Cyber Protocol review for Nintendo Switch

Maybe it?s just me, but I feel like the easiest way to describe Cyber Protocol is ?Pac-Man, but as a puzzle game.? While that?s missing some nuance, as a general way to describe the game, I really can?t think of a better high-level description.

I mean, look at those screenshots. You?ve got a maze, you?ve got little pellets to pick up, you?ve got the whole neon-lit ?80s aesthetic. Really, all that?s missing is music that goes ?waka waka waka.?

Of course, is Pac-Man sounds were the score to Cyber Protocol, it?d be a huge downgrade from what?s here. The music is definitely ?80s-influenced with its heavy doses of synth, but the overall production feels undeniably modern. It?s one of the best-sounding games I?ve heard in a long time, and the fact you can switch over to the music player and simply enjoy the soundtrack is a huge plus in the game?s favour.

A huge minus? The fact the game gets really repetitive, really quickly. In this respect — and I realize I?m going to lose a lot of people here — the game really reminds me of Pac-Man. Any time I play that classic (and I?ve played it many, many times over the years), I?ll always play for a little bit, and then get bored and quit. So it is, too, with Cyber Protocol. While there?s plenty of variation to be found in the level layouts, you still can?t shake the feeling that you?re doing the same level over and over again. It doesn?t help matters much that the checkpoints in some of these levels are few and far between, and you die pretty quickly, so it?s not uncommon to do the same segments more than a dozen times before you finally get the timing and the pattern down right.

But that may appeal to some (or even many) people! I mean, Pac-Man is one of the most addictive, beloved games of all time, so if you?re going to copy from anywhere, it offers a pretty good template — even if Cyber Protocol isn?t a one-to-one comparison. Personally, though, I?d much rather listen to this game than play it.

RedDeerGames provided us with a Cyber Protocol Switch code for review purposes.