Mother Russia Bleeds – An Angry Beat Em’ Up Masterpiece

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Mother Russia Bleeds Review

Developed by first timers Le Cartel Studio and Published by indie favorite Devolver Digital of Hotline Miami, BroForce and Dropsy fame, now bring us the Soviet tour de force that is Mother Russia Bleeds, so let’s just dive right in and explore this truly visceral experience.

Mother Russia Bleeds is a fast paced, action packed gothic-psychedelic violent sleazy filth fest, and I love it. Hands down the best neo-retro beat ’em up, if not the best neo-retro game this year. Now I know that is a bold statement, and I try to uphold a no hype policy, but this game, in all honesty, walks the walk and talks the talk. Mother Russia Bleeds gives you the content that games such as Streets of Rage or Final Fight could never deliver under their corporate iron curtains; this game has big freaking balls and they swing proudly, shadowing the beat ’em ups that came before it. Mother Russia Bleeds does not innovate the genre with anything fancy, which is not necessarily a bad thing, what Mother Russia Bleeds does do is give the beat ’em up genre an 80’s grind house exploitation paint job which is to say that it is uncompromisingly true to its genre. The game stays faithful to the time-tested beat ’em up formula that we all love and grew up playing during the 16-bit era. The formula works and If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. This is a good thing, as sophisticated innovations could have hampered the overall playing experience.

mother russia bleeds gameplay

Story/Plot

Unlike most retro beat ’em up’s Mother Russia Bleeds tries to deliver an interesting plot, mixing in double-crosses and a resistance uprising. Though there are some very funny and witty dialogue moments, this soon becomes marginalized by the fighting.

If Mother Russia Bleeds was a movie it would be the greatest exploitation movie ever made, think Machete meets Escape From New York meets Irreversible, that’s the only way to describe the narrative of this game. In fact, this IS an exploitation game, It is utterly offensive, repulsive and macabre, but the good kind. Mother Russia Bleeds is seemingly unapologetic in its delivery of deep throat gagging mayhem, that pumps you up to kick, punch and headbutt your way through waves of degenerates, deviants and delinquents, right up to the gluttonous corrupt Bourgeois diplomats in charge of everything, you even get to fight a bear. Mother Russia Bleeds is just the game I always wanted but never thought anyone would ever be allowed to make or have the balls to make… thank god for indie developers.

Art Style

Mother Russia Bleeds has a distinctive grimy pixel art style, the graphics are dark and saturated, setting the mood perfectly for this almost Orwellian repressed Cold War Russia. Despite the darkness, the game is beautiful and has some absolutely breathtakingly stunning moments, the art style is flawless, and the backgrounds and sprites are rich with detail and animation.

Gameplay just feels so right

The fighting is pinpoint accurate, there are no cheap deaths and no moments of frustration, everything seems smooth and responsive as you literally button bash yourself into a frenzy of gore-soaked mayhem. This game has some of the finest pixel sprayed claret ever to be seen in a game, it just feels so satisfying. Mother Russia Bleeds also features an arena mode where you fight waves of enemies to earn points and unlock different power syringes to use in the main story mode, this gives each run through high replay value.

Memorable Characters

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You have a selection of four unique characters to choose from, each with their own unique moves and stats that are varying, each character is balanced differently forcing you to mix up your play style from character to character. Also, each character has an exclusive and funny taunt that they can perform, my favorite is Boris’s turd hurl… You just have to see it to believe it.

Overview

Positive:

  • Beautiful pixel art backgrounds and sprites
  • Smooth sprite animations
  • Pixel point accurate hit detection
  • Sweet visceral fighting moves
  • Brilliant pixel splatter and gore that sprays out of enemies
  • Crazy variety of insane enemies
  • Unique boss battles
  • A selection of melee weapons and firearms
  • Harvesting health from fallen enemies, the brutal junkie way
  • Sweet rage mode
  • Nice length with an interesting story
  • A good challenge
  • Cool sound design and music

 

Negative:

  • Character dialogue is hard to read
  • No online multiplayer

Final Thoughts

My only complaint is that there is slightly too much dialogue for a beat ’em up, this is a game, not a Tarantino movie. Also the spaces between words is so small all of the words seem jumbled together, making it hard to read at times. But that is it, that is my only complaint, the only thing I could find wrong or nitpick about this game is it’s text. The difficulty spike of this game is pretty high even when set to easy, and I have heard that the keyboard controls are a little strange, but who in their right mind plays a beat ’em up without a controller? Also, apparently this game was supposed to support online multiplayer, but this has been scrapped for an up to four player local co-op instead, which should not deter anyone from buying this game, as it is freaking awesome.

