Binary Domain Review

In the future, robots will live, work, and fight alongside humans, shoulder to shoulder. This is exactly how 99% of people imagine the future. But what if robots become exact copies of humans, from appearance to behavior? That’s exactly what the game Binary Domain from Yakuza Studio presents to us.

The future. It’s the year 2080, and events unfold in the city of Tokyo. Robots have long lived side by side with the human race, making human life easier and more enjoyable in every possible way. But then it turns out that for the past 30 years, cyborgs indistinguishable from humans have been living among people, and the scariest part is that these cyborgs themselves don’t even know they aren’t human, but creations of technological progress. That’s why our squad is tasked with infiltrating the headquarters of the Amada Corporation, which is believed to be responsible for producing these humanoid robots.

At first, our squad tries to infiltrate the corporation quietly, but this attempt is immediately thwarted by the corporation’s combat robots, and there’s no room for stealth anymore—a small operation instantly turns into a military conflict between humans and robots. By the way, the future isn’t as rosy as it may seem at first glance: the concept of the "middle class" has disappeared, and the city is divided into two parts—one where the wealthy live, and another where the poor exist. Each of these social groups has its own lifestyle and values, so you’ll have plenty to see.

Your team plays a big role in Binary Domain. You can give orders to your combat companions—they’ll always have your back and will heal you if your health drops too low. Each character also has their own behavior model: some charge straight ahead, others prefer to shoot from a distance, and some just want explosions and destruction. The enemy robots are also impressively designed. On the battlefield, you’ll encounter both regular robots about the size of a human and massive bosses armed to the teeth. Another distinctive feature of the game is the cover system, which is absolutely essential when fighting against mechanical foes.

In the end, what we have is a fairly classic shooter with cover mechanics and robot enemies, but with rich gameplay, powerful bosses, and vibrant cutscenes. And if you’ve finished the single-player campaign, head into multiplayer—which, while it may seem ordinary, will still give you plenty of positive emotions.