Liuyin’s World Captivates With Style and Intriguing Gameplay

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With cyberpunk’s once-imaginary fears starting to feel increasingly relevant today, more and more video games are exploring what a cyberpunk future might actually be like and how humanity would respond to it.

The final book in the Liuyin’s World trilogy tackles the familiar cyberpunk theme of societal breakdown. It’s set in a bleak, monochrome city where a dangerous AI has learned to control the cycle of life and death by turning living beings into machines. This is causing reality itself to unravel, blending flesh, souls, and technology into something new. To make things even more complicated, a group of enemies actually wants this strange new world to exist.

Enemies emerge from the shadows to challenge the game’s cloaked hero, their glowing blue blades cutting through opponents. Liuyin’s World is immediately striking as a stylish action-RPG, featuring a bleak city lit by flashes of red, green, and blue, and reflected in wet streets. It’s a minimalist environment designed for fast-paced, exciting combat. The game strongly encourages aggressive play – hesitation is a mistake, and players need to take the initiative in every fight. This has naturally led to comparisons with Soulslike games, especially Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. While Liuyin’s World* offers fluid movement, dodging, blocking, and impressive attacks, it doesn’t quite reach the same level as FromSoftware’s titles. Still, it presents a genuine challenge. Some players have found the combat difficult to learn, and the mini-bosses certainly prove that it won’t be easy. It seems the game may not be adequately preparing Western players for its unique combat style, which explains the reported learning curve.

This game blends action with rhythm-based gameplay. You’ll face simple enemies that are easy to defeat. Early on, you can win by quickly pressing the attack button to perform flashy sword combos. Precise timing isn’t important at first – just attack fast, string together a few combos, and keep moving forward.

As you progress in the game, you’ll be able to customize your character’s equipment and abilities. This customization includes upgrades to your cloak, passive improvements to your stats, and runic modules that add elemental effects to your weapons – like setting them on fire or adding poison. Hopefully, this will make combat more varied and strategic. The developers have shown off a lot of different attack options beyond just stronger weapons. We’ve seen tools like a grappling line to pull enemies closer, improved teleport dashes, and powerful attacks that can be used during combos. Based on what we’ve seen, there seems to be a lot of potential for creative and fluid combat.

In addition to weapons, the game features a unique system where using ‘Perception Points’ lets you reveal an enemy’s soul. Once exposed, you can inflict massive damage with a special ‘Soul Gun’. This feels similar to the combat in Hyper Light Drifter, which combines melee attacks with a gun that recharges after each sword strike. Hyper Light Drifter’s combat is incredibly fluid and satisfying, a beautiful mix of dodging, slashing, and shooting. Liuyin’s World aims to achieve that same seamless feel, building on the idea with customizable weapons. If successful, the combat could be truly exceptional.

Players can expect a strong focus on platforming in Liuyin’s World. Levels aren’t straightforward – they’re designed like mazes with branching paths and hidden areas you’ll need upgrades to access. The game is divided into distinct zones, each featuring unique environmental puzzles and tough mini-bosses. You’ll be able to revisit areas and explore different routes, encouraging multiple playthroughs and letting you approach challenges in various ways.

Okay, so Liuyin’s World isn’t exactly bursting with color, it’s pretty muted, but honestly, it still looks really good. Exploring the streets and buildings feels fresh and new, like nobody’s ever been there before. Which is weird, because it should be a city, right? There’s absolutely no one around – no people walking by, no cars, no mess. It’s all just clean, shiny surfaces. Honestly, if you ignore the lack of life, it’s like a perfect, utopian city.

Despite its sleek appearance, the game definitely feels dystopian. Shortly after starting, a character remarks on our hero’s unusual outfit – a cloaked figure with a glowing blade – noting they don’t ‘look like one of them. ‘We quickly realize ‘them’ refers to an enemy group, and the diary we found earlier hinted at their strange, machine-like biology. As an outsider in this sterile, concrete city, our character doesn’t blend in. This NPC also warns us that we’re being watched – ‘That guy up there might have spotted you,’ adding to the unsettling atmosphere.

Liuyin’s World presents a fascinating story idea. The premise – that someone is secretly controlling humanity, and others are helping them – suggests a rich and complicated backstory. This history likely explains how artificial intelligence developed its own independent ambitions.

It’s possible that strong social expectations and a focus on possessions have led some people in this world to prefer relying on artificial intelligence. The person the character mentions could be a digital copy of the rebellious AI, or maybe someone who’s taken charge and is leading a force. We can’t be sure of anything, but the game’s detailed backstory allows us to make educated guesses. Importantly, the choices our main character makes actually matter within this world.

Cyberpunk is growing in popularity, and its gritty, neon-lit worlds – often filled with stories of people struggling against powerful companies – have a distinct visual appeal. However, games like Liuyin’s World go deeper than just the surface-level dystopian themes, demonstrating that the genre can explore more meaningful and relatable issues. While bio-engineering is a common idea in science fiction, Liuyin’s World adds a unique element – the concept of souls – which allows it to delve into complex and emotional territory.

Please be aware that the opinions shared in this article are the author’s own and don’t reflect the official stance of GamingBolt.

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2025-10-22 17:42