Now I love Streets of Rage, and in my opinion, it is the greatest beat ’em up of all time, however, I believe Mother Russia Bleeds may have just stolen that spot and become my new favorite beat ’em up of all time. I really don’t know what to say other than just buy this game and bask in all of its violent sleazy glory… This is a must play; already cementing itself in the annals of video game history as a cult classic, it is absolutely spectacular.

So grab yourself a controller sit down and bash some buttons until you are self-diagnosed with Carpal tunnel syndrome. This is a perfect beat ’em up and it delivers the goods ten fold. Mother Russia Bleeds is out now and available for the Steam, PlayStation 4, Windows, Linux and Mac OS

Mother Russia Bleeds is here, it is mean, it is angry, and it is a masterpiece.

Double Kick Heroes: First Ass-Kicking Impressions

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double kick heroes review title screen

Intro / Story

Living in a post-apocalyptic world is never what it’s cracked up to be, especially when dealing with hordes of zombies. What better way to counteract the boredom and impending doom of your existence than teaming with your band members, loading up your Gundillac, and killing some zombies with the power of METAL.

double kick heroes gameplay zombies

This is exactly what Double Kick Heroes entails, developed by Headbang Club. This is a game that is most accurately described as a mix between Guitar Hero, Metal Slug, and a Tarantino movie. The object of the game, for each player, is to rhythmically press buttons to achieve weapon firing and combo multipliers. Using some brutal metal as the soundtrack, this game takes you on the ultimate destructive road trip through the wasteland shell of a United States.

The band members are Lincoln, Snake, Derek, Randie, and James. They love Metal and can’t spend a day without it. Each one of them is a unique, cunning, metal player. Together in an apocalyptic world, they search for their favorite Rock stars are scattered all around the world. This game delves into their story and their hidden truths.

double kick heroes characters

*Your metal band, safely tucked away in their garage.

Design

Double Kick Heroes uses pixel art that is more focused on presenting the carnage than looking or feeling “retro”, but that doesn’t make the arcade gameplay any less fun. The character designs move fluidly and have a great level of detail and variation between the different characters. Not only are the players designed well, but the landscapes which you drive through are also just as detailed and provide a greater look into this post-apocalyptic America.

double kick heroes review

*A battle with what can only be described as one hell of a crazy train.

The game will pack in 30 songs, half a dozen chapters of adventures and a community level editor that will allow any music to be played to the rhythm of exploding zombie skulls. Exponentially increasing any replay value this game may have had before. Personally, I cannot wait for the player-designed levels to be released, that should be the most fun since new music can be uploaded to the game.

Controls

Using a simple control scheme to rhythmically press buttons for your weapons, while simultaneously steering your vehicle does feel a bit cramped, but once you start to catch the timing of the songs, you begin to slay hordes of zombies with ease. Combined with the multiplier for successful chains, your weapons easily increase firepower to deliver more carnage to this unforgiving pack of undead groupies.

double kick heroes guitar hero

*Even the sharks need a piece of the action.

Music

Speaking of music, this game seriously brings it. Using a highly decorated and experienced music director, this game brings the Metal straight to your ears with fast-paced gameplay and combat. There are 30 different original songs this game plows you through, each just as heavily METAL as the last. Each composition is full and promotes as much head banging as the gameplay can allow. The music is superb and compliments the quick gameplay completely.

Seriously though, if you don’t like Metal, you probably aren’t going to like this game very much. You have been warned.

double kick heroes main title screen

 

Final Thoughts

My overall impression of this demo is a good one, the combination of music and gameplay tropes are a perfect fit for me and likely many other gamers out there. I’d never thought i’d play a rhythm based zombie-shooter, with an overall focus on a musical genre not really explored in games. And for that, it’s definitely worth your time. The Double Kick Heroes demo can be downloaded here!

Starr Mazer: DSP – Damage Space Planes Action!

