Hypercharge: Unboxed | |
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Developer(s) | Digital Cybercherries |
Publisher(s) | Digital Cybercherries |
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Engine | Unreal Engine 4 |
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Release |
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Hypercharge: Unboxed is a cooperative third-person and first-person shooter shooter video game developed by British independent studio Digital Cybercherries. It was released for Microsoft Windows[1] and Nintendo Switch[2] in 2020. The game is set in various domestic and retail environments, including bedrooms, garages, bathrooms, gardens, and toy stores, where players assume the role of an action figure.
The primary objective is to defend a central object, referred to as the Hypercore, from successive waves of hostile, animated toys. The main adversary in the game is a character named Major Evil, who leads the attacks against the Hypercore. The narrative suggests that failure to defend the Hypercore would result in humans forgetting about their childhood action figures. The game introduces a character, Sgt. Max Ammo, who plays a significant role in the storyline as the leader of the defense efforts.[3]
Hypercharge: Unboxed is designed to support cooperative gameplay, allowing for 1-4 players in online and local co-op modes, with difficulty scaling to accommodate the number of players. It also supports offline play with player bots, full split-screen for online/local co-op, and features both a wave-based shooter mode with a story campaign [4] and classic player versus player modes accommodating up to eight players.
In Hypercharge: Unboxed, the primary objective is to complete a story-driven campaign, focusing on defending the Hypercore against successive enemy waves[5] and accomplishing various tasks. Throughout the game, players engage in exploration to discover weapons, resources, and hidden items essential for surviving the attacks led by the antagonist, Major Evil. This gameplay combines strategic defense elements with exploration and resource management, encouraging players to strategically prepare for each challenge the game presents.
Distinctly, Hypercharge: Unboxed aims to provide a gaming experience that combines nostalgia with modern gameplay mechanics, explicitly avoiding pay-to-progress models. Instead, it focuses on player skill and teamwork. The game also features character customization, allowing players to unlock new action figures by achieving specific gameplay milestones, thereby promoting a philosophy against pay-to-win practices.[6] philosophy.[7][8][9][10]
Digital Cybercherries were awarded an Unreal Dev Grant which helped to further fund Hypercharge: Unboxed.[11] It is built in the Unreal Engine 4.
The game was released on the Nintendo eShop on January 31, 2020[12] and on Steam on April 27, 2020.[13]
The development of Hypercharge: Unboxed for the Xbox platform was officially announced on July 16, 2022, [14] with the developers also confirming future support for the PlayStation.[15] As of the last update, the game is still under development, and specific release dates for both Xbox and PlayStation platforms have not been disclosed by the developers.
Kotaku[16] commended the game for its mechanics, noting, "what is here is solid. Guns feel good, enemies react when you shoot them, and movement is fast and snappy." Similarly, Nintendo Life highlighted its multiplayer appeal, stating, "Great fun if you can muster together enough friends."[17]
It was awarded first place in IndieDB's Players Choice Indie of the Year 2020,[18] and also received IndieDB's Editor's Choice Award.[19] The game garnered further recognition by winning the Best Multiplayer award at both the Brazil's Independent Games Festival[20] and the GWB Game Awards organized by Tencent.[21] Additionally, Hypercharge: Unboxed was a finalist in the Best Casual Game category at the TIGA Games Industry Awards in 2022[22] and was highlighted by Steam in its "Best of 2020" under the Top New Releases of 2020.[23]
Two years post-launch, in 2022, Hypercharge: Unboxed experienced a surge in popularity.[24][25][26]