My mind completely struggles to recollect the identify Turbo Overkill. It’s a mix of two phrases which are normally simply appended to a sport’s title to distinguish itself from earlier video games within the collection, corresponding to Avenue Fighter II Turbo and Home of the Lifeless: Overkill. After which, with all the opposite retro-inspired shooters at present mixing issues up, I can’t inform it other than equally titled video games like Ultrakill.

By way of standing aside with gameplay, the story’s a bit totally different. Whereas many retro-inspired shooters try to achieve success from extra, few are as profitable at climbing excessive as Turbo Overkill, for higher or worse.

Turbo Overkill (PC)
Developer: Set off Completely happy Interactive
Writer: Apogee Leisure
Launched: August 11, 2023 (PC)
MSRP: $24.99

You play as Johnny Turbo, retired Turbografx-16 mascot, or perhaps not. He’s despatched by a shadowy company determine to the world of Paradise to take down a rogue AI that has contaminated many of the inhabitants with a meaty virus. It’s a easy sufficient premise, however over the course of three episodes, it builds and builds to a painful climax.

I’ve heard a whole lot of comparisons between Turbo Overkill and Doom Everlasting, and certain, the similarities are there. Each video games are fast-paced shooters the place mobility isn’t just useful, however important. Nonetheless, I really feel like Turbo Overkill matches extra as a cross between Quake and Critical Sam. Doom Everlasting has a substantial amount of fight emphasis on the right track prioritization, and Turbo Overkill subscribes extra to the philosophy of “If it strikes, kill it.”

You’re incessantly swarmed with enemies who explode with gibs and particles when killed, they usually die en masse. One of the touted options of Turbo Overkill is Johnny’s chainsaw leg (or chegg) which turns you right into a lethal projectile. Via upgrades, you can also make the chegg helpful in opposition to all enemies, however it’s at its greatest while you’re carving via all of the low-level baddies. I obtained a whole lot of mileage out of the chegg, I’ll inform you.

Johnny Motherf*cking Turbo

Turbo Overkill’s fight is enjoyable at the most effective of instances, however it’s not very nuanced. Quite a lot of the time, the display will get full of gore and neon. There isn’t usually a tonne of distinction between the heavier baddies, particularly with regards to visuals, so there’s not a lot incentive to select priorities and take them down shortly. Largely, you’re immersed in a cloud of foes, and also you simply select one of the simplest ways to disperse it in an expedient method.

For that matter, as soon as my chegg was in prime type, I didn’t actually make a lot use of Johnny’s huge arsenal. Past only a buffet of various weapons, you’re progressively given upgrades, and it’s extraordinarily tough to maintain observe of all of them. I obtained close to the tip of the sport and realized that I had forgotten all about Johnny’s mini-rocket firing arm and the slow-motion Turbo Time. I used to be solely biking between a small assortment of weapons, with a number of the leftovers being extraordinarily situational.

There’s a substantial amount of bloat right here. What’s the aim of a chaingun when you’ve gotten twin submachine weapons that don’t must be reloaded? How does the plasma rifle differ from a single-wielded sub-machine gun? Do I actually need a telefrag sniper rifle when there’s already a grappling hook?

In a means, this may suggest that Turbo Overkill has a excessive ability ceiling much like Doom Everlasting. However I hardly ever wanted to play it good. Doom Everlasting heaped tonnes of skills on you and rewarded you for with the ability to juggle all of them successfully. Turbo Overkill appears to heap issues on you simply because it thinks they’re cool. I assume it’s higher to have them and never want them.

The ground is lava

It was solely as soon as I finished attempting to method Turbo Overkill as a critic and as an alternative met it as a gamer that it lastly clicked for me. I needed to cease on the lookout for a objective in its design. It was solely after I lastly switched my mind off from questioning concerning the environments, about circulation, about its legibility that I grew to become capable of immerse myself into it. I needed to cease evaluating it to its predecessors and its contemporaries.

Turbo Overkill is in an arms race solely with itself.

There’s a relentless, ceaseless feeling of escalation via Turbo Overkill. It doesn’t matter if a gun is beneficial, if it supersedes an identical weapon, or if it’s merely solely helpful as a mode of transportation. Stick it in there. If it doesn’t match, pressure it. The philosophy right here is to impress via extra.

The story displays this, the place issues begin off screwed after which hold getting extra screwed. The primary driving pressure holding issues collectively is Johnny’s unstoppable badassery. I truly discovered myself rising a bit hooked up to the character. A mute protagonist, you possibly can nonetheless see the turmoil inside him between having fun with his rampage whereas attempting to carry onto some semblance of humanity. You’re left to fill within the blanks of his persona, however what’s there speaks volumes.

Tiring to kick this a lot ass

Sadly, Turbo Overkill irks me virtually as usually because it excites me. Even after it lastly clicked at the start of the second episode, it misplaced me once more within the latter half of the third. It kicks the climax off means too early and ends it far too late. The previous couple of ranges are the longest and most boring, all performed below a pushed and intense soundtrack. I’m realizing now that an overlong climax is a pet peeve of mine. It’s edging. Cease edging us, Turbo Overkill.

I used to be very exhausted by the point Turbo Overkill wrapped up. My goals of instantly launching into one other playthrough had dissipated.

I actually don’t need to suggest that Turbo Overkill is unhealthy and even simply common. There’s a whole lot of energy in its selection, and the narrative punches above its weight class. The soundtrack is usually excellent and is a superb praise to the carnage. Likewise, when you’ll be able to lose your self within the crimson fog of its fight, it will probably make hours disappear. For that matter, there are many additional modifiers and secret ranges to unlock to increase its operating time past the 15-or-so that it already packs throughout its three episodes.

Nonetheless, Turbo Overkill loses itself in its fixed push for escalation. It’s usually not as intelligent because it thinks it’s, and there’s an actual sense of amount over high quality. Packing in additional mechanics is definitely a kind of progress, however a greater give attention to fewer ideas in all probability would have elevated the sport as a complete. As it’s, it’s nonetheless a superbly enjoyable time, and I’d be fully prepared to revisit it in a sequel, however it simply doesn’t fairly climb to the lofty high of the retro-inspired scrap heap.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}