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starr mazer dsp title screen

It is a sad fact that most arcades in recent years have gone extinct, they are few and far between when compared to their peak in the 80’s and early 90’s. No longer are they being swamped with quarters over whose initials were on the scoreboards this week for Donkey Kong or Ms. PacMan. Other popular titles were of the side-scrolling, quick-flying, shooter action genres like Gradius and Lords of Thunder; known for their extreme speeds and difficult enemy formations that kept your fingers working. Although the golden age of arcades has come to a close, gamers around the world can rejoice in new tities that live up to this penultimate nostalgia of arcade glory.

Starr Mazer: DSP, a game developed by Imagos Softworks and Pixeljam, is a pixel-pretty horizontal scrolling shooter with an arcade sensibility and a focus on satisfying progression. This game serves as a prequel to the popular Starr Mazer and was just released on Steam Early Access. It sounds like a mouthful but it’s honestly the best way to describe the experience you’ll have while playing this game.

*Battle through wave after wave after wave. They don’t stop.


Players take control of a squadron of DSP pilots with different ships, weapon loadouts, and personalities. Your mission is to battle through nine frantic levels, 3 powerful bosses, and take down the G’ell Super Ship in a single run. The gameplay sets itself apart from other games as each new ship you use has a unique pilot with only one life to complete their mission. Through unlocking of more experienced squads and better ships, you can end the invasion of Thersa-CPIX.

*Choose your squad, be sure you can pay them.


 

Gameplay

The gameplay brings me right back to the arcades as a child. The fast and fluid-like motions of the enemies takes an quick eye and faster reflexes to manage as the levels progressively become more difficult. Full and detailed backgrounds give a rich view of the home world and environments that are encountered throughout the game. This experience will leave you wanting to find that old joystick buried in your closet, just to stand a chance.

starr mazer dsp level sanctum superstructure

*The opening moments of the game, immersing you in the debris from destruction of a once beautiful city.

You begin with an inventory of pilots – each with their own abilities and power ups. There are 3 tiers of pilots to choose from, with their own price for hire. Once you’ve selected your squad, it’s time to take on the invading forces. Each pilot only has one chance to fly, creating a real sense of urgency and danger when you begin to dodge enemy attacks.


If arcades were still around, this game would demand a cabinet front and center. It’s hard to stop after just a few attempts, DSP does a fantastic job of enticing the player to try one more time with it’s never-ending rosters of new pilot volunteers to choose from. New recruits are added through the use of SK:ORE, the in-game currency dropped from enemy ships and Carbomite pickups, each getting their chance to stop their at-home assault.

Design

Right from the start, it’s very apparent where the developers sourced their inspiration for this game. Its beautiful and vibrant pixel art color designs leave you in awe as you flow across the screen, the game easily achieving 60fps. The “nostalgia in HD” concept is really taken to it’s maximum here and there are no disappointments. Starr Mazer: DSP has been graced with gameplay that easily makes it one of my favorite indie games played so far for RETRONUKE.

“It’s great to look at and even more fun to play. Plain and simple.”

*Different ship carry different abilities and firepower.


 

Controls

Starr Mazer DSP features one of the most precise airplane controls for a side-scrolling game, enabling easier dodges and more accurate firing. Though you may not notice as the enemies become more difficult to deal with as the game goes on.

There are tough patterns to crack for projectiles keeps you on your toes, especially because each ship and pilot have different abilities and weapons. It uses a simple button control scheme that is perfect for the typical two button arcade game layouts.

starr mazer dsp thersa-cpix

*The fight eventually leaves Thersa-CPIX for the skies and stars above.

Music

DSP features a poppy soundtrack that includes full synth, and is easily reminiscent of titles like Mega Man or even Terraria. These very full compositions offer direction and an impending urge to complete each level.

“For Starr Mazer DSP’s soundtrack,” notes composer Alex Mauer, “We’re doing a Venn diagram of music styles: combining the moody-melodic Starr Mazer sound with the ’80s style ‘Outrun’ sub-genre of synth-wave. Inspirations include demoscene musicians like Lizardking, ’80s European disco records, arcade soundtracks like U.N. Squadron, and a visit to Miami.”

All of these influences create an auditory experience comparable only to its visuals. This game is as easy to listen to as it is to watch.

Final Thoughts

Starr Mazer: DSP is an absolute blast, definitely a game that is going to stay in my current rotation, at least until finally beaten. By creating a new experience from what gamers have come to know and love, this game satisfies the fast-flying shooters from years past. It’s a game that’s worth your time and will be hard to put down. Check it out on Steam Early Access now!

