Developer: Subcult Joint Ltd.
Publisher: Rogue Games
Platform: Switch, PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
Tested on: Switch
Cookie Cutter: Overk1ll Edition – Review
If you grew up in the late ‘90s and early 2000s, you may remember a time when pop culture embraced an over-the-top ‘extreme’ aesthetic. These were the early days of mainstream internet, with edgy Flash animations on sites like Newgrounds competing with TV shows like Invader Zim and Celebrity Deathmatch. We’ve moved on since then, but the moment we laid eyes on Cookie Cutter’s key art, we were catapulted back to that era. The game’s art style effortlessly captures that specific zeitgeist. While the game has been out on PC for a while, it flew under our radar, but the Switch release of the so-called Overk1ll Edition provided a perfect excuse to take an in-depth look at Cookie Cutter to see whether the game has more to offer than just a nostalgia kick.
Story
One of the major additions to the Overk1ll Edition of Cookie Cutter are the new cinematic cutscenes. Apart from adding even more visual appeal to the game, these also help bring the game’s story to life. Said story takes place in a post-apocalyptic future, where the sinister Infonet corporation rules the world. Much of humanity has been replaced by so-called Denzels, humanoid cyborgs. Our protagonist Cherry is also a Denzel, but she’s different from the others, as she was created as a secret passion project by a scientist. When Infonet finds out about Cherry’s existence, they track down the pair, kidnapping the scientist and seemingly destroying Cherry. Our heroine has survived the ordeal, however, and has rebuilt herself. With only some of her memories intact, Cherry sets out for revenge against Infonet.
Graphics
The striking over-the-top visual style is without a doubt Cookie Cutter’s most attention-grabbing aspect. With good reason too, as Cookie Cutter is a fantastic-looking game. The hand-drawn visuals never hold back, showing the carnage of the action in glorious bloody detail. The game also runs at a solid 60 FPS, which is befitting of Cookie Cutter’s high-octane action. If there’s one complaint we have with the game’s visuals, it’s that the resolution isn’t quite up to par in docked mode on the Switch, with slightly fuzzy visuals. That isn’t an issue in handheld mode though.
Sound
Alongside Cookie Cutter’s new cinematics comes full voice acting as well. The voice cast doesn’t contain any major names, but they do a solid job, and here’s hoping that their performances lead to more appearances in upcoming games. Cookie Cutter’s soundtrack ties the game’s late 90s aesthetic together. For the most part, the music is fairly subdued, but when the action intensifies, in boss battles or rooms with waves of enemies, electric guitars and synth sounds kick in.
Gameplay
Contrasting with its in-your-face presentation, Cookie Cutter’s gameplay is, well, cookie cutter. What you’re getting here is a fairly standard Metroidvania game, albeit a very solid one. Taking control of Cherry, you’ll need to make your way through the Megastructure, a vast labyrinth filled with secrets, obstacles, and enemies. Not every area of the Megastructure is accessible from the get-go. You’ll unlock new abilities along the way, like an air dash or double jump that let you reach new areas. Controlling Cherry is a breeze, with snappy, responsive movement. Likewise, Cookie Cutter’s beat-’em-up style combat is satisfying, allowing you to chain combo moves easily. The game eases you into the more complicated combat moves, allowing you to get to grips with the basics while simultaneously building up Cherry’s arsenal.
The biggest gameplay gimmick comes in the form of VOID, which is a form of energy that can be gathered by defeating enemies. Using more powerful moves requires VOID. However, you can also drain your VOID gauge to restore Cherry’s HP, although doing so is a relatively slow process, so it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to do this mid-battle. This leads to an interesting combat loop where you’re constantly evaluating when and how to best use your VOID. You’d expect that this would be especially important in boss battles, but we found that the VOID mechanic was particularly significant when we were locked in rooms where waves of basic enemies kept attacking. Cookie Cutter turned out to be an unforgiving game, even outside of those boss battles.
Apart from the aforementioned addition of new cinematics and voice acting, the Overk1ll Edition introduces a fair amount of gameplay changes as well compared to the original release. Cherry’s arsenal has been expanded with new special moves, for example, and a handy percentage indicator lets you know just how much of the map you’ve explored. There are some additional performance tweaks and fixes as well. While these QoL improvements probably don’t warrant double dipping if you own the game on PC, for new players, they’re obviously very welcome. The fast-paced gameplay and surprisingly solid performance on the Switch make Cookie Cutter a great game on that specific platform too. The portability factor only adds to the appeal. Add in an €18.99 price tag for a game with a runtime of roughly 20 hours, and you’re looking at a winner.
Conclusion
When looking at Cookie Cutter purely from a gameplay perspective, the game lives up to its title. The Metroidvania action is definitely solid, but nothing we haven’t seen before. However, this is a case where the sum is greater than its parts. What truly makes Cookie Cutter stand out is the game’s audiovisual presentation. The hand-drawn art style is equally gruesome as it is gorgeous. The new cinematics and voice acting elevate the story, and the ’90s-inspired soundtrack is the icing on an already delicious cake.
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