Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken Review by: Eirinn - 6.2/10
A Hardboiled ReviewA game with a ridiculous title and more than a few equally ridiculous moments. This is yet another one I got as a PS+ freebie, and also another one I would never have bought. However it's a game worth experiencing, and it manages to be both fun and humorous throughout the entire game.
Now that I've spoiled the entire review for you, let's get into the review!
Graphics: 6/10
Good.
There's nothing great about anything here graphically speaking, but there is definitely a very specific art design intended here, and they managed to hit it right on the head. This is an example of modern 2D done well, and that's something that isn't even tried for very often.
The characters are nice enough, and sport a decent amount of detail given the camera's distance from the action. There isn't much variety among the enemies, but that really makes sense given the theme of the game's story. When all of your enemies are the same kind of bird, and all of them are in the same military, it makes sense for all of them to look and dress the same.
Hard Boiled Chicken of course has the most attention given to his appearance, being the player character. Then there are the NPCs, mostly cardinals, and all part of the same force as well, so there's no variety there to speak of either. Still they're all well made I suppose.
The levels all sport a dark and gritty appearance, utilizing only darker shades of whatever color is employed, and even the greenery in the beginning is less than vibrant. The choice to go for dark colors makes sense given the vibe that this game is going for, and it succeeds at setting the mood for what the game is meant to be, but the dullness of the color palette used here also seems a bit overbearing, and in the end the game pays for it, if only slightly.
But dull color palette or not, the levels still look nice in design, and are never a real pain to traverse. Beside all this the levels also never feel repetitive or bland in appearance, and though the low lighting and dark colors do make them look less appealing than they could be, they still look fairly nice.
The cutscenes look good, if disturbing at times, and are usually entertaining to watch. They tell the story as you progress, but you'll be a decent way into the game before you find out how the whole thing got started, or who Hardboiled Chicken even is, or why he's so well known by the enemy. This is certainly an interesting and lesser used method of story telling, and one that uses a certain subtlety, and that much is appreciable.
Highlights:
•Well made character designs
•Nice level designs
Sound: 9/10
Excellent.
The sound effects aren't anything spectacular, and feel rather generic honestly, but they do the job well enough. You'll not really hear much beyond the sound of gunfire and small explosions. Nothing stands out, but nothing is really worth docking any points.
The voice acting: this is something I can't be too picky about either, as many games still do it, but there isn't really any voice acting, or not much anyway. Each character has a certain sound they make to signal that they're talking, and their words print up on screen. Think Banjo-Kazooie, and you'll get what I mean.
Strangely though, there are one or two lines of spoken dialogue in the game. One of which happens when you brain bug an enemy for the first time in a level. I'm tempted to repeat it here since it's humorous in a juvenile way, but I kind of hate to spoil it since the lines are so scarce.
So why the high score with such unimpressive sounds? The music, that's why.
All of the music is performed by one group, and each song has lyrics, not just music. Now I'm iffy on lyrics in game music usually, but it works here. And the fact that each song is by the same group gives the music it's own sort of progressional structure as well, kind of like a side story, only the lyrics tend to actually help tell the story, if you listen to what they mean. And while I don't appreciate the play off of the lyrics to a classic hymn in one of them, I do appreciate the symbolism.
The songs are for the most part enjoyable when set to the game, and the last level's theme in particular is very catchy, which is annoying as it's a song I normally wouldn't listen to. Still, it's catchy.
Highlights:
•Juvenile humor :3
•Solid progressional musical score
Story: 6/10
Good.
It feels kind of awkward giving a game with no real dialogue and not much written narrative such high marks in story, but the cutscenes do a great job telling the story even without spoken or written words, and show what the developers could really do graphically speaking. The dull colors are no longer a problem here, and the scenes look great for it, if disturbing at times. Still they are interesting to watch and they manage to tell the story very efficiently, so that you can almost get an hour's worth of story in five minutes.
The way the story is delivered is nicely done as well. As I alluded to earlier, you're kind of just dropped into the middle of the story with no explanation as to why you're doing what you're doing, who you are, or why the enemy knows you so well. This will all be revealed as you progress through the game, and by the time you reach the final level you'll understand it all clearly, and you'll be out for blood.
Highlights:
•Voiceless cutscenes do a great job telling the story
•The story is slowly given to you, piece by piece as your past and present comes into focus slowly
Depth: 5/10
Average.
The campaign mode has a decent amount of levels to play through and rarely do you just go from point A to point B. Instead you often find yourself traversing certain portions of the level multiple times to get out.
Additionally there's a multiplayer campaign and two difficulty modes: Normal and Hardboiled, so there are two potential playthroughs if you're a gamer who has to see it all. I personally finished on Normal and then jumped to the final level on Hardboiled to net the trophy.
The weapon and item
selection is small, and the guns all share the same ammo meter which is both a blessing and a curse all rolled into one. The items, while few, can be fun to use, especially the brain bug. Still even the somewhat enjoyable item to use doesn't make up for the lack of variety here. Also a bit disturbing though it may be (skip the rest of this paragraph if you're easily disturbed) in order to end the effect of the brain bug, you have to put a gun to your own head and pull the trigger, committing suicide. Disturbing, I know.
Then there are the resistance signs that you'll find. They're scattered around throughout the levels and are usually a chore to find. In fact I opted not to look for them at all, as it didn't seem that interesting or worthwhile. Still it's there to do if you want.
Highlights:
•Campaign mode is interesting for at least one playthrough
•There's a good bit to do for a completionist
Addictiveness: 5/10
Average.
Nothing really that engaging here, not beyond the first playthrough anyway. There's a decent amount of stuff to be done, and the game kept me personally coming back until I finished it, in fact this was the only game I played until I finished it, but after that I put it away and never planned to touch it again. It's fun enough while it lasts, but that's about it. When it's done, it's done.
Highlights:
•Super short section
•I still love chickens
Overall: 6.2/10
Good.
Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken is a good enough game for a first time play, and it has it's merits. As I said, it's worth a play and I don't regret finishing it at all. It tells an interesting story, and I actually plan on buying the sequel when it hits a good sale, solely because I enjoyed this one enough to make me want to try some more.
Buy or pass?
I'd say $5 is a good price for it, maybe $10 for the right kind of gamer. It's not a great game, but it is a good one and offers some fun if only for one playthrough.
That about sums this one up perfectly: it's worth experiencing, but only at the right price.
Graphics
6 Sound
9 Addictive
5 Depth
5 Story
6
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