The world has ended two times in the world of Rad. Created by Double Fine Productions, this rogue lite adventure puts mutated monsters against you and your baseball bat. A game that looks like the world ended right as the 80’s and 90’s happened, this game takes a swing at other recent games in the genre. How does it stack up?
As a teenager, you are forced to go into the Fallow. Standing in your ways are mutated monsters straight out of a neon nightmare. You start out with a baseball bat, but you will grow stronger the further you venture. This occurs because the Fallow is radioactive and this gives you powers. The changes can be subtle, such as wooden legs or extreme as your entire head is replaced by the head of a cobra. Rad gives you these changes in order to increase your power. Every run is different and different abilities are found in each run.
Rad is a game that follows a recent surge of rouge like video games. The Binding of Issac and Enter the Gungeon have embraced the model and have carved out their place in the genre. The point is not to get to the end of the game. The objective is get all the power ups and create the ultimate build. The world changes each time you start and things change. What Rad does is embrace the neon and arcade visual of the 80/90s. The world is bright and beautiful, even if everything has been destroyed.
If there is one flaw with the game, it is that the enemies start to become repetitious after a awhile. They are different, but they move and attack the same. The bosses add a variety and each of them have a different strategy in order to take them down. The common foes need to be interesting because you will fight and die against them many times. The power ups and the beauty of the world make up for this small problem.
Rad can proudly take it’s place in the hall of games you will play over and over again. The thrill of getting a new power up is addicting and you will want to find them all. With some cosmetic DLC all ready available, Rad could offer players a game that will take up a lot of time.
7/10
Available on PC, PS4, Xbox and Switch.