A two-person investigation in a cyberpunk facility
USAC: Code Breach is a cooperative action-adventure where you and a partner play as a special police unit. You are called in to investigate the unexpected shutdown of a high-tech research facility, and the situation quickly turns into something bigger than a routine call. The game mixes shooting and combat with hacking, investigation, puzzles, and resource management. It is set in a dystopian cyberpunk world with themes of transhumanism, and it is built around the idea that you and your partner each see things differently. The game is described as difficult, and some moments carry a psychological horror tone.
How you and a friend play together
The story is played with a Steam Friend who also owns the game, over online co-op. There is also a local mode, but it is not split screen: the two players have strictly different points of view, so it runs on two separate computers on the same network, just like an internet game. Each of you sees your own perspective, which means you will need to talk to each other and share what you find. The game does not hold your hand, so communication is the main tool you have.
What to know before you start
There is a solo training section that lets you learn the controls and basic mechanics. It usually takes about an hour to complete, and it is a good way to check that the game runs properly on your computer and to see if you like it before committing to the story.
Difficulty comes mostly from how much information you collect: the less you gather, the harder things get. Hints are placed in the environment rather than shown on the HUD, so you need to observe and read carefully. Some situations call for strategic thinking, and certain choices can make things harder than they need to be.
Two extra modes are available. Clock mode is a speedrun option that measures how long you take to complete an operation. USAC Real mode is permadeath: if you fail, you start the operation again from the beginning.