When the opportunity for a review of Clawpunk came by we instantly knew this was a indie game that needs to be on Retrolike.net. It fits or mission mantra quite litterally. Games we review either are modern game ideas in a retro look, or a retro games concepts in modern look. Clawpunk definitely fits the first mold. A roguelite run-and-gun in a pixel art cyberpunk look, with heavy emphasis of blowing stuff up.
CyberMiauw
The world of Clawpunk is ruled by grotesque elites, corporations, and militarized militias that treat the streets as disposable. Refusing to comply or conform, a gang of street cats bands together under the name ‘Clawpunk’. Determined to free like-minded felines imprisoned by the regime, the group grows steadily as you progress through the city.
The main objective is to rescue eight other cats while defeating the gang leader’s enforcers along the way. Each run takes you down through layered districts of a specific neighbourhood, where nearly everything on screen is destructible. Along the descent you collect weapon upgrades, money, and Anarchy points. These resources feed into your Airport base, where perks and buff cards can be unlocked. Money is used for power-ups and additional characters, but there is a catch. You only keep your earnings if you successfully clear a neighbourhood, which means you first need to invest your Anarchy points to stand a chance against the city’s treacherous underworld. Each unlocked cat, whether rescued or purchased, comes with distinct abilities that can offer specific advantages depending on the stage.
CGA
The PC CGA and EGA-inspired colour palette somewhat disguises how closely the core gameplay resembles the legendary 2D action game Broforce. Instead of working your way toward a helicopter pad, you descend toward the bottom of the map, blasting apart almost everything in sight. Where Broforce leans heavily on rapid character switching and weapon variety as its main hook, Clawpunk turns character unlocking into a progression system of its own. While chaos is still central, the game pulls back slightly from the constant sensory overload. It plays more methodically, encouraging the use of environments filled with easily triggered mines and volatile chemical waste. The comparison to Broforce is inevitable, but the two games ultimately feel different in practice.
Once you select a cat for a run, the challenge lies in balancing carnage with survival. Damage does not regenerate between stages, and once hit, your only way to restore health is by purchasing fish. You can switch characters between stages, which adds a layer of strategy and further reinforces the importance of unlocking new cats, as they effectively function as additional lives. Anarchy points fill a meter that enables a temporary power mode, allowing you to tear through enemies and terrain alike with overwhelming force.
Creative rougelite
Clawpunk encourages creative problem-solving. You can rush straight to the bottom or take the time to harvest currency and Anarchy points to strengthen your characters for future runs. A tactical approach usually results in less damage taken, but fills the Anarchy meter more slowly than going in guns blazing. Both approaches are viable, and the game leaves that choice largely up to the player.
Fresh yet uneven roguelite
Despite these strengths, Clawpunk never fully clicked for me. The underlying mechanics are well balanced, but the presentation struggles to support them. The CGA-inspired cyberpunk look is a solid idea, yet the execution feels uneven. Intentionally crude sprites sit alongside loading and game over screens that use a completely different visual style. Beyond its roguelite structure, the game offers little to pull you in. Stage design varies from interesting to forgettable, depending on the area. Another issue is readability during combat. The camera can zoom out far enough that, amid explosions and debris, it becomes difficult to track your character or judge incoming danger. This is less noticeable when playing docked, but in handheld mode it becomes a real problem.
Roguelite fans will likely get some mileage out of Clawpunk, though the difficulty curve starts steep and flattens out fairly quickly, which may not satisfy more hardcore players. It ends up sitting somewhere in between, neither fully casual nor deeply demanding. Still, it remains a fair and thoughtful attempt at putting a fresh spin on the roguelite formula.
