Prison City is a dystopian, action-packed side-scroller with tight mechanics and intricate level design. Battle Techno-Terrorists with your chakram and grenades, eat hot dogs for health, and locate contacts to help take down bosses.
You take on the role of Hal Bruzer, a former cop infiltrating the dystopian, crime-ridden city of Detroit to defeat the Techno-Terrorists that have seized control. Gameplay revolves around platforming through diverse levels, defeating enemies with a thrown chakram weapon, and facing off against unique and difficult boss battles.
You can jump, wall-grab, and slide to navigate the levels. Precise timing and positioning are required, as many platforming challenges involve leaping between small platforms or avoiding hazards like spikes and lasers. Some reviewers noted the ledge-grabbing mechanic can be finicky at times, but overall the controls feel tight and responsive.
Your primary weapon is a chakram that can be rapid-fired, but overuse will cause its power to deplete temporarily. You can also find and use grenades that clear the screen of enemies. Combat requires carefully managing the chakram's power level and timing attacks to avoid taking damage. Defeating enemies rewards you with health pickups and permanent upgrades for your chakram and health.
The game features over 8 distinct level zones, each with their own visual themes and environmental hazards. Levels encourage exploration, with hidden upgrades and shortcuts to uncover. Some reviewers felt the final lengthy level felt out of place compared to the more focused earlier stages.
Boss encounters present unique challenges that test your mastery of the game's mechanics. Each boss has distinct attack patterns that you must learn and overcome. Defeating bosses is required to progress, adding to the sense of accomplishment, with the final boss in particular noted for its demanding moveset.
The game provides a range of difficulty options, from a challenging "modern" setting to a more accessible "easy" mode. You can also fully customize the difficulty, tuning aspects like enemy damage and health. This breadth of options allows both hardcore platforming fans and casual players to enjoy the experience.