Second Zero

This parkour shooter challenges you to keep moving and eliminate enemies before the timer runs out. There is no story or even a brief explanation of the game’s world, so progression is handled through a linear sequence of stages. The environments share similar assets that resemble testing chambers, and stage layouts and enemy placements are sometimes almost identical, so there’s not much originality in stages. Every stage follows a linear path through narrow corridors, multi-level open rooms, and platforming sections. Movement is at the heart of the gameplay. Besides shooting, you can jump, double jump, air dash, and run along most walls, although wall running is disabled on certain surfaces in platforming sections. Double jumping and air dashing can each be used only once per jump sequence, but landing on the ground or starting a wall run recharges both abilities. Mastering this mechanic allows you to chain wall jumps and seamlessly transition from one movement sequence to another without falling. Time serves as your health bar. Taking damage reduces the timer, while killing enemies adds precious seconds back. Eliminating enemies also replenishes your ammunition, which is limited enough to punish careless shooting. Fortunately, running out of bullets does not leave you completely helpless, as you always have access to a melee weapon. It can still kill enemies, although using it requires getting dangerously close to your targets. You are not required to eliminate every enemy along the way, but taking down a few extra opponents can give you a useful time buffer before the final encounter. Each stage ends in an open arena where waves of enemies spawn continuously. The resulting firefight can be hectic, and you will take damage, but the game is forgiving enough that a single hit does not mean instant death. Standing still for too long, however, is a reliable way to run out of time. Enemies follow similar rules, often requiring several body shots to kill unless you aim for the head. Their remaining health is displayed in a bar above them, but tracking individual health bars is difficult when you are constantly moving and surrounded by targets. In practice, you will spend most of your time aiming, firing, and moving on to the next enemy before they have a chance to overwhelm you. Running out of time results in death, as does falling into the void during platforming sections. Thankfully, you have access to a time rewind ability that lets you undo fatal mistakes and recover from failed jumps. The ability needs to recharge after use, but the cooldown is short enough that you rarely have to wait long before trying a difficult section again. If you prefer a more aggressive approach, you can replace rewind with a time slowdown ability. This makes combat easier to manage, but it offers no protection against falling to your death. Completing a stage rewards you with a substantial amount of money, while dying still grants a smaller payout. Your earnings depend on factors such as speed, accuracy, and other performance statistics. Finishing a level also unlocks a chest containing a free weapon skin. You can spend your money on additional cosmetic chests with different rarity tiers, but skins have no gameplay benefits, making them a lower priority than functional upgrades. Weapons are a more worthwhile investment. The available selection includes pistols, rifles, shotguns, and sniper rifles, with several options in each category. Prices are affordable, so experimenting with different weapons does not feel like a costly mistake. There is no single gun that excels in every situation, though, as each comes with its own balance of damage, rate of fire, accuracy, and reload speed. A weapon that deals heavy damage may be less accurate or slower to reload, while a faster option might require more shots to eliminate a target.