SHAKEDOWN: HAWAII
Giving PS Vita a new lease of life
“THE 16-BIT VISUAL STYLE OOZES OLDCONSOLE APPEAL.”
Behind the 16-bit visuals and tonguein-cheek statements – ‘business at the front and dead bodies at the back’ – this sequel to Retro City Rampage touches on some very modern issues. Of course, most of these problems are resolved with a shotgun. But what else would you expect from a game with the beating heart of classic GTA? Following three protagonists on their journey to rebuild a failing business empire, Shakedown: Hawaii is the kind of game Rockstar used to make before it grew up and had grander pretensions.
We’re already falling for the game’s aging CEO who’s struggling to adapt to modern life – “why do I need to subscribe to printer ink?” he stresses. “Streaming video is a fad,” he proclaims. It’s a good job we’re in control to turn things around. The meat of the game has you exploring Hawaii’s Big Island, buying up property, sabotaging competitors, and ‘rezoning’ rival businesses at the hot end of a flamethrower. Unlike old GTAs that would leave the detail to scripted events, in Shakedown: Hawaii you can have fun with the fine print. You can create misleading ads for your goods, slap on unnecessary best-before dates to generate more cash, or hire lobbyists to promote your cause.
RETRO RAMPAGE
There’s more to the game than a ‘bad’ business sim; the 16-bit visual style oozes old-console appeal as you take to the streets with the big guns.
Playing as the second protagonist, the ‘consultant’, you get to blow stuff up, set the world ablaze, and generally run amok in this pixel-art Hawaiian paradise. From the suburbs to the sandy beaches, and into the jungle, the game presents a dense world to explore by car and boat.
The third character is the CEO’s son, an aspiring rapper looking to earn some street cred through petty crime. Use him to terrify rival businesses’ customers, shoplift, or burgle homes to grab some extra cash.
Whichever character you’re playing as, you can make them your own using the deep customisation options. New haircuts, clothes, and car upgrades are just the start in a game that enables you to go under the knife and buy new knees and body parts to run faster and jump higher.
You’ll need those physical upgrades too, in order to explore the game’s 200 buildings and three game modes: Story, Arcade, and Freeroam.