Binary Domain

Binary Domain is a fun game that can be enjoyed for both its story and gameplay. The shooting in the game is extremely satisfying, as the player gets the feeling that bullets actually have some "weight" to them. Shooting robots down to bits and pieces is fun, and only gets more rewarding as the game progresses due to the various weapon upgrades available to the player.

The upgrades are offered via terminals, or shops, throughout the game and allow the player to buy upgrades or stock up on more health kits, ammo, grenades, etc. Plans for these upgrades can be found laying around in the environment, and aren't too challenging to find, so the player can have a wide array of upgrades available to them and their squadmates. Once the player is past the halfway mark of the game, the assortment of upgrades bought can be very easily noticed and appreciated. The system of upgrades feels rewarding because it allows the player to enhance their combat efficiency, meanwhile feeling like they truly earned those upgrades. It is a system that is reminiscent of Deus Ex Human Revolution's upgrade system, and is implemented well here.

The story in the game is nicely developed. There are many moments of levity that make this game "Saweeeeeeeeeeeet," as Big Bo (your friend and squadmate in the game) would put it. You play as Dan, a soldier part of a Rust Crew -- a team responsible for enforcing New Geneva laws. The Rust Crew is sent to Japan on the mission to hold the Amada Corporation accountable for breaking Clause 21 of the New Geneva order. As the story progresses, there are great surprises added in terms of both events and characters, and they are all interwoven nicely.

The game does have some quirks. Squadmates sometimes run in front of the player in the middle of gunfights, which decreases that squadmate's affinity towards (which can supposedly affect their likelihood of following commands; however, at no point in the game did this seem to materialize into anything). Characters will repeat many of the same lines throughout the game, but it doesn't seem bothersome since most of the time the player is preoccupied shooting things.

Though there are some quirks, these things are not enough to weigh down what is an extremely enjoyable game. The graphics are nothing amazing, but they are on par with games released this year. On regular difficulty the singleplayer took around 9-10 hours to complete.

Due to the well-developed story in the game, the fun boss battles and the satisfactory feeling of the shooting, Binary Domain is a very enjoyable game.