Gripper

With a slick aesthetic, some great synthwave tunes, and intense cybercycling through dilapidated space tubes, Gripper gets a lot right and we enjoyed those parts of it. We can forgive repetitive voice acting, but the other half of the game - the arena boss battles - is egregiously frustrating. The main gripping mechanic fails to work far too often with so much happening on screen, leading to a difficulty level that requires grudging patience rather than player skill. Thus, by the end of the game, our patience for this sci-fi mashup of genres had run out.

Gripper is an action game that can keep you entertained for a few hours. If you enjoy fast-paced motorcycle rides or love a rush of adrenaline, you’ll definitely enjoy this game. However, we have to criticize the game’s poor controls and, at times, unpleasant audio and visual effects. The story didn’t really impress us either, and the most interesting part was actually the final sequence. The price doesn’t match the content offered, and it would be worth picking up the game only if you can find it on sale.

Gripper combines adrenaline-pumping race sections with top-down boss fights. The high difficulty provides a challenge, though the gameplay sometimes works against itself to make it a little too difficult. The impressive soundtrack stands out, however this title is unlikely to have you coming back to after your umpteenth deathstroke.

Gripper is a fine high-octane action with a heartfelt narrative. Just try not to miss the story at the game's high velocity.

Gripper on paper sounds like a great time, but the way it is carried out just doesn't work. The game design itself just leads to frustration, instead of a fun experience.

Overall I think Gripper is a fairly fun and unique game, however, my main drawback is its price. For $29.50 AUD, I don't believe the game is providing that much value for its asking price, given that you can beat the game in only an hour or two. Sure you can farm old bosses, but you'd have to really be in love with the game to fight the same boss over and over again, and unfortunately, I wasn't.

Gripper is a fun, engaging, gritty little game that’ll have you wishing you could Akira slide in real life. While the game will come and go fast, you’ll appreciate the experience for what it is, and it certainly won’t overstay its welcome.

Whilst occassionally suffering from the “being unfair doesn’t make it a challenge” issue, Gripper is nonetheless a fun ride. A gripping take on the boss rush style of game, pair this with a controller and headphones for a throttlin’ good time.

Gripper is a boss rush inspired by Furi but different in its core gameplay. Here you are riding a bike to defeat your ennemies, using a winch to destroy them. If the gameplay can be satisfying sometime it can be very frustrating lacking some tweaks here and there, especially on the Switch, to help the player reading the action and knowing what must be done to win the fight.

Gripper stands out for its creative boss fights and interesting tunnel sections, which help bring variety to the gameplay. Despite the bugs and an unbalanced boss, it provides good doses of action that, together with the soundtrack, present a frantic and fun experience.