The Desolate Hope mixes several gameplay styles. On the station and in the simulations, the game is a platformer. You will shoot enemies, collect powerups and bits (money) and upgrade yourself and your virtual battlers. When you enter a mini-simulation (the old arcade style screens) then the game becomes an 8-bit overhead dungeon crawler. There you can farm money and gain options to customize your battle experiences. When you encounter a virus boss, the game shifts to a JRPG style battle where you must use the mouse to select from your various options to defeat your opponent. Almost everything outside of these battles is aimed at upgrading your abilities and increasing your stats for these fights, they are the real challenge of the game.
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Don't get me wrong. I like this game. It was suggested for me on stream, and RNG chose this game. I really liked the dark athmosphere this game has. Level design is kind of awkward, but it is still not bad. I was devastated by the difficulty of bosses. I just don't think, that I am able to beat them without grind. I still recommend to try this game.