Tyler Model 005 a little robot standing in a house that has gone to ruin.

Hands On: Tyler: Model 005 Early Access Preview

In an industry recently saturated with competitive FPS titles, space exploration games and ruthless crime-fests, Tyler: Model-005 is a breath of fresh air.

Is it perfect?  No, but there’s enough magic here to warrant a purchase to support the developers, Reversed Interactive, through Early Access.

Tyler: Model-005 is a 3D action-platformer and exploration game set in the 1950s.  You control a spunky miniature robot named Tyler who is accidentally powered up during a thunderstorm many years after being shut down.

Tyler: Model-005 is a quirky little game.  Tyler himself is charming and his freerunning abilities open the world up for exploration.  The moody setting and solemn music provide a sense of foreboding, which is regularly dispersed by humorous quips delivered by Tyler and the other robots you meet on your adventure.

The world, a run down house, is an interesting playground, with furniture and plants creating platforms and items to climb up.  As dark as the art style may be, the world is beautiful.  I couldn’t help but take screenshot after screenshot.

The inclusion of customisation options for Tyler is a stroke of genius; items are collected at various points in the game and can be equipped to make your Tyler unique to you.  Options for experimentation include hair/hats, accessories, glasses, hands, shoes, and paint jobs.  My Tyler is rocking a mohawk, because I found it and…why not?  Don’t judge me.

Now, while I enjoyed my time with Tyler: Model 005, there are flaws that are hard to ignore.  There are numerous spelling errors and even examples of complete words being missed from sentences, and I experienced more than a handful of bugs when playing.  Combat feels unrewarding and the enemies I have encountered thus far (rats, spiders and flies) are uninteresting.

Despite this, it is vital to remember that this game is still in Early Access, and as an Early Access title, this is one of the most polished offerings I have seen at this stage.

Tyler himself is a distinctive protagonist, one that stands out from the crowd of “me too” characters featured in games over the last few years.  With the combination of this wonderful little robot and the captivating world he explores, Tyler: Model-005 could be a truly special game when the blemishes have been fixed and it leaves Early Access.  Watch this space.

Tyler: Model 005 is available on Steam for £10.99 (currently £9.34 on sale).