Master Reboot (Wii U) Review

Set in the future, in a world influenced by a company known as the Mysteri Foundation, Master Reboot is a sci-fi horror game with many puzzle elements included. It begins when the game's protagonist wakes up on a beach, unsure of who they are, where they are, and where they came from.

This opening sequence sets the tone for the story; players must traverse through various memories stored in the Soul Cloud, piecing together clues from the memories to find out who they are. Are they alive? Are they dead? Is this all just one big dream? Master Reboot does a great job at throwing out little clues, but things get a little confusing and overwhelming at times.

The Soul Cloud is an advanced piece of technology, which has the capability of storing the user's memories in its huge server, made available for loved ones and the deceased to access freely. It's not all just happiness and rainbows reliving these memories, though, as the protagonist is being chased down by the Soul Cloud's antivirus, which takes the form of a creepy young girl. This is where the horror part of the game comes into play. The antivirus detects an intruder in the system and will appear in the various memories, often when it is least expected.

Memories are made up of various puzzles and are set in their own individual environment, with areas such as a school, playground, hospital and library on offer. After completing each memory, a cut-scene and slideshow of pictures is shown, which uncovers even more of the character's past. There are also collectibles in the form of blue rubber ducks hidden in each memory, which can be interacted with to unlock extra pieces of information about themselves.

The gameplay in each memory can also differ quite a bit from the previous one. For example, the Fairground Memory includes shooting galleries and other fairground attractions, whilst the Flight Memory begins with a stealth section where the player has to sneak past the eerie young girl.

In a couple of these memories, there are some platforming sections that aren't too great due to Master Reboot's slippery controls. Thankfully, they're fairly short in length and don't crop up too often.