MOTORSLICE Review — 7.5 / 10

Score Snapshot

Critics are split. Users love it (91% Very Positive on Steam). Critics are more cautious (73/100 average on OpenCritic). The split is consistent: everyone agrees the bosses, soundtrack and atmosphere are excellent; critics dock points for clunky combat and uneven pacing.

What critics actually said

“Climbing massive machines and slick freerunning feel genuinely great. Unfortunately, clunky combat, unclear design choices and the weird interaction between its main characters drag the experience down.” — Metacritic critic consensus

“The movement system feels weighty and deliberate, making every jump and traversal decision meaningful, while the integration of chainsaw mechanics adds a distinct layer of creativity to both traversal and combat.” — NoisyPixel

“Motorslice is a fun experience with solid parkour and level design, but the clunkiness keeps it from greatness. However, it’s great to play on the Steam Deck.” — AllKeyShop

“The chainsaw is fun to use as a weapon against the construction-type enemies and especially in the boss fights. The bit of jank with using both at once is real.” — OpenCritic aggregate

What it nails

• Eight unforgettable boss climbs. Each boss IS a level. Multiple critics call this the best part of the game.
• Atmospheric DnB OST by Pizza Hotline carries entire chapters.
• Liminal megastructure design — brutalist, oppressive, beautiful.
• Steam Deck performance is a near-unanimous highlight.
• Full voice acting by Kira Buckland as P.

What it fumbles

• Combat feels clunky — the most consistent critic complaint, especially when combining parkour and chainsaw.
• Pacing is uneven. Filler drone-collection challenges break the flow (per Smashpad and GamingTrend).
• Some “slacking” scenes lean overtly fanservice-y, which several outlets called out.
• Chainsaw anchoring is under-explained — most players figure out the grappling-hook use later than they should.

Who should buy

Buy if you want a tight, single-player, 10-hour action-adventure focused on real boss design — and you're willing to push past a stiff first hour. The free demo on Steam is a perfect litmus test.

Skip if you only enjoy ultra-fluid speed (Ghostrunner) or rich open-world exploration. MOTORSLICE is deliberately weighty and linear.

Try the demo first via the player on the homepage — if the prologue's pacing clicks, the full game will too.

Related reading

• Full walkthrough
• All 8 boss guides — the part everyone agrees is great
• Combat guide — how to make the “clunky” combat work
• FAQ