Hyper Void for Xbox One. Faster than a timelord in a trance.
Upon launching IN|Framez Technology Corp’s space-based 3D shoot ‘em up; the first thing you notice is a mix of bright lush visuals mixed with a soundtrack that will get your heart pumping for the journey ahead. A good start for a development team consisting of only 2 people.
You take control of RM-24, a spaceship sent to take on alien raiders after a distant supernova has opened up a wormhole in space causing the enemy to attack local frontiers, and that’s about as far as the story goes. There are more snippets of storyline that you have to find but nothing that even remotely captures the imagination.
Hyper Void has a modern but basic look and feel, reminiscent of Atari’s Tempest with its beautiful 3D designed tube levels and onslaught of enemies coming at you with speed and hunger. They have only one goal, your destruction. The single-player campaign soon becomes a frantic and timing-intense experience of shooting down attackers, collecting power-ups, finding secrets all in a split second; making the game hard to play and even harder to master.
Where Hyper Void struggles is the steep difficulty curve once the opening two training-style levels are completed. This will leave newcomers to the genre very frustrated as there are no difficulty settings for when things get very tough. The heightened difficulty becomes even more frustrating with the checkpoint system which at times is excellent, but can also leave you wondering why you need to do so much of the level again in other areas. Mix that with only being able to take three hits before dying makes Hyper Void a checkpoint-grinding experience. It should be noted that boosters can be found to regain shield, overcharge your weapons, and become invincible.
There is a second more arcade campaign area titled “Hyper Mode” which is only accessible by reaching high score goals within the main campaign. Hyper Mode adds better weapons, better movement and an all-round better experience of the game. It is just a shame that Hyper Mode is locked behind some very high level scores. Why wasn’t this how you play the game in the first place?
Controls are simple with three weapons mapped to the A, B and X buttons. You can also boost left and right using the triggers while the left stick is used as expected for directional control. Your weapons only have a small amount of energy to discharge before they will slow down to a halt. Although they recharge quickly, you will be wanting to make every shot count if you want to survive or make a mark on the leaderboards.
The visuals and soundtrack are where Hyper Void really shines through. Graphics that can only be described as psychedelic with the look of Doctor Who traveling through the time vortex. The supercharged cinematic soundtrack matches the pace and intensity of the gameplay; managing to keep you on the edge of your seat in anticipation of taking on all enemies. The game also runs at a super smooth 60 FPS which is very impressive considering the constant explosions of colours, enemies and ever changing scenery as you progress through the levels.
Hyper Void is a difficult but breathtaking addition to one of the oldest genres in gaming, with gameplay based more around timing and coordination rather than upgrading to the highest level of tech which is more prevalent in other shoot‘em up games.
I would personally like to see In|Framez Tecnology add difficulty settings in future updates, without this I feel the later levels of the game will be locked out to the more casual player.
Summary
Hyper Void is a solid entry into an aging genre, with top-of-the-line visuals and sound only made frustrating at times due to the lack of difficulty options. Veterans of the genre will look at the game as a welcome addition but the more casual gamer might find Hyper Void at the tougher end of their spectrum.
David Anthony contributed 13 articles to ICXM between 2015–2016, covering game reviews, and Xbox news with a focus on hands-on impressions and verified-source reporting. Their bylines on the site span the run-up to Xbox One S and Project Scorpio, plus the broader Windows 10 gaming push. They post on X as @ziplobthud.