Twin stick shooters seem to be undergoing something of a resurgence at the moment.
The latest game to add to the pile is Mad Devils: Damned-finitive Edition from Itzy Interactive. Set in World War II, can it add something new to the genre, or is it another also ran?
We start off as Sergeant Jack Asher, one of a squad of soldiers nicknamed the Mad Devils. The Mad Devils are deployed to try to stop Major Strauss, who plans to open the gates of Hell itself as part of the Nazi’s attempt to use the occult to win the war. Sadly, things didn’t go according to plan, and the Mad Devils wind up dead. Dead, but not out of the war just yet! Even though they were damned and defeated, the Mad Devils must get back together for one last mission. Can they stop the opening of the gates of Hell from the other side?
Mad Devils: Damned-finitive Edition is set in the traditional isometric 3D perspective, and as this is a co-op game, the whole idea is to keep both players on the screen at the same time. The screen will zoom out so far, but no further – and it is here when it is entirely possible for the characters you play as to get stuck in the scenery, unable to move. This happened a number of times when I’ve been testing with a cooperative friend (that would be my son) so we basically ended up sticking as close together as we could, which led to other issues.
However, the actual design of the members of the Mad Devils is pretty good, and the game moves at a decent pace – but the animation of our characters and the enemies leave something to be desired, being kind. The depiction of Hell varies from the traditional flaming landscapes to a frozen area, and everything in between, and the creatures in the different levels vary a great deal too. And in terms of the sound, this is very much okay, with the requisite gunfire and grenade explosions all present and correct, whilst the use of the squad’s new demonic powers is all portrayed well.
But on to the meat and drink of Mad Devils: Damned-finitive Edition – the way that it plays out. At its heart this is a twin stick shooter, and despite the fact that it is able to be played solo (debatable, to be honest, but it says you can) this is very much designed as a co-op experience. You see, when playing, it is really quite late into the tutorial that you are told to press “Y” to change the character you are controlling – but it is impossible to get that far to learn that bit of info without someone else controlling the second player. And yes, I did raise my eyebrows at that. Why you’d want to play a game where you can run about ten yards, then have to change character to catch up, then rinse and repeat is beyond me.
Luckily, couch co-op and online co-op are available, and both of these methods work fine; albeit the online side of things is a bit quiet. Playing it as a two player game ensures that Mad Devils: Damned-finitive Edition starts to make a lot more sense, so I’d suggest that this game should be treated as multiplayer only.
Combat is pretty straightforward, and luckily, given the way that bullets go flying everywhere, you can’t shoot your co-op partner. You can however, blow them up with grenades, so please be careful when chucking them around!
In addition to the standard gun, which uses the traditional twin stick controls (left stick to move the character, right stick to aim where they are going to shoot), each of the playable characters has a new set of demonic powers – Asher can use fire magic in a pinch, while others can make cover appear out of nowhere to keep you safe while you shoot. These demonic powers certainly add a bit of spice to the combat, and using them at the right time can make all the difference. As you start a level, you can choose which of the unlocked characters you want to play as, so testing each one is a good idea. Assuming you can find them, that is…
There are a few niggles with Mad Devils: Damned-finitive Edition and chief among these is the camera issue I mentioned earlier. Getting stuck in the scenery is really frustrating, and it happens more than you would think – if your co-op partner isn’t paying attention, you end up having to reload from a checkpoint. Other stupid niggles include the character spawning in without a gun, unable to shoot for a whole level, annoyances with multi-level platforms – the top level goes transparent, so you see what is below you, but then you can’t see where to go.
There are other issues too, and occasionally Mad Devils: Damned-finitive Edition feels like it was rushed out of the door before it was finished. If just a little more polish had been applied, the end result would be so much better.
It is possible to have fun with Mad Devils: Damned-finitive Edition, especially playing with friends or relatives. It is rough, but look past the flaws and there is a good game struggling to get out.
