Developer: Deadleaf Games
Publisher: Deadleaf Games
Platform: PC, Xbox One, Switch, Mac
Tested on: PC
Nom Nom Apocalypse – Review
When we eat our food, we don’t always think twice about where it came from or how it would react to us eating it. The movie Sausage Party did give a nice twist on how processed foods view us and actually left some second-guessing their eating habits. But what if the glorious food would turn on us? Then it is up to a bunch of experts to clean up the havoc that those mutants are wreaking.
Story
Nom Nom Apocalypse begins with a crazy experiment gone wrong. Some mad scientist has created tiny mutant muffins that become what they eat. In no-time, the town is overrun by giant hamburgers, spaghetti monsters, kebabs and it is up to a group of food workers to save the citizens from distress. You will see a pizza-boy, hotdog vendor and chef grab their known instruments and turn them against the invading forces of aggressive cookies, pizzas and fries.
While the game has a really nice intro, there isn’t much done with the story further down the line. It would have been really cool to see the progress that you make to take defeat the evil scientist and how the road leads you there. The absence of a story isn’t a nightmare, as Nom Nom Apocalypse is a pretty difficult Roguelike game to play through.
Graphics
Nom Nom Apocalypse sounds cute and also looks cute. The whole game is shown to the player in a very child-friendly way. Maps are incredibly colorful, the characters and monsters are really sweetly made so nothing will really freak you out, or is too shocking for kids. Maps are clear to navigate through and there is attention to detail. Everything is food-related, so a jelly beans machine gun or mustard shotgun fits perfectly within the setting. You view the game from a top-down perspective; this makes the game resemble a happier version of The Binding of Isaac.
Sound
When going on an adventure in the apocalyptic wasteland you will need a kickass soundtrack. The soundtrack is really great, the upbeat music goes hand in hand with the fast-paced combat. During calmer parts, the music adapts to the situation and when listening closely you can hear the amount of work that there has been put into making each track. The sound effects are also very good, all the different weapons have unique sounds and each action has a corresponding audio cue so you know what is happening by listening to the events.
Gameplay
Nom Nom Apocalypse is a Roguelike shooter where you must defeat hordes of mutated food by using your tools of the trade. In the beginning, you have a handful of heroes to choose from, each with a unique ability and special move. Later you will unlock another handful when completing certain objectives during a run (such as in The Binding of Isaac). The game gets explained in a brief tutorial and since the controls are that easy, it won’t take much time to complete. The inputs are very simple as you only have your special move, dodge roll, interaction and weapon switching.
Each run consists of five levels, each level ending with their own boss. If you die at any point you must start over from the beginning. After each level, you can buy perks to help you out on your run, but that’s it, so you better get good since those monsters won’t give up easily. The characters are only differentiated by their special move and their passive ability. Select one that soothes your playing style and find the right man/woman for the job.
The gameplay is overall pretty simple; you move through the map, kill all the monsters, collect the key to progress, rinse and repeat. There isn’t a dungeon aspect to the map as you mostly go forward all the time. On your way you will find vending machines and here you can buy health, ammo and grease (for your special move). During your runs, you will find new weapons and as you can only hold two, you must choose wisely on what to take with you. There are all different kinds of guns such as a shotgun, a ricochet launcher and a machinegun.
If the game is too hard, then you can always team up with up to three friends locally or play it online with other foodies. Thanks to the combination of the game being for all ages, yet having challenging gameplay, this title is fit for everyone to pick up and enjoy.
Conclusion
Nom Nom Apocalypse is a small Roguelike game that can appeal to a bigger crowd. Its cute and colorful graphics, combined with the great soundtrack makes for an interesting title. It is hard, yet if you are up for the challenge then the game is certainly doable. The fact that there are only five levels makes it seem that it is short, but you will need to hone your skills if you want to survive all those delicious monster foods.
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