Implosion: Never Lose Hope is an action video game developed and published by Rayark, and released on April 8, 2015 for iOS and Android and on July 6, 2017 for the Nintendo Switch. Never Lose Hope received critical acclaim, with praise going to its impressive visuals, exciting gameplay, first-class voice acting and full orchestral scores. While some critics praised the story, others argued it utilised cliché storytelling biased towards a "campy" sci-fi audience. Other criticisms went to the lack of explanation regarding the weapon upgrade system. The gameplay—combining hack and slash and top-down shooting elements—features exploration and combat in various environments, in addition to VR Survival Modes that grant experience and allow customization of the main character's abilities with items called ARK fragments. Conversations between characters and animated cutscenes occur at crucial story points. Set in the year 2201, Never Lose Hope focuses on Jacob Francis Carloway, a Warmech pilot serving the Ivonix, a faction on the leading edge of advanced technology. An attack on Earth by Alien life forms called XADA in 2178 forces humanity to evacuate to the nearest hospitable planet in the Tau system. Twenty years following the invasion, the survivors in the Tau system detect an incoming attack from the Earth and deploy two Warmech suits to investigate and eliminate the threat forming on the Earth's surface. Development of Never Lose Hope began in 2012 with a small team within the indie studio Rayark, after a redirected attempt to create an Xbox title. Key influences included artificial intelligence and man-machine integration, which influenced the story, graphics and music while combining with typical cyberpunk elements. After release, an expansion episode titled Implosion: Last Man Standing was developed, featuring a new playable character and a separate story mission. The Last Man Standing episode received additional praise for its revamped gameplay elements. Gameplay Implosion is a third-person hack-and-slash that allows players to use their mecha's sword as well as ranged gun attacks. The player's mecha uses rolling to dodge enemy attacks and can combo attacks in sequence. The mecha is also customizable with different parts bought from a shop, which can change how it controls, although the gameplay is mainly skill-based. The mobile version uses touch controls and is also compatible with external controllers. For the Nintendo Switch, the dual stick controllers are used. The game grades the player at the end of the level, lowering the reward if