Rendezvous Review (PC)

fair
key review info
  • Game: Rendezvous
  • Platform: PC
  • Show system requirements
  • Gamepad support: Yes  
  • Reviewed on:
Rendezvous key art

I’m not sure if Cyberpunk 2077’s popularity, good or bad, incentivized developers to turn their attention to this subgenre of sci-fi and start churning games set in a dystopian future. The bottom line is that after prior and after CD Projekt RED’s game launch, a lot of titles adopted the cyberpunk aesthetic.

Rendezvous is one of the games set in a dystopian future ruled by megacorporations. Developed by Indonesian studio Pendopo Creations, Rendezvous tells the story of Setyo, a former criminal agent caught between two worlds. After what should have been a simple police mission went completely awry, Setyo decides to go off the radar and becomes a security technician.

That won’t last long though as one of his old friends shows up with a case that involves Setyo’s sister. It’s time for Setyo to return to his life before becoming a security technician, although not quite. Working with his old companion to try and find his sister and eventually save her life, will take Setyo through several locations in Neo-Surabaya.

Even though I’m not a connoisseur, I can definitely say that Rendezvous reeks of Indonesian culture. There are a lot of references in the game to the Indonesian food and art, which makes sense considering the studio’s whereabouts.

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Rendezvous plays like an adventure game with a little bit of action elements, which usually consist of dodging some NPCs chasing you or even lasers. There’s a lot of backtracking in the game and while Setyo can run, once his stamina bar drops to zero, he’ll have to wait a few seconds or eat an energy bar.

It’s an awkward mechanic that I found frustrating. I understand that the stamina bar has been added for the action parts of the game, but these are so few that I think the game would have been better off without the inclusion of such a feature.

The first few chapters will have Setyo running back and forth between two main locations, solve puzzles and avoid being caught by an unknown enemy. Up until chapter four, the puzzles aren’t something that you should be worried about. They’re satisfying to solve even if many of them are very easy.

Starting with chapter four though, things start to become a bit more frustrating. There are a couple of puzzles that simply don’t make sense or are downright frustrating. Beyond that, Rendezvous has little else to offer in terms of content.

The 2D hand-drawn pixel art is definitely going to be a hit and miss for many, but I did dig it in the end. On the other hand, the characters’ models are very well crafted and the 2.5D environments make the world feel alive. It’s a smart design decision that works very well for Rendezvous. The synth music fits the action on the screen, but I would have liked to listen to at least a few more tunes.


The Good

  • Very good 2D hand-drawn pixel art
  • Nice cyberpunk setting

The Bad

  • Generic story
  • Combat and stealth mechanics are bad
  • Some frustrating puzzles
  • Voice-acting is a hit and miss

Conclusion

The adventure game genre has been revived in the last couple of years, so it has become harder for such a game to stand out. Rendezvous is trying to offer its own take on the genre by adding action elements, but more often than not it’s these moments that make the game worse.

Even though it’s set in a futurist Indonesia and adopts a cyberpunk aesthetic, the generic story and some frustrating puzzles doesn’t help Rendezvous make it above the mediocre line. I think Rendezvous would have been a much better game without the stealth and combat mechanics. If you’re a cyberpunk fan and can put up with a few frustrating moments, Rendezvous can be enjoyable for just a few hours, but don’t get your hopes too high.

Review key was provided by the publisher.

story 6
gameplay 5
concept 6
graphics 8
audio 6
multiplayer 0
final rating 6
Editor's review
fair
 
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Rendezvous screenshots (31 Images)

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