How Rad is RAD? – Review (PC)
RAD is the newest game from Double Fine Studios. This time they’ve teamed up with Bandai Namco to release their take on a post-apocalyptic world. In a way that only Double Fine could come up with, not only has the apocalypse happened before the events in RAD, it’s happened twice. After the second apocalypse a group called the menders tried to fix things, but they only made matters worse. Tasked with trying to live in the now and fix the world that they now inhabit, the survivors live day to day and take on the horrors that now share the world with them. Armed with only a bat and whatever mutations they find along the way, the survivors fight for their lives and the lives of those that will come after them.
RAD is a 3D action Rogue-like game set in a neon 80s inspired world. The concept is simple, yet surprisingly deep. Armed with only a bat, you select a character from a group of pre-rendered characters. Unfortunately there is no character creation which would have added even more to the experience – but there are still plenty of characters to unlock as you play through the game and head out into the wastelands.
Each level is procedurally generated, so every run is different than the one before. Gameplay is simple. You have to search the levels in order to accomplish tasks that will open the “way forward.” You have your standard attack with your bat, a ground pound type of attack, and whatever mutations that you come across in order to clear the levels of baddies. The levels aren’t the only thing that changes from run to run as your mutations vary as well. By leveling up your character you will mutate, but each time you can receive a different mutation. This adds to each run feeling even more fresh than most Rogue-Like games.
In-game currency comes in the way of cassette tapes that can be used to purchase items and, in lieu of keys, RAD has floppy disks that are used to unlock chests. You’ll collect these as you beat the snot out of enemies and other various objects throughout each level. Make sure you take a crack at anything and everything you see along your way.
Like most games in the genre, RAD is a fairly difficult game. You have very limited health and, at times, the enemies can really gang up on you. The deeper that you go into each run the harder they get as well. You’ll need to master dodging as much as you’ll need to use your attack. Often, when you think your attacker is dead, they still have a little life left and will attack when you least expect it. They can come from under the ground and the air as well, so you always need to be on your toes.
Aside from the regular runs there are daily challenges to compete in. These challenges can be played multiple times and, unlike the regular game, the daily challenges use the same level each time you play through it. You are not only competing against yourself and trying to beat your score each day, but also trying to rise to the top of the daily leaderboard. Playing through these multiple times will help you memorize the lay of the land and enable you to complete them faster and faster and accumulate the highest score that you possible can.
RAD’s 80s-style color scheme only gets more beautiful as you go through each run. Not only are you trying to rid the world of the disgusting new inhabitants, everywhere you tread new vegetation will grow and make the world full of life and beauty once again.
RAD may not reinvent the genre from the ground up, but fans of Double Fine and Rogue-Like games should definitely put some time into this one. RAD is available now on Steam, Playstation4, Switch and Xbox One.
*RAD was provided to the reviewer by the publishing company but this fact did not alter the reviewer’s opinion*
Check out our Review Guide to see what we criteria we use to score games.
