shooter experience and overall polish of the game delightful.
- Love (weight 0.01): Players love the game for its satisfying gunplay, wall running mechanics, and the overall experience. The shotgun jump mechanic and the game's presentation are particularly appreciated.
- Boredom (weight 0.01): Boredom is caused by the game's short length and repetitive gameplay. Players feel that the game lacks replay value and becomes monotonous over time.
- Admiration (weight 0.01): Admiration is expressed for the efforts of a single developer in creating the game, as well as the impressive visuals and atmosphere reminiscent of Ghost in the Shell.
- Anticipation (weight 0.01): Players anticipate future releases, such as Sprawl Zero, and look forward to more content. The excitement for upcoming additions to the game drives this sentiment.
- Annoyance (weight 0.01): Annoyance is caused by sound bugs, game freezes, and crashes. These technical issues disrupt the gameplay experience and frustrate players.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Players are surprised by the enjoyable shotgun mechanics and collectibles. The game exceeding expectations contributes to this feeling of surprise.
- Disappointed (weight 0.01): Disappointment arises from the game becoming generic and repetitive, failing to meet expectations. Players find the game dull and unexceptional.
- Approval (weight 0): Approval is expressed for the game's value for its price and the flexibility in difficulty settings. Players recommend the game even at full price.
- Regret (weight 0): Regret comes from not knowing about the game until recently and missing out on certain mechanics, like shotgun jumping, until the end of the game.}