cybeRRRevolution

cybeRRRevolution is a cyberpunk action-adventure game set in a post-war dystopia where players alternate between three protagonists—Sepsis, a mecha pilot recovering a relic; Rebel, an amnesiac navigating dialogue-driven quests; and Barrett, a sharpshooter battling old foes. With gameplay blending dungeon crawling, side-scrolling combat, and narrative choices, the game explores themes of recovery and rebellion, underscored by a synth-heavy soundtrack and inspired by indigenous Guarani traditions.

cybeRRRevolution: Review

Introduction

In an industry often dominated by triple-A bombast and familiar franchises, cybeRRRevolution emerges as a defiant act of cultural reclamation. Released in September 2024 by indie studio brujeriaatwerk, this Indigenous-led cyberpunk action-adventure blends Guarani traditions with dystopian futurism, creating a game that is as thematically audacious as it is mechanically eclectic. While its ambitions sometimes outpace its technical execution, cybeRRRevolution stands as a vital entry in the canon of postcolonial game design—a fractured but fascinating mosaic of resistance, recovery, and rebirth.

Development History & Context

Brujeriaatwerk, led by Creative Director Santo, positioned cybeRRRevolution as both an homage to retro cyberpunk aesthetics and a subversion of the genre’s often shallow political undertones. Developed in Unity and crowdfunded via Indiepocalypse and the California Fire Relief Bundle, the project was explicitly rooted in Indigenous perspectives, drawing from Santo’s Guarani heritage for its visual language and narrative themes. This cultural specificity emerged amid a 2024 gaming landscape saturated with big-budget sequels (Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth) yet starved for authentic marginalized voices.

The team faced typical indie constraints: a reported 4-year development cycle, modest budget, and reliance on modular design to accommodate three distinct gameplay genres. Santo’s vision—informed by podcasts like Audio Entropy—centered on “decolonizing cyberpunk” by replacing neon-soaked fatalism with themes of communal rebuilding. Synthwave composers TV-MA and The Nexus Rasp contributed a pulsating soundtrack that nods to classics like Blade Runner while incorporating Guarani instrumentation, a sonic metaphor for the game’s fusion of tradition and futurism.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

Set in a post-war nation ravaged by colonial exploitation, cybeRRRevolution follows three protagonists whose intertwined journeys—Recovery, Reconnection, Rebuild—reflect Indigenous survivance:

• Sepsis: A veteran mecha pilot navigating labyrinthine dungeons to retrieve a stolen cultural relic. Her storyline critiques Western fetishization of Indigenous artifacts, framed through environmental puzzles that require understanding Guarani spatial symbolism.
• Rebel: An amnesiac fugitive with a neural implant, Rebel’s Adventure-style quest involves dialogue-heavy interactions with “monsters”—allegorical representations of colonial trauma. Early bugs (dialogue freezing) undermined emotional beats, but patches refined this system into a poignant exploration of identity reclamation.
• Barrett: A retired sniper embroiled in side-scrolling combat against fascistic “bandits.” His arc channels revolutionary fervor, though his morally binary missions lack Rebel’s nuance.

The narrative’s core tension—individual vengeance vs. collective healing—echoes real-world Indigenous struggles. Dialogues reference Guarani concepts like Tekó Porã (living well collectively), while villains embody extractive capitalism. It’s unapologetically didactic but gains power from its specificity, avoiding the vagueness that plagues many “political” games.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

cybeRRRevolution’s tripartite structure is both its boldest innovation and biggest liability:

Sepsis’ Dungeon Crawler (3D Puzzle/Mecha Combat)

• Strengths: Mecha customization channels Armored Core, with modular weapons reflecting Guarani artisanry. Puzzles integrate Indigenous astronomy—aligning constellations to unlock paths.
• Flaws: Janky camera controls and repetitive enemy spawns mar late-game sections.

Rebel’s Adventure Game (Dialogue/Item System)

• Strengths: Dialogue trees evoke Disco Elysium, with items unlocking contextual choices (e.g., using a medicinal herb to gain a shaman’s trust). The “barter with monsters” mechanic reframes negotiation as resistance.
• Flaws: Inventory management feels cumbersome, and pre-patch bugs disrupted pacing.

Barrett’s Side-Scroller (Run-and-Gun)

• Strengths: Tight platforming and visceral shotgun feedback recall Contra. Enemy designs satirize colonial iconography (e.g., robotic conquistadors).
• Flaws: Overly simplistic compared to other routes; lacks narrative depth.

The UI—a glitchy, bilingual (English/Guarani) holographic display—immerses players in the setting but suffers from inconsistent iconography. Progression systems are uneven: Sepsis’ skill tree feels fleshed out, while Barrett’s perks are negligible.

World-Building, Art & Sound

Brujeriaatwerk’s art direction rejects cyberpunk’s usual Tokyo- or LA-inspired sprawl for a biomechanical jungle where vine-choked mechs rust beside holographic totems. Kaloy Feliciano’s hand-drawn environments fuse Indigenous textiles with retro pixel art, creating a “Andean cyberpunk” aesthetic distinct from Cyberpunk 2077’s chrome saturation.

Sound design is a highlight: TV-MA’s synth melodies warp into traditional flute motifs during spiritual sequences, while The Nexus Rasp’s bass-heavy tracks underscore combat. The result is a soundtrack that—like the game itself—refuses to silo tradition from innovation.

Reception & Legacy

Upon launch, cybeRRRevolution garnered 4.7/5 on itch.io and 4.4/5 on Backloggd, praised for its thematic bravery and artistic vision. However, major outlets like IGN and Game Informer overlooked it—a testament to indie visibility struggles. Critics who engaged (e.g., Audio Entropy) lauded its decolonial framing but noted technical shortcomings.

Its legacy may lie in influencing a wave of culturally specific cyberpunk games. Like Never Alone did for Inuit storytelling, cybeRRRevolution proves marginalized voices can redefine genres historically dominated by Western perspectives. Upcoming titles listed in GOG dreamlists (Saros, PRAGMATA) already echo its fusion of folklore and futurism.

Conclusion

cybeRRRevolution is a game of brilliant contradictions: ambitious yet rough-hewn, polemical yet personal. Its uneven mechanics and occasional Bugs dilute its impact, but its heart—a fierce reimagining of cyberpunk as a tool for Indigenous resilience—beats with rare vitality. For those weary of dystopias that fetishize despair, this game offers something radical: a future worth fighting for.

While not a flawless revolution, it’s a necessary one—earning its place alongside Hades II and Citizen Sleeper 2 as a 2024 indie essential. As Santo asserted in interviews, “We make games to heal.” In that mission, cybeRRRevolution succeeds gloriously.

Final Verdict: A flawed but indispensable work of postcolonial cyberpunk, marrying Indigenous wisdom with retro-futurist fury. 8/10.