Rad Rodgers Game Review

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• Developer: Slipgate Studios
• Publisher: THQ Nordic
• Genre: Platformer
• Release Date: 21/2/18
• Platforms:Xbox One/PS4/Windows/li>
• Reviewed on:Xbox One X on Samsung 4K TV
• Game Supplied by: Publisher

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Danish developers Slipgate enter the platforming market with a strong, fun, simple idea with their new game Rad Rodgers. If you want some old skool, up to date on next gen, gaming joy then play this gem of a game.

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Rad is a rambunctious but spirited young boy who maybe plays too many video games. After dozing off at the tail end of a long night of gaming, Rad awakens to find his dusty old console has turned itself back on. Suddenly a vortex emerges and he’s sucked into his TV, where he finds himself the star in his very own video game adventure.

Dusty is Rad’s good-hearted but foul-mouthed, now-sentient game console. His clock speed isn’t what it used to be, but what he lacks for in megahertz he makes up for with experience and attitude!

Rad & Dusty’s adventure begins in the First World, taking them through seven dangerous stages of action-packed, humor-filled, hardcore platforming fun. This decaying jungle world has been infected by a fierce corruption, and it’s up to the unlikely buddy-duo Rad and Dusty to save the jungle’s inhabitants and restore the Elder Tree as guardian of the land.

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I’ll be honest, when i first started playing Rad Rodgers, my eyes rolled, and I sighed. Another Indie platformer trying to do something new, with that something new being a foul mouth language to try and spice up what is actually pretty dull dialogue. 20 minutes later though, I was hooked.

The first thing that grabbed me was the brilliant audio. The game has a retro 8 bit sounding backing track that is both catchy, modern but still old skool. However the gameplay audio is the best. Some of the best sounding gun noises are to be found here that give a tremendous sense of power each time the gun with its various power up’s is fired.  Also little 90’s inspired tweaks, and jump noises accompanied Rad on his traversing around the level.

The dialogue as mentioned is pretty basic, and the voice acting adequate, but your not here for a deep story your here for platforming fun.

The graphics are above average, as the character animation and detail is not particularly impressive. But they are fluid, and colourful. The real star though is the work gone into the artwork of the level design. I had a distinct “Ori” feel in the amount of detail and care gone into making the levels looks brilliant. Trees have character, cave’s have depth, fire has superb flowing motion and beautiful colour, it really is a work of modern day art to behold.

The nuts and bolts of the game though is the gameplay and what you actually have to do. Each level requires Rad to find 4 pieces of a key to open the door to the next level. To find these keys, ( and it’s not easy ) Rad has to search each and every nook and cranny, make jumps, time leaps, climb, defeat enemies, to achieve his goal.

The controls were responsive and simple. Left stick to move, A to jump, and the right stick to aim and fire the weapon in the style of a twin stick shooter. Less is most definitely more when it comes to a platformer.

There are also glitch levels, that are mini games Rad’s partner has to complete, which are top down dodging exercises to find items to hit them. There are also bonus levels where Rad has a pogo stick and has to get as high as he can before the water/lava from below catches him or rad misses a jump and falls into it.

Eventually after a while, you have a boss level too, which when defeated you then move on to the next world and so on, on your adventure.

SUMMARY

Rad Rodgers is a perfect example of a simple game design executed perfectly. There are very few flaws to be honest, just a lot of fun to play with a big nod to the platforming games of old. My only real gripe would be there are too few boss fights and not enough enemy types. It takes too long to have a good boss battle but they are fun too when they happen.

The plus side of this though is there is a really good amount of content for your money, and anyone looking for a challenging, fun, colourful, entertaining platformer that isn’t called “cup head “ look no further than here for your next challenge.