RAD - Tim Schafer roguelike review

RAD - Tim Schafer roguelike review

The talent of Double Fine has never been questioned, and that's why everyone eagerly awaits the follow-up to Psychonauts (just to name a title). The courage to get involved with totally different productions was one of the strengths of the company Tim Schafer, and the announcement of RAD, a post apocalyptic roguelike, expectations have skyrocketed. Whoever got their hands on the video game is a fan of the genre, who literally blew up the Nintendo Switch hour counter by buying for the umpteenth platform The Binding of Isaac and that as soon as he hears the word “roguelike” he turns around and buys it. Therefore, the creative flair and experience accumulated by Double Fine? Or RAD will it be a flash in the pan?



A nuclear plot

The plot is hinted at as usual, just to make the player understand where he is and why he will have to perform certain actions: in the eighties there was a nuclear disaster and the survivors gathered in some areas, building purifiers to survive. In time, the nuclear problem seemed to be over, but a second disaster made the planet radioactive again. So here we step in, who can choose from multiple teenagers (some unlockable later) who will be the hero who will free the world from the monsters born after the accident. As in any roguelike, we will have to choose one of the ten characters present (all with a baseball bat) and start a run, always different from the previous one.

To advance in the "story", it will be necessary to complete levels: in each one you will need to activate two or three artifacts, so as to open the entrance to the bunker, where you will always find a tough boss. Apparently it would seem easy to continue in RAD, but it is during the exploration that the game takes on its own identity: by killing the radioactive monsters you will get cassette tapes, floppy disks, experience and sometimes del food. The first two resources will be essential to buy upgrades from the shops and to open the crates scattered around the map, while accumulating experience you will level up, an event that will lead the protagonist to acquire a genetic mutation: you could acquire boots that can leave a trail corrosive, being able to attack with your brand new snake head and so much more. Food, as you have most likely guessed, will make it possible to regain life.



As you can imagine, you will level up more than once as the story progresses and you will become real war machines. The sore point of RAD it is undoubtedly the management of life, as you can either be damaged by the numerous monsters, or fall into the void and naively lose an entire heart. In these cases, the game should help the protagonist, but RAD no: very few steaks will fall from the corpses of monsters, and this will force you to ponder every decision. Not all areas will then be connected by land: in some cases it will be necessary to go through underground labyrinths to access very distant parts of the map.

The combat system is obviously the beating heart of the game and let's start immediately by saying that we found ourselves in the right balance between new and already seen elements. Instead of Enter The Gungeon's weapons and poor Isaac's tears this time there will be the baseball bat to help us against the monsters. There is no parry, but you can jump or roll to dodge the blows of the enemy beasts, two elements that we appreciate and that help RAD to create their own identity. On the other hand we will have monsters, often able to withstand even the most powerful blows, which will give us a hard time with a limited but still effective moveset.

Finally there are the aforementioned mutations, divided into Exomutations (which grant an active skill) and the Endomutations (which instead give a passive bonus). The former allow the player to use different approaches to fight, perhaps allowing to hit from a distance, while the latter improve the statistics.


Nostalgia that works

Swallow RAD stands out is in the setting: the whole reference to the eighties is fascinating and the Floppy Disks, which act as keys, made us feel old. Even the care for the map, initially, is to be appreciated: passing in some areas, flowers will grow to remind the player that he has already passed through there. Too bad that the structure of the levels will soon be similar and, unfortunately, repetitive, allowing the protagonist to avoid the most difficult and superfluous areas.


RAD - Tim Schafer roguelike review

It should be emphasized the presence of a splendid arcade-style soundtrack, a touch of class, also here, intended for long-time users, who in the past have spent all the coins at their disposal. Another note should be made on the Nintendo Switch version: if the situation is normal on PlayStation 4, we must say that the portable mode of the Japanese console offers a poor resolution.

We close with two serious shortcomings for us: the ability to change difficulty, fundamental once you have mastered the fundamental mechanics, and multiplayer (local or online), much appreciated by more experienced players.

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