Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Meat Puppet delivers an engaging blend of stealth, action, and investigation set in a hauntingly atmospheric post-apocalyptic world. Players step into the shoes of Lotus Abstraction, whose missions range from high-stakes infiltrations to tense, close-quarters combat. The core mechanics encourage a thoughtful approach: you can choose to neutralize enemies with silent takedowns, snipe from afar, or engage in adrenaline-fueled firefights when the situation spirals out of control.

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The mission structure is refreshingly varied. While many objectives involve the expected reconnaissance and elimination tasks, others require you to hack security systems, solve environmental puzzles, or chase down elusive informants through crumbling urban landscapes. The AI opponents adapt to your tactics, forcing you to constantly revise your strategy. No two runs feel identical, and the risk-reward balance for each nocturnal assignment keeps the tension high.

Progression in Meat Puppet hinges on unlocking new gear, augmentations, and hacking tools. Each successful mission grants experience points that can be spent on abilities such as enhanced vision, faster silenced takedowns, or cloaking modules. The game’s upgrade tree offers meaningful choices, letting you tailor Lotus’s skills to your preferred playstyle. Whether you’re a ghost in the shadows or a cybernetically-enhanced powerhouse, the gameplay loop remains satisfying throughout.

Graphics

Visually, Meat Puppet stands out with its gritty, neon-tinged aesthetic. The developers have crafted a world that feels both decayed and alive: flickering holo-ads contrast with crumbling concrete, and soot-streaked skies glow faintly with the remnants of electricity. The environmental design reinforces the game’s oppressive atmosphere, drawing you deeper into Lotus’s morally ambiguous mission.

On modern hardware, the title runs smoothly, maintaining solid frame rates even in the most crowded cityscapes. Texture work on character models and key set pieces is impressively detailed, though occasional pop-in can occur when fast-traveling between zones. Lighting plays a pivotal role here—dynamic shadows and volumetric fog often heighten suspense, but you may notice minor inconsistencies in shadow resolution at times.

Character animations are fluid and responsive, especially during combat and stealth sequences. Cutscenes use a mix of in-engine cinematics and pre-rendered sequences that showcase dramatic set pieces without breaking immersion. The user interface is sleek and unobtrusive, providing clear mission objectives and map overlays while leaving precious screen real estate for the game’s striking visuals.

Story

At the heart of Meat Puppet is a darkly compelling narrative centered on Lotus Abstraction. When a cryptic personal ad promising “help for nocturnal missions” lures her in, Lotus quickly realizes that her new employer is more akin to a ruthless crime lord than a legitimate recruiter. The story unravels through mission briefings, intercepted communications, and chance encounters in the underbelly of the city.

Lotus herself is an intriguing protagonist—determined, resourceful, and morally complex. As you carry out each job, flashes of her past emerge, hinting at why she’s willing to risk everything for a chance at freedom. Supporting characters, from mysterious informants to hardened mercenaries, offer side quests that flesh out the city’s power dynamics and deepen your understanding of Lotus’s predicament.

The narrative pacing is deliberate, balancing high-octane action with quieter moments of investigation and reflection. Plot twists are skillfully timed: the identity of your unseen employer hangs over every mission like a shadow, and incremental revelations keep you invested. Even if some dialogue falls into genre tropes, the overall storytelling remains gripping and frequently surprising.

Overall Experience

Meat Puppet stands out as a bold, atmospheric adventure that seamlessly weaves gameplay and narrative. Its dark, neon-drenched world invites exploration, while the mix of stealth, combat, and hacking mechanics ensures that every mission feels distinctive. Although a few technical hiccups can momentarily pull you out of the experience, the game’s strengths far outweigh any minor flaws.

The sense of progression—both in Lotus’s abilities and in the unraveling mystery of her employer’s identity—drives you forward across its estimated 12–15 hour campaign. Replay value is high thanks to multiple approaches to each objective and subtle branching outcomes based on your choices. If you crave a story-rich experience that rewards creative problem-solving and risk-taking, Meat Puppet delivers on all fronts.

Overall, Meat Puppet is a gratifying blend of cyberpunk aesthetics and tight, varied gameplay. Its ambitious narrative hooks you from the outset, and the freedom to customize your approach keeps every playthrough fresh. For those seeking a dark, immersive journey through a corrupt, post-apocalyptic future, this title is well worth investigating.

Retro Replay Score

6.2/10