Keylocker PAX West Impression
I really like the story and the art of the game. The art is very cyberpunk and the player can even change the color palette if they choose.
Keylocker is a retro-cyberpunk turn-based RPG from developer Moonana Games and publisher Serenity Forge, set on a future Saturn where music is outlawed. The game follows B0B0 and Dealer, who are twins known as Doppelgangers, born to be perfect fits for particular societal castes. B0B0 is a singer and songwriter who fights against the Saturnian Satellites that are the ultimate law by forming her own band. Keylocker has several classes and difficulty settings to choose from, with each class having its own skill tree.
The demo opens up with B0B0 in prison. Her Doppelganger sends her an encrypted message on how to escape the prison. She takes the hint and finds her way out of her cell. There are power-ups along the way like milkshakes and discs. Upon being spotted by a prison robot guard, a battle begins. Using her electric guitar, and by hitting the D-pad in a rhythm shown on screen, causes damage and charges up electricity. In turn, enemy attacks must be defended with timed button presses. or players can lose much of their HP. This can lead to frustration, because the window for that press is narrow as the enemy flashes white for half a second.
I really like the story and the art of the game. The art is very cyberpunk and the player can even change the color palette if they choose. I would love to get into the rest of the story, though the combat system just doesn’t work for me. I almost gave up during the demo because some of the combat requires a level of precision I’m not able to replicate. I love the concept and I hope that its launch, or later, version(s) provide ways to remedy or mitigate my issues. Keylocker is now available on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.
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