Keylocker: Turn Based Cyberpunk Action

Despite plenty of style and cheek, Keylocker can't get past the repetitive grind of its battles.

Although it may not be perfect, Keylocker is an experience unlike many you will find in the genre.

Keylocker proves to be a great entry to the JRPG genre and it has all the milestones that many games of the genre have. There are likable characters, minigames, amazing music and a compelling story to bring it all together.

Keylocker is a great turn-based, rhythm JRPG, but there are a few problems that should be addressed. If Moonana would fix the crashing, the broken quests, and the soft locks in fights, I think the game would be just about perfect. Unfortunately, it's not there yet.

The narrative is lacking polish, but inside it are some genuinely exciting and interesting moments. The gameplay is in a similar state, but when the combat is good it’s really good and offers a satisfying take on traditional turn-based combat. Keylocker hits the wrong note a few times, but boy is there a lot to like in its performance.

Has a sense of style and attitude that are fun, but it's combat has its struggles and brings the experience down

Overall, I enjoyed my time with Keylocker. The animation is stunning, the music is incredible, and the story is fantastic. Yes, the game is challenging, and no, it's not a passive experience—I had to stay engaged and pay attention during battles. But that’s exactly what I love about it. It dares to be different from a lot of other RPGs and takes some bold risks, most of which pay off beautifully. If you’re a fan of JRPGs, Keylocker is definitely a game that should be on your list.

But Keylocker: Turn Based Cyberpunk Action is a hard game not to recommend, even with its hardly palatable stance for people used to the standardized visions of the gamesphere. Though it has a very punitive difficulty, a story that doesn't wait for the player and extensive dialogues that don't always seem to make clear sense, there's an intrinsic charm there born from interesting characters, locales that entice curiosity, and a story very rich in details and development, showing that the developer Moonana can fly even higher in the next productions.

Keylocker is a high level indie RPG and an excellent addition to Switch's library. With an immersive narrative about facing an oppressive world and a challenging turn-based gameplay full of strategic elements, this may not be a game for absolutely everyone but it definitely deserves the chance to resonate with the players willing to face it.

Keylocker mixes grid based combat well with RPG mechanics from Paper Mario and others, while telling an interesting story in a cyberpunk world in a captivating style. It has a few missteps, but it's something you should play.