Tokyo 42

This review could just as easily have been negative rather than positive. The clincher for going with positive is that I got the game at 90% discount, and with ~19 hours playtime at time of writing, it's hard to say I didn't get my money's worth. And there is a lot you can enjoy here, as long as you know what to expect. So consider this a heavily qualified positive review.
The Good
There is a lot to like about this game. The environment design is (mostly) really good (there is an area where the design is somewhat clumsily chosen to add challenge to a specific mission that takes place there, but it's noticeable by contrast with the rest of the gameworld), and the art design is phenomenal. This is a 9 year old game and it still feels fresh and distinctive.
Similarly, the music is really good and fits the game perfectly. Good enough that I've looked it up to see if I can buy it as its own thing.
The world is full of little details and secrets to find, and - for me at least - the crowd and NPC behaviour does a lot to sell the idea of a busy, bustling megacity. There's a sense of humour and whimsy to the world - starting with the basic premise which is "framed for a murder, you start committing murders for hire to expose the real killer", but also in the writing/dialogue and even some of the visual aspects of NPCs.
There's a bit of variety to the missions, although they are generally of the "go here, kill this person" - but the fun is more to do with figuring out how you can do it. You can do the "all guns blazing" approach - you don't get punished for doing this, other than it being a more challenging way to play since the game does also enable a more stealthy approach.
The Bad
The camera. I understand the desire for an isometric-type camera system, and I can even deal with the "for certain missions or areas, half the challenge is working out which camera angle to use" because done right it can add to platforming/parkour challenges. But the system here needs a lot of refinement to mesh smoothly into the game - not least to address things like your direction of movement changing immediately on rotating the camera, but also the limited range of zoom levels and the lack of an auto-zoom feature. The fact that you can't change the vertical orientation of the camera means that certain combat situations are far more frustrating than they need to be.
The controls. I'm a little more forgiving here as I know that designing future-proof controls is hard - but the big problem is that controller layouts can't be customised. So hope you like the default controls! The aiming controls are bad, which comes back to the camera issue - but they are far worse when you need to use them while also moving, because you don't get a proper laser-sight on "fast aim" - so you need to use the reticle-aim option instead, but that moves the camera entirely without pausing the game, so now you can aim better but at the expense of not being able to see where your character is.
The enemy AI. Sometimes this manifests in ways that help you (there's no scaling-response from most enemies, and they don't notice or react to e.g. several corpses of their fellow gang members lying around, as long as they didn't see or hear you kill them), others in ways that suck (in combat they always know where you are and can aim accordingly, including projectiles - and they also always know where your projectiles are being thrown).
The boss fights - these are in a way a combination of previous issues, but nonetheless it's worth knowing that there are a couple of these and they are vexatious. For one of them it's possible (though not mentioned in-game) to get an assist from an NPC if you have completed their side-missions beforehand - but even then I had to look up a guide to figure out how to beat them. And the final mission is the only wave-based level in the game where failing sends you back to wave 1 rather than using a per-wave checkpoint system. Callback to old-school difficulty options? Cheap way of bumping difficulty? Both? That'll depend on the player, but it's hard to argue it makes the game better, and they will suck the joy out of the game while you're stuck on them. You'll get shot through cover. You'll get to read the same ****ing boss monologue every time you die. You'll swear a vendetta against the camera and aiming systems. And after a while you'll start wondering if a game you've stopped enjoying is still worth your time.
The alternate mission types I respect the desire to introduce additional mission types, but the end results - specifically the racing and parkour missions - don't work well. The programming for the racing missions definitely needs a lot of refinement, and the parkour missions just felt frustrating rather than a fun challenge.
So yes, the game has flaws. Sizeable flaws. And yet, when you're not fighting the camera, and particularly when you're just mooching around the city looking for secrets or just taking in the music and scenery... it has a lot to offer. Some of its flaws will undoubtedly be in part due to this being the first game developed by its creators, with presumably limited resources for play-testing and iterative feedback-driven development. But I can't mention that without also giving credit for just how well they handled the good parts - because the stuff that they got right here, they did excellently.

game is def unique and i appreciate it for that alone, def an eye candy, gameplay-wise its simple but has enough meat to it

Really cool and unique visual style. Fun and arcadey shooter sandbox gameplay. This game is very underrated.

I thought this game was great. Personally I put it in the A-tier. It mixes elements of a bullet shooter, platformer, puzzle game, and an open world like GTA (the original). I enjoy this game more than Cave Story and GTA 1.
The game provides a good challenge which is not overly difficult. The levels are well designed. You usually have a good amount of freedom with what you want to do, and how to resolve a mission.
The game has a unique style. I like the world building they do here with the different factions and world design. The atmospheric music works really nice. I often turn off music for games, but kept it on here.
When playing this game it's important to know all of your weapons, explore (the map and different strategies), and get comfortable with constantly changing the camera angle.
I have 23.6 hours in this game with all achievements.

