Clone Drone In The Hyperdome Review – Gladiator Robots

Clone Drone In The Hyperdome Review
Clone Drone In The Hyperdome(CHDH) is the VR followup to developer Doborog’s Clone Drone In The Danger Zone. Both are robot-based combat arena games. CHDH takes the Voxel destruction from the Danger Zone and ups the ante. It also builds upon sword fighting in a way that only offers the three-dimensionality that VR offers.

You play the game as Blink, a teleporting robot. Yes, pun intended. Much like Maximus, you are conscripted into the gladiator games, known as the Crashloop. This is a deadly rogue-like tournament with the ultimate goal of making it to the omnipresent Hyperdome. There you will face The Captain. Can you defeat him and become the new Captain?

Voxel destruction is the developer’s big selling point for Danger Zone. With voxels, it is possible to create specific destruction points. You can chop off a robot’s leg and it is gone for good. The targeting of limbs is so much more precise in VR. As befits a game about robots, all the weapons are energy-based. This makes the damage from attacks precise. It also gives the game very much a Jedi Knight Academy vibe.

There is a wide variety of weapons to choose from. Melee weapons to choose from include axes, broadswords, swords, daggers, bows, and arrows. On the defensive side, there are a variety of shields. As you gain experience by defeating enemies, more weapon options open up. In the early going, it is prudent to run with a sword and shield combo to protect from arrow attacks. A single arrow hit can end your life.

Combat Strategy
In theory, the array of weapons should provide for differing combat. My experience was quite different. You can pretty well run through the entire game with the same weapons. I choose two swords, as it is easier to parry and counter-attack enemy strikes. Single-handed weapons are more accurate and quicker to swing than two-handed ones. Weapons such as the pike or Katana are no match. This was also true against the dual-bladed staff very much like that of Star Wars Darth Maul.

Note – having two swords also proved an effective defense against ranged weapons. This applies to deflecting arrows or shurikens.

Couple the swords with the movement scheme and it is pretty easy to avoid attacks. To clarify, you move about the game via teleportation. So a strategy of teleporting past an enemy just before their attack worked wonderfully. The only time teleporting proved troublesome was with multiple enemies. If you are not careful, you could teleport into a group of them.

Of course, any rogue-like combat game is not worth its name if it does not include any power-ups. In CHDH you acquire Turbofists. Defeating enemies in battle or purchasing them at the store gets you turbofists. Turbofists offer a strategic advantage: the ability to slow time temporarily, shoot flames, and launch shurikens. You can even summon zombies!

Combat Loop
If you want a real challenge, you can even have a go at it, bare-fisted. Bare knuckling is definitely the toughest way to go about things. You have no defensive abilities and most dodge all attacks. Be they from melee weapons or projectiles. Only the most hardcore players should try brawling.

CDHD keeps the gameplay loop fresh by randomizing the stages in each run. You choose from three doors between stages to determine your next combat encounter. The rewards for each are different, with the most difficult one offering double the reward coins. Your decisions with the doors affects your relationship with the other combatants.

In between stages, you can also access the store. Here you do the expected activities such as buying weapons, more health, and new Turbofist powers. You get coins for winning combats, plus there are breakable objects that also contain coins. There is also a training area for you to perfect weapon use.

After each Crashloop run, the system sends you to the loading room. Here, the combatants will interact with you in varying ways, depending on what happened on the battlefield. While the conversations don’t have any effect on actual combat, it does build up some player investment as you get to know the other challengers. The voice acting is good, and each character has a unique personality to go along with it.

Chill Combat Experience
CDHD comes with the standard suite of VR options. You can play standing or seated and there is a height calibration button to measure it. For VR newbies, there is a Vignette option to narrow the view during moments of fast movement. Although teleportation restricts movement, you can control turning. There is the choice between snap or smooth turning, plus you can control the turn speed.

CHDH is pretty chill for a roguelike combat game. The combat is not too difficult. One could argue that it is too easy. But in a world of Dark Soul and Elden Ring games, CHDH makes for a nice palette change. The Voxel graphics are unique to this type of game and allow for finer control of destruction. This works well for this type of game. On the flip side, it gives the game a retro pixel style that is very prevalent today.

The whole vibe of the game is fun. From the colorful Voxel graphics to the character and world design to the sound – including the voices, sound effects, and music. The weapon sounds very much mimic the sizzle and sparky sounds of Star Wars light sabers. Clone Drone in the Hyperdome is a fun, quick-to-pick-up and-play style of game. If you are looking for a colorful diversion and a combat game that is family-friendly, this could be your game.

***Steam key provided by the game developer.***

The Good

Voxel graphics equals enemy dismemberment
Good array of weapons
Good variety of enemies

72

The Bad

Short
Combat is easy
Repetitive gameplay loop