Gripper

Gripper is an unusual mix of racing games with action RPG mechanics. Throughout the game we control the man behind the wheel of a futuristic vehicle, equipped with a special hook for wide use. The game tells the story of the main character's sister's search in a world controlled by androids. The game was created by OctoBox Interactive, a Russian studio founded in 2017, known for Blazing Core and High Noon.

Plot

The story of Gripper takes place in a world where humanity has been dominated by robots. The goal of the main character, named None, is to find his sister, who is missing at the Burning Man Day. It is cyclically celebrated by androids and symbolically refers to the day when they finally took power. As the name suggests, it is based on burning of the remaining human beings, so the protagonist must act quickly. During the journey he will have to learn new combat functions for his vehicle, equipped with a powerful rope hook.

All the people in the world of Gripper have some disadvantages, so they are not able to resist androids. The main character is no exception - None is addicted to music. He only dealt with his problem thanks to his sister, a deaf singer. During the search, he will have to find another way to fight this affliction, and the robots attacking him will not make his task easier.

Mechanics

The entire gameplay takes place in the main character's vehicle. We travel through the world divided into 11 biomes, with different climates and unique enemies. In each of the areas there is a special challenge tunnel, which presents different obstacles depending on the climate of the location. During the exploration we may come across various puzzles and codes left by the Garbage Collector. By solving them, we learn more about the history of the world, previously inaccessible to humans as a result of the robots' actions. Visiting the areas is also diversified with collectibles in the form of statuettes, thanks to which we learn about the fate of characters important for the plot.

For most interactions in the game world, we use a hook attached to the protagonist's vehicle. We use it both to move around the available areas (e.g. when we have to drive under steep terrain), collect materials for crafting (allowing us to improve our vehicle) or finally fight with our enemies. The fights are essentially divided into two phases. In the first one, we try to knock the enemy out of balance, and when he is weakened, we use his own weapon to finish him off. During the fights, we have to avoid bullets fired by our enemies, using the manoeuvrability of our vehicle and the obstacles of the terrain. All the time we have to remember that physics is very important in the gameplay, so every battle with bigger enemies must be carefully planned.

In addition to standard enemies, there are also 11 colossal bosses in Gripper. Fights with them is all the more important because defeating everyone will unlock a new skill for our vehicle. This is possible thanks to ripping out their special hearts (half robotic and half organic), storing their energy and memories.

Technical aspects

The game was created on Unreal Engine 4. The graphics have been maintained in a cartoon-like style, with particular attention paid to animated role-play interludes and particle and lighting effects during the game.