RYAN BLACK is a decent side scroller of the shooter subgenre. It may not be nearly as good looking or intricate as Epic Games’ Shadow Complex, yet for a Steam indie game from a relatively new dev team, we cannot ask for more. Only the game’s titular character is rendered in 3D, the rest of the assets being 2D backgrounds and sprites.
Even with a slightly murky and repetitive visual spectrum, the game is still both fun and challenging. Ammo isn’t unlimited and thus you will have to constantly switch between your pistol, submachinegun or assault rifle and the occasional use of grenades and a melee weapon, which should really be your last resort. The foes, either the monster types or the soldiers might not possess the best AI for a side scroller, but they will still pack a punch and can deplete your health fairly fast should you allow them to get near you. The best tactic in the case of any opposition, is to simply shoot at anything that moves, the moment you notice it.
RYAN BLACK’s story is as clichéd as any action B-movie from the ‘80s, so I will spare you the cringeworthy details. Suffice to say, is that what should have been a simple rescue mission turns ugly fast and you will have to face entire hordes of pseudo-zombies, rabid dogs, monsters the size of a truck and inexplicably, even human soldiers which seem to shoot you on sight instead of I dunno…accepting assistance from a fellow human being against the creatures which ravage their bases? So the plot is mostly nonsensical yet that is a sin we mosty learn to forgive when it comes to games belonging to the action genre one way or another.
At least the pacing is right, with not a dull moment to spare. You will have to be hasty during some level sections as even explosions take aim at your survival and the checkpoints, should you succumb to your injuries, are sparsely-located. Having to restart near the beginning of the entire level, does make you more cautious and also encourages building exploration for ammo or health kits. You will most certainly need those since the boss fights are quite brutal. Bullet sponges or not, the strongest types of monsters you encounter near the end of levels, provide a much needed diversity to an otherwise nearly forgettable roster of foes. There are some minor issues with aiming and shooting at targets that are above you and this will make in-door fighting a bit tricky, especially against the soldiers that carry firearms.
I don’t think I have to remind veteran gamers just how bad of an idea would be to detonate a fragmentation grenade in a closed space. Out in the open, most targets drop like flies if you combine firepower with frags or incendiary bottles and the few armored monsters you shall encounter, can be defeated a bit faster if you jump on structure such as piece of concrete or even a car. Be mindful that at least the vehicles shall explode if damaged enough, so in the end the best strategy is still the one in which you’re constantly on the move.
So in the end, RYAN BLACK has pretty much whatever you may want from a side scroller/shooter. Glancing over Steam’s similar suggestions, most of them seem to be priced even higher than Ryan’s initial price tag. I still hope the developer will offer a much needed price cut, or as long as you purchase it bundled, you won’t regret it. A title that doesn’t hold your hand and ultimately doesn’t fail to entertain, will surely find its way into many game collections, considering that it offers both Cards and Achievements.
+ 3D protagonist on a 2D game projection.
+ Diversified arsenal and enemies.
+ Steam Achievements & Trading Cards.
- Slightly overpriced.
- Repetitve sounds and environments.
Rating 7/10
