Too busy to devote 12+ hours a day to your gaming habit? Here's a review that's sensitive to your needs: Short and focused on just the things that a busy gamer like you really needs to know.
Reviewed On: Xbox 360. Also available for PlayStation 3.
In a Nutshell: A co-op dual analog shoot 'em up with mild RPG tendencies based on the Comedy Central animated TV show Ugly Americans. Both the show and game are set in an alternate universe New York where demons, zombies, wizards and manbirds (yup, exactly what it sounds like) are as common as pigeons in Central Park. Non-human types can tap into the Department of Integration (DOI) for help settling in. It doesn't always go well.
Four of the show's leads appear as playable characters in Apocalypsegeddon:
- Mark Lilly, the earnest social worker (human)
- Callie Maggotbone, Mark's immediate superior and BDSM enthusiast girlfriend (hellspawn)
- Leonard Powers, DOI desk jockey and semi-functional alcoholic (wizard)
- Frank Grimes, head of the DOI's Law Enforcement Division and PTSD case (human)
Each character has a unique special-attack keyed to his/her personality. Mark plugs his ears and shoots in the sky, sending dead Manbirds plummeting onto enemies. Grimes goes into full metal jacket mode. And so on. Players can select any of the standard load-outs before entering the game, but it all comes down to pretty much the same thing: shooting objects at bad guys. Of course, the objects might be bowling balls, baseballs or knives.
Learning Curve: This is one time you really need to read the instructions before jumping in. There isn't much to learn, but you will need to have a grasp of the dual-joystick (left moves, right fires) and a basic understanding of how to use your power move to survive the level. Fortunately, these are some of the most entertaining directions you'll ever read.
Each level is preceded by a cut scene explaining why there is suddenly a ton of say, Manbirds screaming "suck my balls" while attacking in the streets, or a horde of zombies totally ignoring the ban on human brains. The scenes were written and voiced by the show's talent, creating a familiar experience for fans. The gameplay itself consists primarily of walking down a street, getting attacked, clearing out enemies and then advancing into the next trigger area until reaching the level's boss(es). It's extremely linear and, at times, relentless.
There's little in the way of exploration, but players with itchy trigger fingers and an appetite for destruction will be rewarded for destroying everything possible including benches, mailboxes and random statues. Some produce loot, others offer the opportunity to switch load outs with a specific weapon.
The Save Game: The game auto-saves upon completion of a level or other significant action, such as leveling up. The average level is around 5 minutes and, no, you cannot save mid-level.
Family Factor: Older teens who watch South Park will find the humor somewhat tame. Younger kids will be traumatized. Expect sex jokes (Leonard's girlfriend is an anatomically correct doll), crude language ("Suck my balls" is on auto-repeat when manbirds are around) and some gross moments.
Buy or Skip? Fans of the show who just want to go forth and shoot things will have a ball with the levels. Those who are easily offended and gamers who prefer a bit more precision to their shooters should pass this one by.
On a Personal Note: I've watched Ugly Americans from the beginning, and approached the game as a fan of the show. The game does a nice job of capturing the style and humor of the series while pushing the boundaries ever so slightly. I caught several references to past shows, a nice nod to the fan base that will (presumably) make up the bulk of the game's audience.
It took me a few minutes to adjust to using a second thumbstick to shoot, but once I got the hang of it, I rather enjoyed the freedom it game me to run and gun (and spin and gun, for that matter). I had a more difficult time with the specialty moves. I never quite mastered Frank's machine gun, making it a waste of bullets. I tried using Mark's gun several times, only to have manbirds fall flat on the ground – instead of enemies. I'm still not sure what Callie's power is – I assume she has one. It didn't make much of an impression. None of that mattered once I had leveled up my strength though. A leveled-up Callie with bowling balls did plenty of damage without having to resort to... whatever.
Through luck of the draw online, I played the game alone, as a duo and, for a brief period, with a full squad of four online friends (the game defaults to online play though you can back out and choose solo action). The best overall experience was with one other team member, but that's partly due to the people who were randomly dropped into my game. With one other person in my squad it was easy to keep track of the other, and I had someone to heal me if I fell to enemy forces. Plus we were able to stay relatively close together, a critical point when playing on a shared screen.
In my four-player game, it was complete chaos - with team members falling behind to loot while others were getting creamed by the just-triggered hordes. It was frustrating and made me wish there was a boot option. I should have been more careful with my wishes: the most difficult player froze in place shortly after. It wasn't clear if he left the game voluntarily or his game froze. Either way, we had to abandon the level and start over. We couldn't advance without the fourth player. The game froze on me another time, requiring a full Xbox reboot to get back into action. At that point, there were no other players available, so I opted to go it alone. After failing to complete a level alone three times, I backed out and waited until someone else appeared. I did manage to get enough credit during my failed attempts to level up, so points for letting me keep my progress even when I failed to complete a mission.
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