Because Cyberpunk 2077 may not have scratched that cyberpunk itch for many players, focusing more on the corruption of megacorporations than the futuristic technology that players like to see in video games, many have turned to indie games instead, providing unique takes on the cyberpunk genre instead of first-person shooters. One game that's highly regarded in the indie community is VA-11 Hall-A, a cyberpunk bartending simulator with enriching character development. Next, cyberpunk fans should keep an eye on Keylocker.
Keylocker is currently on Kickstarter, but it's already surpassed its goal and, as long as nothing in development goes awry, is guaranteed to arrive digitally at some point in the future. However, a demo is available for download via Steam, and fans of turn-based action, cyberpunk, and rhythm games, or simply those who enjoy supporting small developers, should give it a try. While it may have some kinks to iron out, Keylocker's demo showcases a promising story behind stunning pixel art and enticing gameplay.
Keylocker's Impressive Demo
In Keylocker, players will assume the role of Bobo, a musician in a world that's banned music. It's a bit more technical than the plot of Footloose, though—music used to be a source of electricity in this universe, but now it's been banned by the government so that the Satellite CEO Tethys, also known as the Sunken Siren, can maintain control. Now, playing any form of music is a crime worthy of the punishment of death, but Bobo can use her skills to control and destroy sources of electricity. But the world of Keylocker is stranger than a simple dystopian future; it's filled with not-so-human creatures, like talking Alpacas hoping for world domination and robots built from jukeboxes.
In the demo, her story starts off inside a jail cell. With the help of a friend, she's quickly freed from the box, but she needs to escape the prison. Thrust into combat, players will shortly after see why Keylocker is such a promising indie game. Battles are turn-based and use timing elements when attacking. Similar to Paper Mario when Mario and his party avoid attacks, pressing a reactionary button at just the right moment will dodge or even counter attacks from enemies. There are also interesting rhythmic elements to Keylocker. Some abilities require using the up, down, left, and right keys in time with prompts, similar to DDR-style titles.
Avid indie gamers might be reminded of the 2020 RPG known as Ikenfell. Here, the protagonist Maritte leads a group of young teens on a quest to find her sister, and in isometric combat, each party member has unique abilities. On a grid, players must strategically place themselves for the right attacks, which also include timing-based elements in turn-based tactical combat. For fans of Ikenfell, Keylocker's combat could be an excellent follow-up.
At the beginning of the demo, players can choose from a short list of classes: the Sequencer, whose deeper connection with music provides proficiency in a wide variety of weaponry, the Samurai, who specializes in defensive combat and counter-attacks, the Juggernaut, or the heavy-hitter who deals severe damage to enemies, and the Hacker, or the trickster whose powers allow them to stay far from the front lines. There are six more classes branching from these choices, and as Keylocker will warn when choosing at the start of a save file, different classes change the story's path. Bobo's design also changes depending on the class chosen.
And in a dating sim inspired by Stardew Valley, players can romance or build platonic relationships. Currently, there are only two dating options on the table, Patricia and Simon, but Keylocker is close to reaching its first stretch goal on Kickstarter, where the number of dateable characters will increase from two to four.
It's difficult to decide which piece of Keylocker's demo shines the most—while the gameplay seems to be a major highlight, and it's easy to see why after playing, the pixel art is gorgeous, each portrait attractively handled with care and the cyberpunk world around Bobo is detailed at each corner. The size of the demo, both in terms of length and how much is available to explore, is shocking given the game only recently made it to Kickstarter; it's clear developer Moonana polished every cranny before getting the funding page and demo live, and it's certainly worth checking out.
Keylocker is currently in development.