The Death Road to Canada is paved with good intentions (and bodies)

Action Adventure Arcade Featured Horror Reviews Rogue-like Shooter
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RocketCat Games‘ Death Road to Canada is Oregon Trail meets Left 4 Dead plus a dash of Pac-Man, add mild hallucinogenic. Instead of ghosts and smallpox, though, your main enemies are zombies and interpersonal conflict. You start by designing your character, and pick two personality traits for yourself, with options like “irritability” and “Megabuff.” These traits actually matter, and they impact not just how fast or strong you are, but how you interact with other survivors in the game. You start your journey with a partner (or not) and a beat-up sedan, and along the way, you have the option of joining in with other procedurally generated and handcrafted characters. Like in real life, you have to decide whether fending off crushing existential loneliness (and murderous hordes) is worth the toll a companion will take on your resources and mental energy. Norma might seem like a decent enough lady at the outset, but hours on the road together (sharing a dwindling food supply) might reveal that the previously chill seeming Norma is actually kind of a jerk, & not as great at gathering loot as she seemed.

death road to canada zombies

Death road to Canada Gameplay

You and your companions travel through the game, having to decide where to explore, whether to trade, and what risks are worth taking. Does the bookstore or the pet shop seem a more likely place to gather food and fuel, and do you feel confident of your chances against a horde of “super-cheesed” undead? This is a game where the choices you make genuinely feel like they matter. Make the wrong decision, and your food supply and ammo are toast. But lose your car, or even your life, and you are not out of options. A variety of modes of transportation pop up throughout the game, from police cars to priuses. And if you die, you can play as one of your companions instead. This is great as a single-player, but less effective in co-op mode (more in that later). I found playing as a chainsaw-wielding Rottweiler to be particularly exhilarating, although over time I grew disheartened from a lack of companionship (a danger even the most independent and badass dog can succumb to, I suppose).

If you are looking to lure someone in to the world of video games, Death Road to Canada represents an excellent opportunity. The plot is straightforward, the bashing of zombies doesn’t require a huge amount of skill, and a lot of what you are doing, at least in the beginning, is fleeing and dodging around zombies, in an attempt to grab tools & supplies to help on your journey (this is where the Pac-Man vibe comes in, especially when fleeing up and down the aisles of Y’allMart and Smallgreens). Graphically, the game is engaging, especially because the zombies look different enough from each other to make the large hordes intimidating. The variety of weapons keep the action satisfying, and the game is genuinely funny and weird in a way few video games are. There are no annoying cut scenes or unnecessary backstory to deal with. You want to get to Canada, damn it, & you don’t need a missing child or long lost love to motivate you to get there. All this makes it very easy to jump in, no matter your skill level.

death road to canada review

There are a few annoying elements to the co-op gameplay, however. The co-op feels a little bolted on; only two player local co-op is available, even though your max group size is four. This seems like a big missed opportunity. Four-player local co-op would make this an excellent party game. In addition, there is no way to save your companion if they go down, and if the main character dies, the secondary character doesn’t get the opportunity to become the leader. As you move from room to room, your co-op partner does not automatically follow, and it’s difficult for the secondary player to keep up. There’s smaller things too, like a lack of feedback when you open and close doors that means it’s easy to close the door on your partner, leaving them to fight off undead alone. Despite these flaws, it’s still an extremely fun game to play with another person.

The game is fun enough to justify repeat play-through, and as you play you level up the skills you can select when creating a custom character. It would have been nice to have the ability to have more persistent impact on the game world, though (really, I just wanted the ability to write “pepperoni” on my tombstone the way I did as a kid, playing Oregon Trail).

There are also nice RPG elements, like the ability to trade food for fitness lessons, or to practice your vehicle maintenance skills. The soundtrack is great too, reminiscent of lesser known Nintendo games like Double Dragon & The Adventures of Bayou Billy. The unconventional mixing of synth and real guitars helps to evoke a retro Rock ‘n’ Roll NES vibe.

death road to canada gameplay

The writing is some of the best I’ve ever encountered in a video game. It’s obvious Rocket Cat put a ton of care into this aspect of the game. The players encounter different scenarios in form of choose-your-own-adventure style vignettes, where they have to choose what benefit to earn (after surviving a siege for instance), or even something as small as what kind of magazine to read. All of these choices have repercussions, not all of them predictable. The magazine AMERICAN G*U*N*S, for instance, is filled with tons of gun advice but also “ultra-patriotic rants”, and reading it will increase your shooting ability but lower your composure.

