Developer: Slipgate Studios
Publisher: THQ Nordic, 3D Realms
Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Tested on: PC
Rad Rodgers – Review
According to the store page, Rad Rodgers is inspired by Commander Keen, Conker, Ruff’n’Tumble & Jazz Jackrabbit. A.k.a. the 90’s golden era of platforming and quirky characters. Much like those games, Rad Rodgers wants to be something at least equally amazing when judging by the description. The elements are there, the inspiration is as well. Did the game become as intended?
Story
Rad Rodgers is a kid (real name Rodriguez) who wants to play video games all night and really dislikes school. While playing a game, his mother comes into his room and tells him to shut down the gaming console called Dusty. Annoyed and hesitant, Rad Rodgers tries to do so after complaining. However, the night does not go as expected because the tv in his bedroom turns itself on and sucks Rad, Dusty, and some other stuff into something that seems to be another dimension. Once woken up inside this dimension, Dusty is alive, gives Rad a gun and encourages him to let the fun start. This is pretty much most of the story besides the gameplay. NPCs and (very pubescent ) jokes in-between don’t give you any more information than the introduction.
Graphics
the problem with Rad Rodgers is that even though it claims to be inspired by old-school platforming games from the 90’s, it doesn’t look like it. It feels like a tribute or a remake. It’s set up to remind people of the great games they played back then, but its way of using 3D models instead of any classic 2D art is already an apparent diversion. It doesn’t scream retro except at some points where everything is pixelated, which might have been a better choice for the entire game. Some models have rough edges, some cutscene animations aren’t so smooth. The game starts out with an interesting comic kind of opening, gives a 3D animation at the first level and all this just lacks some consistency. Anything besides these points is giving the player a rich and fine environment filled with colorful and animated elements that will be interesting to all and fun to keep looking at, so it’s not like there is no effort there to see. It’s just the consistency and the finishing touches that break down that effort a little bit, making the graphics okay instead of amazing.
Sound
Sound-wise, the game tries to amplify the meaning of ”Rad” with some heavy rock music and retro beeps and bloops, giving the player the opportunity to feel good while shooting and running. Kid Rodgers himself sounds like an actual kid, and Dusty sounds like he smoked way too many cigars instead of games, which maybe is the reason why such a voice has been connected to a character with his name in the first place.
Dusty and other NPCs found in various houses often make ”jokes”. They are a certain type of humor that you have to appreciate if you actually want to laugh. Talking about an item that stinks because it’s been inside the NPCs butt before receiving it is.. not for everybody. When turning on parental control the ”bad words” will be bleeped out, actually making the jokes more bearable.
Gameplay
When first introduced to the gameplay, it actually feels rather overdone with the running and gunning. Even as an action platformer, the enemies immediately feel rather passive and boring, making the shooting rather dull as well. What’s the use of different weapons with cool effects if they all do the same versus the same enemies? Luckily, further down the line, everything gets a bit more challenging in terms of platforming. Together with the change of environments it makes up for the enemies not really changing that much. Not to mention the weird boss fights that could have been more regular.
To succeed in a level, you need to finish the (rather linear) route towards the exit after you manage to gather 4 different exit stone pieces. Besides these, you can find some secrets, cosmetic hats such as Commander Keen’s helmet and green gems to offer an extra bit of challenge if you like to collect stuff and are a true completionist. Other than this, the gameplay doesn’t really offer much difference. There are moments where you can solve ”puzzles” but they are more linear pathways you need to follow and survive to come to a solution than anything else.
The game isn’t boring, and like said before the game gets a bit more challenging the further you go, but some inconsistencies such as getting hit without touching a zone or some rough platforming are just another couple of examples that hold the game back in what it could have been. Where Jazz Jackrabbit had plenty of speed and action, Rad Rodgers is holding itself back by making weird design choices such as slow turning wheels with platforms on them.
Conclusion
Rad Rodgers can be fun to play and has some good, colorful environments. The gameplay can be rather dull and simply misses depth, as well as the story. It’s weird to introduce a story at the start and not give it any more attention afterward. There is a lot of room for improvement, but if you want relax and blast away after a busy day, Rad Rodgers might just be fun enough for you to keep on playing.
Rad Rodgers - Review,
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