Konami’s latest action game thrusts players into a violent dystopia where nanomachines run rampant. It’s called Nano Breaker and it’s a Playstation2 exclusive title from the well-known producer of the Castlevania series. Don’t get your hopes up though; Nano Breaker is far below the quality standards set by Castlevania.

Nano Breaker begins with an island built around nanomachine research. In an attempt to perfect the science, every citizen of the island was injected with self-replicating nanomachines. One day the main computer goes berserk and all the nanomachines begin feeding off the iron in all their hosts’ blood and begin self-replicating. Too many are created for the host bodies to handle and the machines take over, turning everyone into killer cyborg robots of doom.

Enter Jack, a cyborg ninja revived from a 7-year cold sleep. His duty is to aid a feisty, independent and helpless scientist in stopping the vicious nanomachine breakout by shutting down the main computer. The story is obviously the game’s weakest point, as it sports all the major cliches of a low-budget action flick. The scientist you are attempting to aid insists on doing everything alone, even though every time you meet her, she is in deep trouble and needs your help. It also features the revisiting rival - fleeing after defeat, only to revisit you later on for a rematch. Repeat this randomly throughout the game until the final confrontation, where he exclaims, “Last time I was holding back, but not this time!”

Don’t worry, the story is only a small part of the game. The actual gameplay is a very arcade-like beat ‘em up. Each level is straightforward, spawning enemies as you travel from point A to point B. This setup would get boring very quick, so a customizable combo system was implemented. Players use two buttons for light and heavy attack, and when holding the shift key those two buttons turn into a thrust- and air-juggle command. On top of that, Jack also has a lasso attack and super move, so combat is flexible with various branching combos.

In the beginning combos are somewhat limited, but as you progress you acquire combo chips that open up new paths along a visual track laying out the full combo strings available. So towards the end of the game, level 5 chips will unlock some devastating combos. These combos not only do good damage, but they are pretty cool looking too - Jack’s sword changes shape, so in the midst of combos you’ll see it turn into a scythe or hammer or giant blade. The only downside is that between all the normal and shift attacks, combos can get long and slightly complicated to remember, so get ready to refer to the combo chart often.

Aside from these combos, Jack can use boosters. Boosters are special moves that improve Jack in many different ways. The first booster available makes it easier for players to nail the timing of the lasso-critical attack, which when perfected can kill most enemies in one hit. Others include powerful area-of-effect attacks or statistic upgrades. These boosters only work when activated, and last as long as your booster gauge is full.

This gameplay has a few flaws, the biggest one being the camera control. For the action being as fast as it is in certain areas, the camera moves so slowly that it can impede play. Another annoyance is how few health pick-ups you’ll find. Beating on enemies grants a small amount of health, but it also risks your current health. Other than these few complaints, the game is a lot like the old hack-and-slash arcade games and provides the same level of entertainment.

Nano Breaker doesn’t do the best job creating atmosphere. Level design is extremely bland. Flat, square walls and floors create branching hallways that you follow to the next unlocked door. The boring colors of the environments not only infect the walls, but also wash over the enemies. Every enemy of the game is some color of gray or brown (with the exception of “the rival”) and looks like the last version of itself. It’s so unfortunate too, because the graphics are good. Lots of detail can be seen in the main character and even in the enemy models, if only more color was used to articulate it.

Nano Breaker is one of those games with a limited audience. Fans of beat ‘em up action will probably enjoy Nano Breaker, but the boring design and repetitive action is likely to drive away gamers expecting more. Nano Breaker is a great rental, and provides a short but fun arcade experience, but if you plan on buying it beware. Make sure you know what you’re getting.         

Gameplay: 7.0
Some of the platforming segments can get frustrating, and the camera controls aren’t the best, but the deep combos and constant action provide an entertaining arcade experience.

Graphics: 6.0
Fluid animation and detailed character models are unfortunately overshadowed by bland colors and unimaginative design. The levels and enemies are lacking their most important trait: creativity.

Sound: 5.5
Some of the gameplay music is good, but quickly becomes redundant when you realize it doesn’t change often enough. The music during cutscenes is silly and out of place, and the voice acting is sub par. Other than that it’s mostly slashing and grunting sound effects.

Difficulty: Med/Hard
Nano Breaker starts slow to allow the player to grasp the combo system and how combat works, but later on enemies get stronger and come in bigger groups. Boss fights also grow longer and at certain times can be very difficult.

Concept: 4.0 
With a little more energy put into believable environments and a solid story, Nano Breaker could have been a pretty good game. However, with these faults it will only appeal to the few.

Overall: 6.3
Nano Breaker is the perfect example of the ideal rental game. It’s short and simple, there’s almost no replay value, yet it’s still fun for a certain amount of time. There are just too many faults that interfere with the core gameplay to appeal to the masses.