As someone who has actually made a long drive to Canada before, I can say with confidence Death Road to Canada is a much more exciting alternative.

Grab Death Road to Canada on Steam for 14.99

Death Road to Canada Trailer

Andromeda: An Intergalactic Planetary Game

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andromeda-game-title-screen

Andromeda Game Demo First Impressions

Long after life as we know it has been forgotten, Humans may see a time when visiting the stars and local galaxies are a reality. A new era of existence will be unlocked as a final frontier is set to be discovered by a curious Hominid from a little blue planet. New dangers and discoveries lie for those who are fortunate enough to live in this new plane of existence.

Andromeda: There is no god up here, created by Hebi Lee’s Workshop, begins at this new time for human exploration. Here is a small excerpt of the lore as explained on the Steam Greenlight page:

“Set in the year 5.135 NT (3.870.053.315 AD), it has been millions of years since the Earth became uninhabitable and thus humans now live scattered in different colonies around the Milky Way. Wars between the different species, federations and colonies have made the galaxy a constant war zone where peace is but a flimsy mirage created by the governments to control the population.”

You take on the character of Max Weaver, bounty hunter and pilot of Atila-1. It’s made clear from the beginning (and as you progress through the game) that he doesn’t care about anything outside of himself and completing his current mission. Weaver has no reservations for crossing the galaxy and blowing stuff up so long as the price is right. However, this carefree and chaotic life have led to a cycle of debts, crimes, favors and vendettas that continue to haunt him. Your first mission is simple: find a group of missing scientists that were in the middle of an investigation project in Andromeda.

Gameplay

The game opens with a short introductory sequence that presents itself with a gorgeous 8-bit graphic style. Andromeda looks like Metroid on the original NES in all it’s glory, with the added benefit of legible text and faster graphics. The prelude is a short section with a mission that is “1942” airplane-shooter-esque. It’s a fun opener to a game that presents a much different feel once you get off the ship.

andromeda-intergalactic-shooter

*A flashback to some great arcade shooters before the platforming begins.

Once you land you are set to explore for those missing scientists mentioned earlier. Although the foreground graphics are in 8-bit, the background is a 3 level parallax that creates a real sense of the world’s environment that surrounds you. There are no hints or guides for beginning other than heading left or right. Follow your gamer’s instincts to lead you on the correct path.

Included within your heads up display is a gauge for armor, jetpack fuel, oxygen levels, a resource counter, and a small map indicating where you’re explored so far. Since this is a platforming game, fall damage is included but can be remedied with a quick jetpack burst. Other objectives include collecting resources and finding out any new information about your mission.

Check out our review of Rumpus, an homage to beat-em-up games!

You are equipped with a short range blaster for any combatants that you may run into. This blaster enables the collection of different DNA, combinations of which are effective against different enemies or environmental hazards. As you progress through the game, you’ll have more challenges to meet to continue your journey through the galaxy.

andromeda-max-weaver

*Max Weaver makes his descent onto the first planet and it’s barren yet beautiful landscape.

Design

This game is based on the may metroidvania games that have com before it, and plays similar to all of them. The controls are tight and responsive, reminiscent of Metal Slug. The music is all chiptune, with full background synth, totaling about 5 or 6 individual parts. It’s simply a pleasure to listen to while conveying the dark and lonely feel of the game’s overall tone.

It was only briefly mentioned earlier, but the graphics in this game are pretty awesome. The developers did a great job of encapsulating the genre of cosmic horror within their creation. Travelling between planets, exploring them, and bracing the dangers is reliant upon your skill in the gameplay. Although it’s through the scope of an 8-bit game, it still feels like an immersive experience.

The title card reads THERE IS NO GOD UP HERE to remind you outright that this mission is yours to take alone, and the mysteries that are to be discovered lie ahead of you. Between the graphics and plot, it is clear that the developers are letting their love of the genre be their motivation behind this game.

andromeda-mini-boss

*The end of my very brief encounter with the first miniboss on the opening planet.

Final Thoughts

The graphics and audio are superb to say the least, each complimenting each other with ease. The plot of this game will keep you intrigued to learn more about our sister galaxy. The dark mysteries that lie underneath have yet to be discovered; the worst and deadliest nightmares yet lived nor seen.

Andromeda is definitely a game I want to see made to completion. Although it’s Kickstarter did fail, the demo is still available for download. Go check it out for yourself!

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