Developed by SMAC Games and published by Mode 7, Tokyo 42 delivers a refreshing take on the open-world action genre by combining stylish visuals, tactical gunplay, stealth mechanics, and an engaging conspiracy narrative within a compact futuristic metropolis. Rather than relying on photorealistic graphics or an oversized map, the game embraces a minimalist isometric presentation that transforms its version of Tokyo into a colorful architectural playground. The adventure begins when the protagonist is falsely accused of murder, forcing them to survive in a city ruled by assassins, corporations, and political intrigue. This setup creates a compelling motivation for every mission while leaving room for plenty of quirky humor that prevents the story from becoming overly serious.
The game's most impressive achievement is the design of its city. Every neighborhood feels handcrafted, with rooftops, hidden pathways, elevated walkways, and narrow streets encouraging exploration from every angle. One of the defining mechanics is the ability to rotate the camera, revealing routes and secrets that would otherwise remain concealed. This feature becomes an essential gameplay tool instead of a simple visual effect, constantly asking players to think spatially before advancing. Although the map is smaller than those found in many modern open-world games, its density and intelligent layout make exploration consistently rewarding. Every district contains details worth discovering, giving the world a sense of purpose rather than filling it with unnecessary space.
Combat blends twin-stick shooting with tactical planning, allowing players to tackle missions through direct firefights or more calculated stealth approaches. The varied arsenal offers weapons suited for different situations, while realistic projectile behavior encourages careful positioning instead of reckless charging. Many missions reward patience, observation, and creative thinking, especially when quietly eliminating enemies proves safer than triggering an all-out battle. Once combat erupts, encounters become fast and intense as players dodge incoming fire across rooftops and city streets. The living population also contributes to the atmosphere, as civilians react naturally to violence, making the city feel more dynamic than a simple backdrop for missions.
The campaign introduces new challenges at a satisfying pace, gradually expanding the player's arsenal while presenting increasingly elaborate assassination contracts and story developments. Multiplayer modes provide additional replay value for players who enjoy testing their skills against others after finishing the narrative. While the camera occasionally requires repositioning during hectic moments and mastering the controls takes some practice, these issues become less noticeable as familiarity with the game's mechanics grows. The unique perspective ultimately enhances the overall experience more often than it hinders it.
Tokyo 42 excels in presentation thanks to its confident artistic direction. Its vibrant color palette, clean geometric environments, and futuristic architecture give the game a visual identity unlike almost anything else in the genre. The electronic soundtrack complements the cyberpunk atmosphere perfectly, creating a relaxed yet suspenseful mood that suits both exploration and combat. Rather than chasing realism, the developers focus on creating a memorable aesthetic that remains visually appealing long after release. The combination of imaginative world-building, polished design, and distinctive style ensures that the game leaves a lasting impression.
Tokyo 42 successfully combines open-world freedom, strategic action, stealth, and inventive storytelling into a unique cyberpunk adventure that stands apart from more conventional shooters. Its beautifully designed city, rewarding exploration, satisfying combat systems, and memorable visual presentation outweigh its occasional camera frustrations and modest learning curve. Players looking for an action game driven by creativity and smart level design instead of sheer scale will find plenty to appreciate in this imaginative experience.
Tokyo 42 is a distinctive and highly enjoyable action-adventure that demonstrates how originality, focused world design, and artistic vision can create a memorable experience without relying on blockbuster production values.
Rating: 7/10

its pretty good, I recommend buying if and only if the game is on sale. the story is pretty short (I think it should've been longer), took me like 2.5 hours for the whole thing, and is alright, nothing special. despite being an "open world" (only like 5 or 6 areas with stuff to do in them), as a player I never felt any need to do any side missions or anything else other than the main questline (although your mileage may vary). the biggest downside by far is the shoddy camera system, sometimes the camera really is obscured by world geometry and has no way to meaningfully zoom in or turn in angles less than 45deg. the gun play is solid, and the stealth is alright, but every mission can be boiled down to "let the enemies (with meh AI) run one at a time into my infinite ammo pistol (like seriously, I did not buy any extra weapons, for the majority of the game I just the katana for stealth and pistol for everything else)". on the other hand, the music and overall vibe of the game is great, I enjoyed it.
TL;DR about a 6/10, only worth while on discount.

Isometric, open-world, cyberpunk bullet hell with a kick-ass sound track.

Absolute recommend.