Mullet MadJack
Review
10 seconds to die
by JackCarter
reviewed on PC
10 seconds to die
Imagine if you will, a universe where a Snatcher-era Hideo Kojima was influenced by Die Hard and Running Man and was tasked with making doom. That's what playing Mullet MadJack feels like. If that somewhat hyperbolic example or playing slot games doesn't excite you, then I hate to break it to you, but you might be dead inside. Also, we probably can't be friends. Mullet MadJack brought me back to my junior high days, going to Suncoast with my cousin and buying whatever anime OVA we could find that looked probably violent like Demon City Shinjuku and Riding Bean. (Seriously though, check out Riding Bean. The main character stops a bullet with his forehead out of sheer rage.) If it isn't clear yet, Mullet MadJack is steeped in violent 80's anime. It's as vibrant as it is bloody, and it wears it's influences on it's sleeve.
I'm sure you are wondering if Mullet MadJack is just nostalgia bait and nothing more, but I'm here to tell you that that simply isn't the case. The nostalgia is just the bread in this shooter sandwich and the meaty insides is the gameplay. (Note to self: never say 'meaty insides' again). Remember that movie from the 2000's, called "Crank", where Jason Statham has to keep his heart rate up by doing crazy action stuff or else he'll die? Well, this is kind of like that. You have 10 seconds to kill, and if you don't kill in those precious seconds you die. Simple enough. Players start with a very basic pistol, and as you progress, you're able to choose better weapons. In the process, you're tasked with killing all sorts of robots keeping you from the princess. Each level is roughly about a minute to two minutes long depending on the difficulty, and you'll never get the same level twice because it's all randomly generated.
John Connor would be proud
Okay, you might've read that last part and, if you're like me, thought "Oh no, it's a rogue-like." If you're not familiar with what a rogue-like is, it's a type of game that features certain elements, usually but not dungeon crawl through procedurally generated levels, permadeath, and randomized loadouts that you lose upon said permadeath. I am one of the few that typically dislike rogue-like games and have steered clear of them. I typically gravitate more towards hand crafted level design that was made for a purpose and helps elevate the story. I also stay far away from permadeath, as I like the feeling of progress and loathe the idea of having to do everything all over again. Surprisingly, I loved Mullet MadJack, not in spite of it's rogue-like elements but because of them. Mullet MadJack is fast, and even though each death erases any progress you made, it doesn't feel like a gut punch because of how fast you can get back into the action. It also doesn't feel like a re-tread of familiar levels because of the procedurally designed levels. These levels are meant to be rushed through. You're not here to take in the scenery, or find clues as to what the main villain has planned, you're supposed to get in and get out with as many dead robots as you can kill along the way.
Being a shooter first and foremost, the weapons have to be fun, right? You are given a pistol at the start, which is fun enough, but as you progress you are able to choose your starting weapon for the next run, and later through a permanent perk you're able to keep that weapon or any other minor perk of your choosing at the start. It's limited to just one, so choose wisely. I spent my fair share of time with each weapon, like the boomer shooter staple – the shotgun, or the plasma gun, there's even a flame sword that lets you sling devastating blasts of fire at enemies and then slash the stragglers who escaped your burning justice. Despite all those, the best weapon for me was the railgun. Once you unlock the level 3 railgun, you are a god among robots, and not the benevolent kind. Add with that perks like quick speed and explosive rounds and it's not even fair (for the robots, that is.)
So the bad... is there any bad? There's some minor things, but nothing absolutely game destroying. I had some bugs, like running into a room and the room not loading or the game freezing right before entering a new level. But that will likely be ironed out by the time of release, and they were so few and far between that it's not really a gripe. Another small annoyance was that the game is so fast and vibrant that the enemies can get lost visually with the background. There's a lot of visual noise and colour going on so it can be a little confusing. There was more than a few times where I was being shot and had no idea where the enemy was. This can be mitigated with a perk that puts an outline around the enemy, but obviously you need to acquire the perk first.
Madness
With all that being said, should you play Mullet MadJack? The short answer – YES. The long answer – YEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSS! All jokes aside, if any of what I said sounds fun to you, give this a shot. Even if you don't like rogue-like games, I think you should give it a shot. I know I'm uniquely in the core of it's core demographic, both aesthetically and gameplay wise, but I think what is here is fun enough for just about anyone.
As always, follow Hooked Gamers on Instagram for news updates, reviews, competitions and more.
9.5
fun score
Pros
The 80's anime aesthetic, the rogue-like elements, the combat
Cons
It's colour mixed with the speed can cause enemies to get lost in the visual noise
