Hypercharge: Unboxed

Hypercharge: Unboxed delivers fantastic first and third-person shooting across a good variety of maps and modes, and we've been genuinely impressed by how this indie shooter feels on Xbox with a gamepad in-hand. Sure, outside of the novel theme Hypercharge doesn't really do anything truly unique as a shooter, but that theme is refreshing enough on its own to make this a worthwhile endeavour. Adding in some real-life co-op buddies will likely extend the game's shelf life quite a bit, but even as a solo player we can still recommend Hypercharge: Unboxed to any shooter fan. Now, go forth, and rec...

Hypercharge: Unboxed doesn't revolutionize the shooter market or offer anything new, but what it does provide is a highly polished, chaotic, and lovingly crafted experience for players who have an itch for retro games and addictive combat loops. There's certainly an argument to be made that this version is coming a little too late into its life cycle, but if Hypercharge: Unboxed can find a consistent and renewed audience with this long-awaited release on Xbox consoles, then perhaps the future is indeed bright for this zany, old school shooter.

Hypercharge: Unboxed may not be perfect, but much like the paint smearing on my childhood toys from hours of play, its problems don’t have a Major (Evil) impact on the fun I had playing. The game should also be commended for providing multiple modes for friends to play in, whether they are across the world or across the couch, ensuring it offers something nostalgic amid today’s glut of never-ending live service games. It may not earn a spot in the display case, but it’s definitely one worth keeping in the toy box for a Saturday morning.

While there’s no denying that the world has seemingly moved passed the stage of young kids playing with their action figures and instead has them playing video games on their parents Xboxes, HYPERCHARGE Unboxed does a fantastic job of making me feel like a kid in my bedroom, playing with my little brother and our action figures again more than any other toy soldier game has before it. For only a fraction of the cost of what I’ll spend on games like Destiny 2 or Halo Infinite this year, I cannot possibly recommend this game enough.

Despite those two issues, the game is very enjoyable, and it’s something that I hope they fix sooner rather than later. The gunplay is fun because even with the base weapon, you can put countless attachments to make it your own Frankenstein monster. For all the content you get for the price, the games at it can feel like a steal.

Hypercharge: Unboxed, the toy-soldier shooter, has finally made its way to PS5 after releasing on PC back in 2020 and Xbox last year. Now, though, we have the full package with Hypercharge: Unboxed, an aesthetically pleasing shooter that does very little to keep you interested.

Hypercharge: Unboxed feels deeply nostalgic, like upending a toy box from your childhood and letting your imagination run wild amidst a sea of action figures, vehicles, building blocks, and other vibrantly-coloured plastic. Clearly inspired by late 90s animated movies such as Toy Story and, perhaps more notably, Small Soldiers, the game can be split into two parts: a wave-based tower defence mode playable either in solo or co-op, and a traditional spread of competitive PvP match types.